Thursday, June 25, 2009

Looking Back

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
June 27, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh
Whispers of the Dead by Simon Beckett
Knockout by Catherine Coulter
Deepest Cut by Dianne Emley
Skin Trade by Lauren Hamilton
Wii for Dummies by Kyle Orland
Wish Maker by Ali Sethi
Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston

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.
The library will be closed Friday and Saturday July 3 & 4 for the holiday weekend.
Summer Library Programs!!!!
---Reading Program Starts June 1 and runs through August 8.
K-3rd Readers Party is August 13.
4th-8th Readers Party is August 12.
---Tuesdays, June 30. July 7 & 14: Theme of the Week! K & 1st Grades, 10-11:30 a.m.
---Wednesdays, July 1, 8 & 15: Theme of the Week!, 2nd-3rd Grades, 10-11:30 a.m.
---Thursdays, July 2, 9, & 16: ICN class for K-3rd Grades, 10-11 a.m.
---Thursdays July 2, 9, & 16: Reading Buddies 1st-5th Grades, 11 a.m. to 12 noon.
---Fridays, July 10 & 17: Movie Day! K-3rd Grades, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Be sure to pick up a schedule of all the events at the downstairs checkout desk.

---Monday, July 6: Begin signing up 4th & 5th Graders for Tie Dye Program. Limit of 15!
---Wednesday, July 8: Movie Night for 6th-8th Graders, 7-9:30 p.m.
---Monday, July13: Tie Dye Program for signed up 4-5th Graders, 1-3 p.m.
---Tuesday, July 14: Begin signing up for “Espresso Self Program” 4-8th Graders. Limit 15!
---Monday, July 20: Postponed Tie Dye Program for signed up 6-8th Graders, 1-3 p.m.
---Wednesday, July 22: Espresso Self Program for signed up 4-8th Graders, 10-11:30 a.m.

Did You Know… the Atlantic Public Library has approximately 4000 registered library patrons?

Behind My Desk… Lots of things have transpired this past fiscal year. Within this last year the Library Board has addressed all sorts of issues.
· Repairing and replacing our older windows. That made a big difference last winter.
· 2008 was the year for the library to apply for State Accreditation again. As a result, the library worked through all our policies and by-laws.
· The library this past year changed our checkouts for most library items from 2 weeks to 4 weeks and videos went from overnight to a week checkout.
· The library at this time is not charging fines for overdue materials.
· The Cass County Library Association of Iowa organized our first annual Family Fun Night entitled “Book Some Time Together.”
· The meeting room is now just used for library meetings and ICN programs.
· The parking lot stalls were reconfigured and painted and the curbs at the west end were removed.
· A new sidewalk was poured this spring on the Poplar Street side of the library.
I guess we stayed pretty busy!
Try to keep cool and… Keep Thinking Libraries!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

What a Zoo!

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
June 13, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
White Cascade by Gary Krist
Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross
Wicked Prey by John Sanford
Vision in White by Nora Roberts
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

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.
Summer Library Programs!!!!
---Reading Program Starts June 1 and runs through August 8.
K-3rd Readers Party is August 13.
4th-8th Readers Party is August 12.
---Monday,June 15: “Name That Tune!” Game Show, 6th-8th Grade , 6-8 p.m. CANCELLED.
---Tuesdays, June 16 & 30: Theme of the Week! K & 1st Grades, 10-11:30 a.m.
---Wednesdays, June 17 & 24: Theme of the Week!, 2nd-3rd Grades, 10-11:30 a.m.
---Wednesday, June 17-June 23 Sign Up for Tie Dye Program for 6th-8th Grades.
---Thursdays, June 18 & 25, ICN class for K-3rd Grades, 10-11 a.m.
---Thursdays June 18 & 25: Reading Buddies 1st-5th Grades, 11 a.m. to 12 noon.
---Fridays, June 19 & 26: Movie Day! K-3rd Grades, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Be sure to pick up a schedule of all the events at the downstairs checkout desk.
---Monday, June 22: Movie Night for 4th & 5th Graders, 7-9 p.m.
---Tuesday, June 23: Dan Wardell-LIVE! All ages!, 9:30 a.m. show or 10:30 a.m. show
---Wednesday, June 24 Tie Dye Program for signed up 6-8th Graders, 1-3 p.m.

Did You Know… what was going on at the library last Tuesday? Well, the summer library programs started off with a real hit! We hosted a program from the Blank Park Zoo. We had 294 people in attendance and we have the pictures to prove it! Yowza!

Behind My Desk…

I’m in the process of working on the library website for the Internet. I want to add a couple more pages under the Library Services Section…one for Tweens/Teens and another for Adults. The library can be a wonderful source for help in these times and I want to give suggestions and ideas to aid adults and youth find the kind of information they need. I already have a page for Children and another for Finding Information, but there is more to add.

The library has added a new online database (in-library use only for now) called Career Library on our website. If you are looking for information on different careers, take a look at the site. If you are trying to study up for a special test such as GED or ACT or SAT, you need to take a look at this site. They have sample questions to help you hone your skills. There are other test aids in the Career Library. If you need help making a resume, there is a resume generator where you fill in the information, and print out a nice looking resume. Right now we have this database for free. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, stop by the library, and get online!

Be Creative and … Keep Thinking Libraries!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Summer Library Fun!

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
May 30, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
Razor Sharp by Fern Michaels
Mr and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels
Burn Out by Marcia Muller
Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow
Age is Just a Number by Dara Torres
Venetian Judgment by David Stone

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.
Friends of the Atlantic Public Library Book Sale will be held Friday, May 29 and May 30 in the Library meeting Room!
Summer Library Programs!!!!
***Reading Program Starts June 1 and runs through August 8.
K-3rd Readers Party is August 13.
4th-8th Readers Party is August 12.
***Sign Up for 6th-8th “Name That Tune Game Show: June 5-12. Limit 30 contestants!
***All Ages!!! June 9: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Blank Park Zoo LIVE! (Ages 4 and under must be with adult or older sibling.
***June 11: Reading Buddies Starts 1st-5th Grades, 11 a.m. to 12 noon.
Be sure to pick up a schedule of all the events at the downstairs checkout desk.

Did You Know… that this June will be the 12th anniversary for the library addition? The project managed to double the space to 13,000 square feet. We’ve had some changes such as new carpet for the upstairs and downstairs, roof issues, new computers more programs, and new collections; so we have continued to grow and progress. The library staff has had no easy task at trying to maintain good service to our patrons, but on the whole, I think they have done very well.

Behind My Desk… Well, school is about through. Here comes summer…ready or not! Because times are tough for a lot of families, I’m glad the library can offer a number of free programs for our youth. What a bargain! I know that there are lots of activities throughout Atlantic for all ages, but it’s nice to know the public library offers free entertainment.

I have one more month and then we start a new fiscal year. Here come those pesky statistics again! My mantra is “Excel is my friend.” When I think of all the information I can collect and then use to help with decisions, I am very grateful I have a little bit of knowledge on spreadsheets.

Thanks to all who helped in anyway with the Friends’ Book Sale.

I would also like to thank the various families of Atlantic citizens who have passed away this past year and have given the remaining subscriptions of the Atlantic News Telegraph to the library subscription. Thank you for your generous gift. We appreciate the extensions.

This fall I have been asked to speak at one of the sessions of the Iowa Library Association annual conference. It was nice to know that word got around that the Cass County Library Association is doing some good things in cooperation with one another. I will be giving a quick overview of our Family Reading Night project and our collaborations when working on our presentations to the County Board of Supervisors. The goal is to give ideas on how to cooperate among libraries in a close vicinity of each other. In this day and age cooperation is the name of the game.

Enjoy your summer, but…Keep Thinking Libraries!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Busy Library Days

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
May 16, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
Facebook for Dummies by Carolyn Abram
House of Cards by William Cohan
Lessons from San Quentin by Bill Dallas
Experimental Man by David E. Duncan
Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox
Don’t Look Twice by Andrew Gross
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Lost Boy by Brent W. Jeffs

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.
May 20 and 21: One Stop Registration at Washington School Gym from 6-8 pm. (Sign up for public library summer reading, conservation camps, summer tennis, swim team, Red Cross swimming lessons, Guy Somers guitar lessons, and Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre!)
May 26: Library Tours for 1st Graders
The library will be closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day
Friends of the Atlantic Public Library Book Sale will be held Friday, May 29 and May 30 in the Library meeting Room!


Did You Know… one of the major fundraisers for the Friends of the Atlantic Public Library is the semi-annual Used Book Sale? It is coming up the end of this month. All donations of good or excellent condition books, tapes, cds, videos, etc are welcome. We would appreciate you waiting until the last week of May to bring in your donations. If you are interested in helping with the sale, you can give Tammy Wickman a call at 243-2777.

Behind My Desk… Doesn’t the new sidewalk on the east side of the library look great? I am hoping this will help with winter snow removal. Also, for some of us, the removal of the west curbing in the parking lot is a lot better. Many cars will be thankful for this change.

This week we added another Internet site to help people looking for new jobs, careers, colleges, etc. It’s called COIN Career Library. We have a link to it on our website. From what I can tell, this site is only available at the library, but it can help create a resume, consider other careers, practice for GED, ACT, SAT tests…just to name a few!

I am planning to add a page that will have other suggestions to help people in these times find work. The library has been busy with people trying to learn basic computer skills, looking for employment, and setting up resumes. When times get tough, the library becomes a vital source for people.

I was reading an article about the future of libraries. Of course, there will always be the ones who see no sense in supporting libraries. We are “antiquated,” “old fashioned,” “archaic,” and “on the verge of extinction.” My reply would be, “Phooey!”

I think there will always be the “haves” and the “have nots.” Somebody needs to care that everyone should have opportunities. Libraries level the differences. Will libraries continue to change and evolve? Most certainly. If we don’t, we will find ourselves extinct!

So…Keep Thinking Libraries!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Read, Read, Read!

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
May 2, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
Priceless Memories by Bob Barker
Boneman’s Daughter by Ted Dekker
Laura Rider’s Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey
Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson
Etta by Gerald Kolpan
Admission by Jean Korelitz
First Family by David Baldacci

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.
May 4 & 5: Library Tours for Jack & Jill and Little Lambs Preschools
One Stop Registration at Washington School Gym from 6-8 pm. (Sign up for public library summer reading, conservation camps, summer tennis, swim team, Red Cross swimming lessons, Guy Somers guitar lessons, and Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre!)
May 26: Library Tours for 1st Graders
The library will be closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day
Friends of the Atlantic Public Library Book Sale will be held Friday, May 29 and May 30 in the Library meeting Room!


Did You Know…the Atlantic Public Library subscribes to over seventy different magazines including Brides, Consumer Reports, Iowa History, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Our Iowa, “O”, Fine Gardening, and Healthy Cooking. The current magazines are not allowed to be checked out, but past issues may be checked out just like a book for 28 days! We also subscribe to an online database called EBSCOhost. More magazines are available with articles in full text. Stop by the upstairs desk to receive the user name and password to be able to access this at home.

Behind My Desk… Julie has put together another great lineup for this summer and it starts June 1st (last day of school)! Her calendar makes me tired just looking at it! If you have the chance to bring your children to some of the scheduled events, I encourage you to do so. Reading in the summer is “Fun Time.” Young people can read whatever their heart desires in the summer…whether it is a graphic novel, a magazine, or even an easy book!! The skill of reading needs to be encouraged during the summer months. It does make a difference in the fall for those who have had a chance to read in the summer.

For the adults I have had requests in the past for some sort of Adult Reading Program in the summer. So, we’ve put together a way for you to “mix up” your reading habits this summer. We all tend to read the same thing—and that’s fine, but sometimes we need something different or need to look in a new place. This will give you a chance to do just that.
We will have a special box at the upstairs checkout desk with different “suggestions.” All you have to do is pick a suggestion! See how many different suggestions you can pick throughout the summer. It may give you new ideas for your fall and winter reading!

Keep Reading and Thinking Libraries!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Information = Libraries

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
April 18, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark
Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Nightwalker by Heather Graham
Birthday Present by Barbara Vine
Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

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.
The library will be closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day

Preschool Library Story Time—Please send a backpack with your child!
Wednesdays or Thursdays 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – 3, 4 or 5 year olds
No registration—just show up! Parents may stay with child, but will be required to participate!
--PLEASE notice date change for the following!
Apr. 29/30 How Does Your Garden Grow? (This will be the final preschool Story Time until the Fall.)

Cass Co. Conservation Program—“Composting”: Wednesday Apr. 22 6-8 pm Library Meeting Room

Friends of the Atlantic Public Library Book Sale will be held Friday, May 29 and May 30 in the Library meeting Room!


Did You Know…the library staff offers library tours to groups for no charge? Need a program? Want something different? How about a “field trip” to your public library? We would be glad to show you around! We are accessible and that can make a world of difference for some people! You can give me (Carole) a call at 243-5466 and we can work something out!

Behind My Desk… Well, tax season is winding down. Iowa still has a little time to file (end of April). Several years ago I made sure I had a link to the Iowa Department of Revenue site on the Internet, as well as the link to the IRS on the library website. Just so you know, they are still there on the “Find Information” link.

I also have on the “Find Information” page links to other useful Internet sites. Iowa Health Info is a site produced by the State Library of Iowa and does a wonderful job of noting accurate and good information on health subjects. Need to look up a particular disease? Check that site rather than trying to “Google” for the information.

I also made a list of our elected officials and contact information from Atlantic City Council members to the President. It’s there.

One of my favorites is the “Reference Desk.” This is a good site for all sorts of information from newspapers around the world to dictionaries for foreign languages to government stats.

I try to stay informed about what sites on the Internet are really good and make them available to you. How about making www.atlantic.lib.ia.us your homepage, so you have information right at your fingertips!

Keep Thinking Libraries!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Worlds Connect @ Your Library!

Thinking Library!
Carole Stanger
April 4, 2009

New Books Upstairs @ the library!
Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Body Broken by Lynn Greenberg
Malice by Lisa Jackson
Love to Last Forever by Traci Peterson
Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux
Still Life by Joy Fielding
Diary by Eileen Goudge
Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart

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.
The library will be closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day

Preschool Library Story Time—Please send a backpack with your child!
Wednesdays or Thursdays 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. – 3, 4 or 5 year olds
No registration—just show up! Parents may stay with child, but will be required to participate!
Apr. 22/23 How Does Your Garden Grow?

National Library Week: April 12-18 “Worlds Connect@Your Library!

Cass Co. Conservation Program—“Composting”: Wednesday Apr. 22 6-8 pm Library Meeting Room

Friends of the Atlantic Public Library Book Sale will be held Friday, May 29 and May 30 in the Library meeting Room!


Did You Know…the library has a nice collection of video cassettes and dvd’s both upstairs and down for checkout? These are now checked out for a week, so you have a little longer to enjoy a night at the “movies” at home!

Behind My Desk… I have this idea for National Library Week. Want to help? The theme for this week would be “Worlds Connect @ Your Library.”
The library has a great many patrons who are from and/or have visited many different locales around the world. Would you be interesting in bringing one or two pieces of something from another country or another part of this country to display? You can contact me (Carole) at 712-243-5466 with any contributions or questions. Things don’t have to be expensive, just different!

Julie is lining up programs and ideas for this summer’s library/reading programs. Stay tuned for more information. We get to “Be Creative” this summer!

It’s spring cleaning time at the library. Diane started doing our annual weeding of magazines, so starting April 6 we should have some past issues available for the taking.

Last week I made a trip to the Capitol in Des Moines to discuss with our legislators about library issues. This session is wrapping up very soon and the money outlook is not good. Libraries are one of those public services that are desperately needed in tough times and we tried to make that case. It won’t be long and we will know how things turned out. We will do the best we can with what we have.

Keep Thinking Libraries!