Libraries? Social Networking?

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

January 29, 2011

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Hammersteins by Oscar Hammerstein

Fields of Ukraine by Haim Tal

Prostitutes Ball by Stephen Cannell

Rivers Bend by Jayne B. Murray

Weight Watcher’s New Complete Cookbook

Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods

Other Eyes by Barbara D’Amato

Tick Tock by James Patterson

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. 14 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Story Time Programs for 3, 4, & 5 year olds! No registration necessary! Free!
• Wed./Thurs. Feb. 2/3 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Feb. 16/17 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Sat. Feb. 12 Cass Co. Conservation Backyard Bird Count 1-2:30 p.m. Library Program Room

Did You Know… the theme for the February Preschool Story Times at the library will be “Lovable Pets”? The story times run through April, and are for boys and girls ages 3-5. They are free and there is no registration. Come join the fun!

Behind My Desk… Last week I spent a whole day attending a conference…online…including exhibits! It was the Fourth Annual Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference. Each year gets better and better. That saved me time on the road in January. It was well worth the time for me to attend. People from across the country are interested in trying a similar idea.

One of the sessions was on social networking and libraries. I will be honest, I wasn’t really sure I wanted to attend it, but decided to at the last minute. There was a terrific list of things librarians are doing online. I want you to see the list:

· Digitizing materials

· Mitigating rural isolation

· Answering questions for our patrons

· Sharing news

· Recommending, downloading, discussing solutions to old problems

· Finding emerging trends

· Marketing and promoting their libraries

Well, surprise! A lot of these things we’ve been doing for decades…just not online.

Another list I found equally worthwhile was a list of things libraries can do online and save money for the library. Have a look…

• Instant chat…fewer long distance phone calls
• Post events…reduce costs for ads
• E-Learning…travel costs
• Online notices/signs/flyers…postage costs and less paper and ink used.
• E-Collections…savings of materials not being returned, replacement costs
• Online grant applications…postage savings and administrative time savings

Not everything is bad about computers and the Internet—far from it!

We keep getting closer to spring…Keep Thinking Libraries!