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!