Director's Dish

Arkansas City Literacy Council Tutor Training

2011-03-04T14:33:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to have the Arkansas City Literacy Council Tutor Training at the Library this weekend. There are ten wonderful volunteers who have signed up to be trained to help other adults improve their reading skills.

Did you know that 14% of Americans cannot read well enough to comprehend a newspaper article or complete a job application??

The dedicated volunteers of the Arkansas City Literacy Council are making a difference.

New Kansas history resource

2011-02-03T11:51:00.000-06:00

The State Library of Kansas just announced a new, historical database that provides access to a collection of essays and original, primary source documents about Kansas history. This database includes sources that are not easily available otherwise.

The database, given to the State of Kansas by GaleCengage in honor of its 150th birthday, is titled: Kansas History, Territorial through Civil War Years, 1854-1865." Here's the link to the news release:

http://statelibrary.mykansaslibrary.org/?p=9398

Here's the link to the database:
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/Kansas?locID=kansast&srchtp=b&ste=1

Enjoy!

Kansas' 150th Birthday

2011-01-28T12:43:00.001-06:00

Kansas is celebrating its 150th birthday as a state on January 29, 2011. Kansas' birthday coincides with the start of the Civil War, and was one of the events that led up to the Civil War.

In honor of the state's birthday, the Arkansas City Public Library has invited Virgil Dean, historian and editor of the journal "Kansas History," to speak about the Kansas Consitution and the people who created it. The history of "Bleeding Kansas" is fascinating, and we hope you will join us at 2:00 p.m. in the Library.

The Kansas Humanities Council is providing this program at no charge.

The Year in Review 2010 | American Libraries Magazine

2011-01-06T13:36:00.000-06:00

Here are some interesting items about libraries from 2010...

The Year in Review 2010 American Libraries Magazine

E-Books, E-Book Readers, and Next Steps

2010-12-15T13:14:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting article about where libraries are with e-books and e-book readers:

http://www.publiclibrariesonline.org/exclusives/internet_spotlight/e-books-e-book-readers-and-next-steps

Census data

2010-12-15T10:40:00.000-06:00

The U.S. Census Bureau is preparing its website for the 2010 data.

IFRAMES not supported

Read books video

2010-12-07T13:45:00.001-06:00

I received an email about this video last year, and every now and then I go back to it for inspiration. It's a joy!

Training for a new library system

2010-11-09T12:10:00.000-06:00

Library staff begin training tomorrow (11/10/2010) in the use of our new Polaris system. We will be joining 13 other libraries in a consortium. Amy Cook and Dalene McDonald will attend three days of training with a Polaris trainer, then we will close the library November 17 so that we can train the rest of the library staff members.

The new system will be called SCKAN, which stands for South Central Kansas Automation Network.

Once the system is implemented, several new features will be available to our patrons including a new online catalog, and the ability to place holds online.

Lawrence Voters Support Library Expansion during troubled times

2010-11-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

Lawrence, Kansas voters bucked general trends and approved an expansion to their public library:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/nov/03/lawrence-library-leaders-moving-forward-expansion-/

Congratulations to the Lawrence community!

SCKAN - New Library System

2010-10-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Library staff and volunteers have completed most of the necessary preparations for the implementation of a new library system on November 18. This is a very complicated process because we are sharing the system with 13 other libraries in south central Kansas. The South Central Kansas Library System is managing the process and providing a huge amount of support.

Staff from the South Central Kansas Library System have also been working with us to set up a new network. We hope to finish the last phases of that the Friday afternoon of Arkalalah when the Library will already be closed.

Amy Cook and Dalene McDonald will be attending three days of training on the new system in early November. The Library will be closed for staff inservice on November 17, and the staff will be learning to use the new system that day. We will re-open on November 18 with a new Library system.

There are things you will be able to do from the Internet that you cannot do now, one of which is put items on hold. We will be exploring new features and telling you about them as we get more familiar with the possibilities.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we have been working on this year-long project.

2010-09-24T11:55:00.000-05:00

The Ark City Public Library recently received two grants to support the purchase of its new library system, called SCKAN.

Through the efforts of the South Central Kansas Library System, we received an LSTA Automation Grant in the amount of $3,880 from the State of Kansas and a SCKAN Automation Grant for $1,950.

These grants will help off-set the cost of the new system.

Please Update Your Library Card!

2010-08-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

The ACPL is preparing for a new library system. This system supports most of the functions of the library. Our current system is being phased out by the company that owns it, so we knew we would have to replace it soon. We have decided to join with 13 other libraries in South-Central Kansas to share a system, thereby greatly reducing costs for all of the libraries involved.

To be able to share effectively, we have to get our barcodes in sync with everyone else's. We are currently re-barcoding all of the approximately 40,000 items in the library. We have some wonderful volunteers helping with the project, but we need the help of our patrons too. We would be very grateful if you would come to the library to get a new library card number. It only takes a minute, and we will either have to do it now or ask for all of your information again after we transition to the new system.

Those of you who use the patron reading history feature of our current system will be able to start a new reading history after we start using the new system. We can print your current history for a month or so after we switch to the new system, so please feel free to ask us then.

Thank you as always for your support!

Books and Literacy in the Digital Age | American Libraries Magazine

2010-07-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

I often get questions about books and what will happen to them in the digital age. This article reflects my own opinion.

Books and Literacy in the Digital Age American Libraries Magazine

Winning the Budget Wars | American Libraries Magazine

2010-05-14T11:41:00.001-05:00

Here's a good article about how to behave civilly when it comes to budgets.

Winning the Budget Wars American Libraries Magazine

Posted using ShareThis

Disaster plans

2010-05-03T12:10:00.001-05:00

I am currently working on the beginnings of a disaster plan for the library. It's a little overwhelming trying to prepare for the possibilities, but after visiting Greensburg yesterday for the first time since the tornado three years ago, I am even more cognizant of the need for some preparation.

Our first step is to prepare a Pocket Response Plan for the collections. Many disasters result in water damage, so we will be looking for a refrigerated trucking service and freezer storage to house print materials if they get wet. Freezing prevents mold from setting in while the materials wait for processing to dry them out. Mold is very damaging to library materials, and spreads quickly.

We will also be asking to meet with the fire department and the police department to get their recommendations on how to respond.

I am grateful to the State Library of Kansas for developing this program. We have some great support in the state.

Why Does the ACPL Need Different Space?

2010-03-18T12:27:00.000-05:00

The current location for the Library worked quite well for many years, but when the World Wide Web became available in the late 1990s, things changed. In addition to providing access to information in the form of books, magazines, and videos, the Library realized its responsibility to provide access to information available electronically through the Internet and carved out spaces in the Library for computers. The ACPL, like libraries across the country, has become the bridge across the Digital Divide.

Today, an average of 100 people per day use the computers at the ACPL. Frequently, people who have never used a computer come to the library and need to complete a job application or a government form. We teach at least two beginning computer classes per month, and offer two computer help sessions each month. In addition, we do help people one-on-one as time permits. One of the biggest needs in the Library is space for a computer lab. Currently, we set up laptops in our small conference room, which is far from ideal as a learning space.

Another need that the community identified during the ACPL's strategic planning process in 2009 is a large multipurpose room that can be used by the community for meetings, programs, and events.

In addition, in the Foster Furniture building, we would be able to create comfortable and attractive seating areas for personal computing, reading, and study. We also hope to create small study rooms that can be used by community members including tutors for the Literacy Council.

People often ask me whether there is a future for libraries, and it is clear to me that there is going to be a need for libraries until computers and internet access are affordable to everyone. We continue to fill the role of providing access to information to everyone in this democracy. The American Library Association compared library statistics in 1994 with statistics in 2004, and found that visits to our public libraries went up by 61% during this time. Circulation of library materials went up 28% in the same time period. Libraries still serve a very critical role in the community.

In addition, the Library is a public gathering space where people from all backgrounds come together. It is important in the increasingly digital age to provide real spaces where the community can come together and interact.

2010-01-06T12:29:00.000-06:00

Start a club! Join a club! We're looking for people who are interested in forming or joining clubs at the ACPL.

Interested in crafts? We have a Crafter's Corner which meets the second Saturday of every month at 10:00 am in the basement booksale room.

Gardeners! We're starting our gardening club off with a Gardening Lecture at 6:30 pm on Thursday, January 28. Please come join us. Joyce Jordan and Virginia Lamb will be working with us to set up this group.

Like to talk about books? We're starting a Director's Book Club in January, which the members will help set up. Like Science Fiction? We'll help you start a club to discuss that. Westerns? That would be fun too.

Are you a Gamer? We are interested in hosting board game, card game, RPG, or computer gaming activities. Let us know if you're interested.

Please contact Lianne Flax at lflax@acpl.org or 620-442-1280 if you are interested in any of these or any other ideas.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-21T09:21:00.000-06:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the ACPL in any way this year. We appreciate all of your donations of time, money, and talent. We hope to make each year better in terms of our service to the community.

To give our staff some much-needed rest, we will be closed December 24-26. We will re-open with our regular hours December 28 and remain open until 5:00 p.m. December 31. We will be closed again January 1, 2010, but will re-open with our regular hours January 2, 2010.

On behalf of the staff, volunteers, and board of trustees of the ACPL, I wish you all a very wonderful Christmas and a prosperous and happy 2010!

Habitat for Humanity's Festival of Trees

2009-11-13T15:28:00.000-06:00

The Arkansas City Public Library (ACPL) is entering a tree in the Festival of Trees, which is being sponsored by Habitat for Humanity on December 11 and 12, 2009.

The Library is asking your help to support both Habitat for Humanity and the ACPL. The Library is raising funds to go toward future building needs.

A $5.00 donation will place a colorful foam ornament with your name on it on the Library's tree. A $20.00 donation will place a hand-made book ornament on the tree with your name, favorite book, or company logo on the front.

Then be sure to go to the Festival of Trees at the Wright Room at Cowley College to view the trees. The hours are 12-8 pm on December 11 and 12-6 pm on December 12. Admission charges will be $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, $2.00 for students, or $10.00 for a family. Children under the age of 5 will be admitted free of charge.

You may pick up your ornaments at the Library after the Festival.

Join in the holiday spirit and support two local organizations. Please order your ornaments by December 5, 2009 if you want to see them on the tree.

Low Vision alternatives

2009-11-06T14:00:00.000-06:00

The Ark City Public Library is offering a hand-held electronic magnifier called the MonoMouse to patrons on a trial basis until January. The magnifier, which is similar to an oversized computer mouse, is ergonomically deisgned to fit comfortably in the palm of a user's hand. It connects to any television via the attached standard RCA plug and then the large blue button is simply pressed to start reading. Whatever the magnifer is moved across appears large and clear on the television screen, making small text especially easy to read.

Library patrons may simply borrow the MonoMouse magnifier and plug the MonoMouse into their own television and then read the super sized text right on the screen. When the magnifier is due, the patron returns it to the library as they would a book or DVD. The program is designed to help people regain their independence and reignite their desire to read.

For more information, please contact the Library at 620-442-1280 or arkcitypl@acpl.org.

Also, Kansas Seniors Achieving Independent Living (Kan-SAIL) will have a Low Vision Workshop in Arkansas City on November 17, 18, and 19 at the First United Methodist Church, 2448 Edgemont. Classes will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. A free lunch will be provided to registered participants. Participants should call 1-800-547-5789 to pre-register.

Kan-SAIL instructors will teach participants ways to successfully continue everyday activities such as identifying money, cooking safely, use of talking watches, clocks, proper use of magnification aids, and mobility around the home. Please call 1-800-547-5789 with any questions.

Arkalalah

2009-10-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

The Library will be closed Friday, October 30 at 12:00 and all day Saturday, October 31 for Arkalalah. For more information about Arkalalah, visit the website at http://www.arkalalah.com/.

Scary Story Party

2009-10-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

Halloween @ the Library

Librarians at the ACPL are hosting a scary story-telling event on Monday, October 26 at 6:00 p.m. We will tell Kansas and Midwest ghost stories and selections from the Brothers Grimm for all ages. There will be music and snacks too. Everyone who comes to the party in costume will be entered in a drawing for a Harry Potter witch's hat!

The Library Book Sale

2009-10-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

The Library has made some changes to the way it is handling the Library Book Sale. We have partnered with a company called Better World Books http://www.betterworldbooks.com/. Better World will help us sell some of our used books at over 20 online bookstores. The Library gets a portion of the sales and so does the National Center for Family Literacy http://www.famlit.org/. In addition, the library will receive a portion of the sale of any book purchased through the Better World Books link on the library's website http://arkcity.org/index.aspx?NID=24.

There will still be used books for sale in the basement of the library.

Check it out!

Spanish and English Club

2009-09-04T10:38:00.000-05:00

Every Monday
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Starting September 14

This program is for people who wish to learn either English OR Spanish. Debby Holman and her advanced ESL students will be leading the sessions. You can expect to learn vocabulary and commonly used phrases along with beginning to practice conversation.

We will divide the class into two groups. In the first half of the class:

Spanish-learning-students will get vocabulary instruction from Debby;
English-learning-students will start practicing conversation skills with the advanced students.

Then for the second half of the class we will flip-flop this, with the Spanish-learners getting conversation skills, and the English-learners receiving vocabulary help.

The Library plans to run this program through October. At the end of October, the club will decide on continuing the program. Hopefully, we will become proficient enough that both English-learners and Spanish-learners can help each other as well!

This will be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to re-learning Spanish. It has been a long time since high school Spanish classes!

Recycling @ the Ark City Public Library

2009-08-25T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Arkansas City Public LIbrary is adding two new projects to our efforts to go green. We currently recycle magazines and newspapers as they are withdrawn from the collection. We also sell books and magazines that are donated or removed from the collection through the Friends of the Library organization. For more information on the Friends of the Library, please see our website http://arkcity.org/index.aspx?NID=682. The money raised from the sale of books goes to help the library. This year the Friends of the Library helped fund our new laptop lab, which is being used for computer classes.

In addition to these effots, we will no longer be providing plastic bags for our patrons once our current supply of bags runs out. Instead, we encourage our citizens to bring a bag from home or they may purchase a green, reusable Arkansas City Public Library bag. The bags have a flap that allows them to be wrapped up in a neat, small package that can fit in a purse or glove compartment. They cost just $3.00, which covers the cost of the bag. Further donations are always welcome!

Starting September 1, we will begin a recycling campaign at the library and at several donation stations around town. We can accept used printer cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras, digital video camers, GPS devices, iPods, and laptops. We will send these items to Recycling 4 Green, and they will pay the library a certain amount of money for each eligible item. The money collected through this program will go into a capital fund that is managed by the Legacy Foundation. These funds will eventually be used to remodel, expand, or create a new library for the citizens of Arkansas City. To further support the library's fund raising efforts, McDonald's Computer Service is offering its customers who recycle cartridges at its store $1 off on new ink cartridges and $5 off on new toner cartridges.

You may drop your items off at any of the following locations:

Arkansas City Public Library, 120 E. 5th Ave.

McDonald's Computer Service, 112B S. Summit

D&R Scrapbooks, 308 S. Summit

McDonald's Vacuum Center & Used Books, 314 S. Summit

The Brown Store, 225 S. Summit

Adult Summer Reading Challenge

2009-08-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

Arkansas City Public Library’s Adult Summer Reading Challenge wrapped up Friday with the grand prize drawings. The winners were Robyn Vanderpool, Elaine Killblane, Susan Paton, and Anne McGlasson.

The point of the reading challenge was to read types of books outside your norm. Participants needed to read 6 books and use at least 3 different categories of books. For example, an entrant could read 2 mysteries, 2 westerns, and 2 biographies. Everyone received a finisher’s prize for their first complete challenge slip, which contained a book light, journal, and book mark. Many participants completed more than one challenge slip over the summer, which allowed them to make more entries into the grand prize drawings.

The grand prizes were tailored around the National Summer Reading theme “arts and creativity.” There was a Reader’s Basket full of fiction books, a book bag with the summer reading logo, a USB drive, and an America’s Libraries baseball hat. The Kitchen Basket held silicone kitchen utensils, a cookbook, towels and potholders. Our Art Basket contained a book on drawing, a large sketchbook, colored pencils, charcoals, and chalk pastels. The most popular prize was the Media Basket, which had DVDs, CDs, movie passes to Cowley 8, a movie quotes book, and snacks.

At the end of Adult Summer Reading, we had 50 participants, who completed 151 challenge slips. A grand total of 906 books were read for the challenge!

Check back with the library later this month for our Fall Programming Schedule, and thanks to everyone that made the Summer Reading Program a success!

August is Baseball Month!

2009-08-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

STEP UP to the PLATE!
Like baseball? Like prizes? Try Step Up to the Plate! The American Library Association and the National Baseball Hall of Fame have teamed up to bring us a fun national trivia contest. Every participant turning in a complete & correct trivia sheet will be entered to win a trip for two to Cooperstown, NY.

How can you get involved? Well, you can enter 3 different ways:
1. Visit Step Up to the Plate Online and do the trivia form there.
2. Print off or pick up an entry form at the Library! If you return your trivia sheet before August 31 we will mail it in for you.
3. Join us for Baseball Trivia Night on August 25. We will pool our knowledge, and look up answers as needed.

Rundown of all our baseball programs this month:

Grant Williams Book Signing--August 11, 6:30 p.m.
Local poet and author Grant Williams will talk about his new book, Summer of '59. For more about this book, click here.

Baseball Movie Showing--August 17, 6:30 p.m.
Unfortunately, we're not allowed to publish the title of the movie we are showing, but I'll give you a hint--Babe Ruth is in it as himself.

Baseball Jeopardy--August 18, 6:30 p.m.
Kay, the Youth Librarian, will be setting up the Jeopardy board! This is an excellent warm up for the trivia challenge.

Baseball Trivia Night--August 25, 6:30 p.m.
Work on the Step Up to the Plate trivia sheets with the help of librarians and the other participants.

READ @ your Library

2009-07-28T12:44:00.000-05:00

Ark City kids (and some adults) got a chance to make their own READ posters at the Library last week as part of our summer reading program. The American Library Association makes posters like these with celebrities on them. You can see some of the celebrity posters at the ALA store: http://www.alastore.ala.org/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=158

A couple of our local celebrities, police officers Cochran and Stroud, came by while we were making the posters, and we talked them into having a little fun while they were here.

Dreaming big!

2009-07-16T13:25:00.000-05:00

The Arkansas City Public Library is inviting the community to participate in making plans for the future of the Library. Several Ark City residents have already shared their hopes and dreams for the Library. You can too! Please join us at one of the following sessions:

Saturday, July 18

10:30-11:30 am

Ark City Public Library

Tuesday, July 21

11:30-noon

Ark City Senior Center

Thursday, July 23

Noon-1:00 pm

Chamber of Commerce Board Room

Thursday, July 23

6:30-7:30 pm

Ark City Public Library

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

2009-07-09T16:11:00.000-05:00

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cameron “Cammie” Morgan is a Gallagher Academy legacy. Her mother was a student and is now the headmistress. Her parents worked in the same field until her father didn’t return from a job, well, mission. See, Cammie’s parents were spies, the good kind, of course. And Cammie is following in their footsteps, along with her two best friends. Liz, a certified genius from Alabama with chemistry teachers for parents and Bex, an MI6 legacy herself have been at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women since seventh grade, right along with Cammie. The first semester of sophomore year is a tough one, what with classmates trying to pry classified information out of her, testing her pavement artist skills (she’s good enough to be called The Chameleon) and a local boy who sees her when no one else does. After living in the Gallagher mansion for four years, Cammie knows every hiding place, secret passageway and how to get past them without getting caught. Unfortunately, her mother has more than eyes in the back of her head when it comes to surveillance equipment. Not to mention that the final for CoveOps is a killer. The story is told by Cammie with inserts of the report she writes with Liz and Bex (hereafter known as The Operatives) about the various steps in surveilling, contacting, and ultimately breaking up with your first boyfriend. It’s not stalking when you’re trying to protect national security. After all, you never know if the cutie trying to catch your eye is just an average high-school boy or a honeypot trying to bring down the government.

View all my reviews.

Could libraries be part of the 'new journalism'?

2009-07-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

With many newspapers foundering or failing, where can Americans turn for information? Well, many Americans have already turned to the Internet for that. Some Americans, though, can't afford a computer or internet service at home. According to Siva Vaidhyanathan of the University of Virginia in Building a Better Journalism, libraries are often the one place where poor Americans can go to seek knowledge and opportunity on the Internet. Vaidhyanathan suggests increasing funding to libraries to support fair access to information. http://www.fair.org/index.php?page =3830

2009-07-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

We are reading “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Tracy Chevalier at ACPL right now. This book is a perfect match for our Summer Reading theme—programs this summer revolve around arts, music and creativity.

The main character in this book, Griet, is a servant in the household of painter Johannes Vermeer. 17th century Holland comes alive through her eyes as she deals with the Vermeer children and the painter’s constantly pregnant wife, issues in her own family, and the boy that wants to marry her. When Vermeer decides he wants to use Griet as the subject of his newest painting it becomes a problem for Griet. She should not step outside of her role as servant.

Very little is known of the true life of Johannes Vermeer. Only 35 paintings are attributed to him, and the woman shown in his Girl with a Pearl Earring was never named.

The book discussion will be July 30 at 6:30 p.m., and Arkansas City Public Library has copies ready for you to check out. If you can’t come to the book discussion, join us for the movie adaptation on July 20, also at 6:30 p.m.

Impressionist Art

2009-07-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, June 25, we had Judi Groves from the Arts Council over. She presented about Mary Cassatt, the only recognized female American Impressionist. Judi dressed as Mary, but minus the layers of petticoats. I don't blame her--it was a 100 degrees outside. After we talked about the life of Mary Cassatt, we had the opportunity to make impressionist art of our own with pastel chalks. One item we all drew was a glass bowl full of sunflowers. My effort is shown here. A fine time was had by all!

Some links of interest:

Mary Cassatt, the Complete Works

The Impressionists

Google Image Results for Impressionism

Strategic Planning Process

2009-06-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

OK, so we had the Strategic Planning Committee Orientation meeting last night at the library. I was a little disappointed that only about half of the committee was there. But...I know it's summer and I didn't give everyone lots of notice. I do hope the committee members will all be able to attend the next meeting, which will be Monday, July 27 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. in the library.

I have also been scheduling Focus Group meetings. These meetings are open to anyone in the community to voice their hopes and ideas for the future of the library. Here are the dates, times, and locations so far:

Monday, July 13, 2009
Northwest Community Center
6:30-7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Ark City Public Library, Kansas Room
7:00-8:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 18, 2009
Ark City Public Library, East Room
10:30-11:30 a.m.

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Chamber of Commerce, Board Room
Noon - 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ark City Public Library, East Room
6:30-7:30 p.m.

Ark City Seniors Center
TBD

This process is very important to me and to the future of the library, so please come voice your opinions!

Strategic Planning Orientation Meeting - tonight

2009-06-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

I'm really looking forward to the kickoff of our strategic planning process for 2009. The committee members meet tonight for an orientation meeting. The members of the committee are:

Jodi Abington
Jon Vanderpool
Litisha Johnson
Jeff Henderson
Dalene Hawthorne
Lianne Flax
Gary Franklin
Casey Doty
Flor Gomez
Theresa McIntosh
Charles Batchelor

Yazmin Wood will be facilitating the process. We're hoping for some outstanding community input into the direction the library will take over the next few years.

We're planning to hold focus group sessions around town, so keep an eye out for a meeting in your area.

Music & Poetry with Kevin Rabas

2009-06-22T10:25:00.000-05:00

In keeping with the summer reading theme Be Creative, the library stayed open past the usual closing time last Saturday evening to host Kevin Rabas, award-winning poet and jazz musician. Kevin also teaches creative writing at Emporia State University. Ish Farid of Winfield improvised on keyboards, with Kevin on drums or reading from his poetry.

The audience composed the following poem, which Kevin read for us:

The moon came down in the parking lot

faster and faster

no chance,...still no chance of getting caught

in the spotlight

so afraid of a

wave crashing down on us for a while.

Here we are in the Library

listening to the music, and not becoming weary.

The musicians are so great

that I know I will return home late.

We meet to hear music and poetry

played and read with finesse and passion

fun to listen, sweet to hear

What a great evening!

To end the evening, members of the audience read poems, accompanied by Kevin on the drums and Ish on the keyboards.

Photos by Jordan Self.

Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library.

Libraries in Tough Economic Times

2009-06-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how many times in the past ten years when I've introduced myself as a librarian I've been told that libraries are no longer relevant because of the advent of the world wide web.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The American Library Association, in its 2007 State of America's Libraries report showed that the number of visits to public libraries increased 61% and circulation increased 28% between 1994 and 2004.

In tough economic times, use of public libraries tends to increase even more. The Kansas Library Association and the State Data Center found that library circulation in Kansas in 2008 increased nearly 6% over the previous year.

This trend even caught the attention of the Today Show recently.

Visit msnbc.com for

Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Strategic planning...

2009-06-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

yes, that phrase that many of us have come to dread has descended upon the Arkansas City Public Library. I, for one, have participated in several strategic planning processes that never seemed to produce anything more than a document. At Ark City, though, I'm determined that we will have a community-driven process that will help us set a positive direction for the next few years. Part of the process will include the actual implementation of goals.

Yazmin Wood of SpringGate Solutions will be leading the library through this process. We plan to start in July 2009 and be ready to start implementing goals in January 2010. We're using "The New Planning for Results: A Streamlined Approach" by Sandra Nelson. This is a strategic planning process that is tailored for public libraries. I'll be providing updates on this blog.

Also, I'll provide notifications of upcoming events, reports on past events, book and DVD reviews, and news about the library, so stay tuned.