Take a Look at NoveList!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

February 18, 2012

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison

Darker After Midnight by Lara Adrian

Aunt dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton

Time of Our Lives by Tom Brokaw

Spencer Tracy by James Curtis

Broken Land by Kathleen Geer

Serial Killer Whisperer by Pete Earley

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• The Library Board regular meeting Monday, Feb.13, 5:30 p.m. upstairs
• Wednesday, Feb. 15, Safety class for IMWCA, 9 – 11:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, Feb.22—Preschool Story Times for 3-4 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 23—Preschool Story Times for 4-5 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Saturday, Mar. 3—Book Signing for local author, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, Mar. 4—Carole presentation on ebooks to group at Presbyterian Church 7 pm
• Friday, Mar. 9 approx. 10:30 a.m. Informational meeting with Congressman Boswell.
• Sunday, Mar. 11—Daylight Savings Time starts. “Spring Ahead!”
• Thursday, Mar. 15—PLOW Training for Librarians from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Monday, Mar. 19 – Carole presentation on ebooks to PEO group at 7:30 at the Library.
• Wednesday, Mar. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Library meeting/program room All Cass County Reads Program by author Rosanne Bachman for her book Driving to Clarinda!

Did You Know… the Atlantic Public Library subscribes to Book Page and you can pick up your own copy in the upstairs entrance area each month?

Behind My Desk… This next bit of information comes under the heading of “Well, this is embarrassing….” The other day I decided to look at our NoveList link on the library webpage. I know what it includes and what it offers: but to be quite honest, I hadn’t looked at it lately. Surprise, Carole! They’ve changed the layout, and I like it! NoveList is a service the library subscribes to for what librarians call “Reader’s Advisory.”

There are so many new books being published and trying to stay current with popular authors and titles is a challenge for any library staff member. NoveList helps a person find things to read that are of interest to people. They have lists of “Author Read-alikes” (if you like James Patterson, you might like…). It also has lists of award winners, guides for book discussions, and even recommended reads for different ages and types of books. The main part of the page shows book covers. I don’t care what anyone says, people do judge a book by its cover…not all people, but some do. I recommend you check out NoveList on our webpage if you enjoy reading and are interested in finding new authors to try.

A couple of weeks ago I received a call from a lady in Seattle. She was “downsizing” her household and was going through a set of books she inherited from her grandmother and step-grandfather. They passed away over 30 years ago. She found one of our library books in the collection, and she knew her grandmother would have been mortified that the book was never returned. The due date (get this) was April 1 with no year. She wanted to let me know she was sending it back to us. I was quite sure we would no longer have any record of the book, but the lady was insistent on having her grandmother rest in peace over this book! Okay!

A few days later in a carefully wrapped package here came the book. Yep. No doubt about it. It was ours. She also enclosed a nice check as a donation. The title was Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Alfred J. Church. There was no copyright date, but the Preface was dated October 11, 1879.

As the lady so aptly put it, “you just never know where they (library books) will go, or how they will get home” and …Keep Thinking Libraries!

New Things to Learn!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

February 4, 2012

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Rope by Nevada Barr

Taken by Robert Crais

Raylan by Elmore Leonard

Lunatics by Dave Barry

Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card

All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley

Look of Love by Mary Jane Clark

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• The Library Board regular meeting Monday, Feb.13, 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Wednesdays, Feb. 8 & Feb.22—Preschool Story Times for 3-4 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Thursdays, Feb.9, & Feb. 23—Preschool Story Times for 4-5 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Thursday, Feb.9 from 3:30 – 5 pm Art Program for Grades K-2nd
• Saturday Feb. 11—Cass Co. Conservation Backyard Bird Count from 1:30-3 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 16 from 3:30- 5 pm Art Program for Grades 3-6th
• Wednesday, Mar. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Library meeting/program room All Cass County Reads Program by author Rosanne Bachman for her book Driving to Clarinda!

Did You Know…the Atlantic Public Library website has now added a Weather Channel “widget” to the home page? You can find out the forecast and current weather conditions for Atlantic and other places around the world!

Behind My Desk… I was supposed to mention this in my last column and, well, I forgot. The Genealogy Society is looking for some past issues of the Atlantic High School Javelin. They need the following years: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007-2011. They would appreciate any of these donations!

A couple weeks ago I attended an all-day online conference for librarians. It was geared for the small to medium library. I guess I was at the “teachable” moment because I felt it was one of the best of workshops I’ve attended! This is the fifth year for this conference. It is online, so we do not have to worry about getting out on bad January days and can still receive training. This was started by our District Library Consultant and a group of small public librarians. They have an Opening Keynote Speaker and multiple learning sessions with a break for lunch and supper. There is an online exhibit hall and at night there is Evening Keynote Speaker for trustees.

To organize something like this takes a great amount of knowledge and patience. It’s a new process for a lot of people. The Library Services Agency has made available online classrooms where a person can log in and listen to a presentation and watch on their computer monitors a slide presentation. There is the opportunity to chat with the presenter, so it’s an interesting new way to learn! I still enjoy going to workshops, but our weather is too “ify” in the winter to plan to attend something like this.

I should mention that this was a statewide project. Several hundred librarians from across the state logged in and participated. That’s impressive!

I mentioned in the “Did you know…” portion of this column about adding The Weather Channel to our homepage. That came from a session on how to use “widgets” in our webpages. Another session was on how to make your website more efficient and usable for everyone. That’s why the Atlantic Public Library website looks a little different. My next project has to do with signage. Shabby signage is not good. It sends a message to our patrons, friends, and users that we don’t care about our library. I need to clean up some of our signs here…starting with the Automatic Door sign at the front door!

Happy Valentine’s Day coming up and …Keep Thinking Libraries!

January Happenings @ the Library!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

January 21, 2012

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Vigilante by Stephen Cannell

Locked On by Tom Clancy

77 Shadow Street by Dean R. Koontz

Death Benefit by Robin Cook

Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag

Leopard by Jo Nesbo

D C Dead by Stuart Woods

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• The Library Board regular meeting Monday, Feb.13, 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Wednesdays, Jan.25, Feb. 8 & Feb.22—Preschool Story Times for 3-4 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Thursdays, Jan.26, Feb.9, & Feb. 23—Preschool Story Times for 4-5 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 25 –Grades 1-3 , 3:00-4:00 pm. “Jungle Journey”
• Wednesday, Mar. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Library meeting/program room All Cass County Reads Program by author Rosanne Bachman for her book Driving to Clarinda!

Did You Know…the Atlantic Public Library has a public fax service? The fax fee is a dollar per page either sent or received. Our fax # is 712-243-5011.

Behind My Desk…

New things are happening in the Genealogy Department. As I’ve mentioned before, they now have a phone extension. That has helped us to not have so many messages over the intercom system to interrupt our patrons who are working or reading.

They should have by the time this article is printed in the paper a new microfilm reader scanner. Our old one has gone to that recycle bin in the sky. It was a good friend, but it’s time had come. The new one will work with a computer and regular desk printer. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, the department will have a new computer, printer, and monitor. We appreciate their donation for those items. This was not as easy a transfer of equipment as I had hoped for. I think the wait will be worth it.

Staffing is always an important duty for the library director. Janie is slowly working her way back to full time after taking eight weeks for foot surgery and other crises. Last Friday was Kelsey’s last day with us. She plans to further her education, and we wish her well. Yes, we do have an opening for a part-time page at the library. Stop by the library for an application and more information.

At the last board meeting it was decided to change to a cleaning service for the library, so I’m looking into contract bids for that.

This week I went with some of the other Cass County librarians to visit the Cyber Library on the Council Bluffs campus of Iowa Western Community College. My, oh, my!

I should also mention that yes, the library does have copies of the three main Federal tax forms (1040EZ, 1040A, and the 1040). Unfortunately, we do not have instructions for the 1040 yet. We have ordered them and the reproducible tax forms, but the government has notified us that it will be at least the end of January before we see them. I know. Irritating, isn’t it?

One last thing…I’ve been doing one of my favorite tasks again. Take a look at the library webpage at www.atlantic.lib.ia.us. I added a weather “widget” to the page, so you can see what the weather people think is happening in Atlantic with radar, road conditions, weather alerts and forecasts. Stay warm and safe, and …Keep Thinking Libraries!

Time to Renew our Magazines!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

January 7, 2012

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Micro by Michael Crichton

Lost December by Richard Evans

Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon

Garner Files by James Garner

Mr. CSI by Anthony Zuiker

Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell

Soft Target by Stephen Hunter

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• The Library Board regular meeting Monday, Jan. 9, 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Wednesdays, Jan.11, Jan.25, Feb. 8 & Feb.22—Preschool Story Times for 3-4 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Thursdays, Jan. 12, Jan.26, Feb.9, & Feb. 22—Preschool Story Times for 4-5 year olds from 10-11 a.m.
• Wednesday, Mar. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Library meeting/program room All Cass County Reads Program by author Rosanne Bachman for her book Driving to Clarinda!

Did You Know…the Atlantic Public Library has a computer downstairs exclusively for filing your taxes online? The library employees are not tax preparers, but they can show you the IRS site and the Iowa Revenue site for you!

Behind My Desk… The holidays are officially over and decorations are coming down and now we are seeing Valentine’s Day things. Doesn’t it seem to you that we are being rushed into every holiday whether we are ready or not?

Please take note about the Preschool Story Times for January and February. Wednesdays are for 3 & 4 year olds and Thursdays are for 4 & 5 year olds.

About this time every year we renew, and sometimes add and subtract our magazine subscriptions. Every community is different. We check to see what titles are circulating and of interest to our patrons. Some magazines go out of business, so we try to find similar titles to fill in; and sometimes our patrons give us suggestions. In March Diane goes through our collection and weeds out our older issues, so you may want to watch our “Book Sale Cart” for any bargains.

I should mention that the library is through with holidays now until Memorial Day. So, unless the weather gets very nasty, the library should be open normal hours.

Next week we should be getting our new microfilm reader/scanner for the Genealogy/Local History Room. Our old machine was a true “work horse” for us, but we were very close to no longer finding replacement parts for it. It was time to see what we could find that would help us for future research as well as using older materials. It was an expensive purchase, but I think it will be a good one.

Enjoy our New Year and …Keep Thinking Libraries