Congratulations on a job well done, Herbert Branch!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Herbert Branch - open house
Congratulations on a job well done, Herbert Branch!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Positive affirmation training for staff
There are definitely some challenges ahead of us as a staff, with changes to policies coming in the fall, including the introduction of overdue charges (already the norm in most public libraries, but new to us), and the move to a three-week loan period. Throughout this process, it will be important that we take care of ourselves emotionally as staff. Positive affirmation, as demonstrated by this young lady, is one technique:
;)
;)
Culture on the go - author readings - Shaunavon - May 19
Shaunavon is set to host four Saskatchewan authors on May 19th, also the date of the annual Museum day, with hot dogs, crafts and more. Full event details are here.
Google to enter the ebook market
This summer, Google will launch Google Editions, a new ebook service that promises to be compatible with a wide array of devices and formats. Read more here.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
the case for texting, facebook, YouTube, Podcasting and this blog
interesting article on why libraries should embrace social media (with statistics!)
informal update on statistics - automated branches
As a person who needs to track our statistics, I look forward to the day when everyone is automated and all of our statistics are tracked by the computer. For now, I can see tracked statistics for our automated branches only.
In the first quarter of 2010, we are just under 1% ahead on our tracked circulations (does not include uncatalogued materials).
Circulation by type
Within this, we are ahead by 2.5% on adult fiction, 2% on adult non-fiction, and 5% on adult paperbacks. DVD use has increased by about 400% (indicating the success of our popular DVD collection), while VHS tapes continue to dwindle in popularity. Circulation of talking books is up by around 4%. Circulation on items for children and youth are down somewhat, most likely reflecting an ordering lag that occurred due to staff shortages in 2009.
Well, that was an exciting interlude! Now back to working on the 2011 budget.
In the first quarter of 2010, we are just under 1% ahead on our tracked circulations (does not include uncatalogued materials).
Circulation by type
Within this, we are ahead by 2.5% on adult fiction, 2% on adult non-fiction, and 5% on adult paperbacks. DVD use has increased by about 400% (indicating the success of our popular DVD collection), while VHS tapes continue to dwindle in popularity. Circulation of talking books is up by around 4%. Circulation on items for children and youth are down somewhat, most likely reflecting an ordering lag that occurred due to staff shortages in 2009.
Well, that was an exciting interlude! Now back to working on the 2011 budget.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Crime and cookery - award-winning books available @ your library
You may remember that it was only a week ago that we highlighted Canadian crime / mystery writers Louise Penny and Alan Bradley (see blog post here). Well, they've done it again, each winning one of this year's Agatha Awards (awards for mystery / crime novels that contain no graphic sex or violence). Congratulations to our Canadian authors!
The Edgar awards were also announced recently announced, and some of the winners are avaiable for you to borrow right away:
John Hart - The Lost Child
“Hart once again produces a novel that is elegant, haunting, and memorable. His characters are given an emotional depth that genre characters seldom have, and the graceful, evocative prose lifts his stories right out of their genre and into the realm of capital-L literature. A must-read for every variety of fiction reader.” –Booklist (starred review)
Otto Penzler (ed.) - The Lineup
"A great recurring character in a series you love becomes an old friend. You learn about their strange quirks and their haunted pasts and root for them every time they face danger. But where do some of the most fascinating sleuths in the mystery and thriller world really come from?
What was the real-life location that inspired Michael Connelly to make Harry Bosch a Vietnam vet tunnel rat? Why is Jack Reacher a drifter?... In THE LINEUP, some of the top mystery writers in the world tell about the genesis of their most beloved characters--or, in some cases, let their creations do the talking. " (publisher description)
...and for true crime fans
Dave Cullen - Columbine
"A remarkable book. It is painstakingly reported, well-organized and compellingly written . . . For any reader who wants to understand the complicated nature of evil, this book is a masterpiece." (The Seattle Times )
Also honoured as a grand master is Dorothy Gilman, a wonderful writer who deserves a wider audience. Gilman is most famous for her novels about Mrs. Pollifax, a grandmother who becomes a CIA agent.
Lastly, two sets of awards were announced for cookbooks, The International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Awards, and the James Barber Foundation Awards. One book named in both sets of awards is Ad Hoc at Home, by Thomas Keller.
"Thomas Keller shares family-style recipes that you can make any or every day. In the book every home cook has been waiting for, the revered Thomas Keller turns his imagination to the American comfort foods closest to his heart flaky biscuits, chicken pot pies, New England clam bakes, and cherry pies so delicious and redolent of childhood that they give Proust's madeleines a run for their money. Keller, whose restaurants The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Per Se in New York have revolutionized American haute cuisine, is equally adept at turning out simpler fare." (from publisher)
The Edgar awards were also announced recently announced, and some of the winners are avaiable for you to borrow right away:
“Hart once again produces a novel that is elegant, haunting, and memorable. His characters are given an emotional depth that genre characters seldom have, and the graceful, evocative prose lifts his stories right out of their genre and into the realm of capital-L literature. A must-read for every variety of fiction reader.” –Booklist (starred review)
"A great recurring character in a series you love becomes an old friend. You learn about their strange quirks and their haunted pasts and root for them every time they face danger. But where do some of the most fascinating sleuths in the mystery and thriller world really come from?
What was the real-life location that inspired Michael Connelly to make Harry Bosch a Vietnam vet tunnel rat? Why is Jack Reacher a drifter?... In THE LINEUP, some of the top mystery writers in the world tell about the genesis of their most beloved characters--or, in some cases, let their creations do the talking. " (publisher description)
Dave Cullen - Columbine
"A remarkable book. It is painstakingly reported, well-organized and compellingly written . . . For any reader who wants to understand the complicated nature of evil, this book is a masterpiece." (The Seattle Times )
Also honoured as a grand master is Dorothy Gilman, a wonderful writer who deserves a wider audience. Gilman is most famous for her novels about Mrs. Pollifax, a grandmother who becomes a CIA agent.
Lastly, two sets of awards were announced for cookbooks, The International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Awards, and the James Barber Foundation Awards. One book named in both sets of awards is Ad Hoc at Home, by Thomas Keller.
Saskatchewan Library Association Conference
Hello, everyone.
This blog may be a little slow this week, as I'm away at the Saskatchewan Library Association Conference and a couple of all day meetings prior to it.
Picture me lost in the crowd in the big city, much like Waldo in this silly clip (maybe only I find it funny - ignore if you don't find impersonations of German film directors funny)
Now that the blog is a week old, we can see the first people trickling in to view it - we've had 117 people viewing it, from as far away as San Francisco and as close by as Shaunavon, Maple Creek and Gravelbourg. People this week spent an average of five minutes looking at it and viewed about 3 pages each.
This blog may be a little slow this week, as I'm away at the Saskatchewan Library Association Conference and a couple of all day meetings prior to it.
Picture me lost in the crowd in the big city, much like Waldo in this silly clip (maybe only I find it funny - ignore if you don't find impersonations of German film directors funny)
Now that the blog is a week old, we can see the first people trickling in to view it - we've had 117 people viewing it, from as far away as San Francisco and as close by as Shaunavon, Maple Creek and Gravelbourg. People this week spent an average of five minutes looking at it and viewed about 3 pages each.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Privacy week!
Find out about the American Library Association campaign
Find out more about privacy for kids and teens
Michael Stephens on Facebook privacy settings
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