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Member's Corner: June 2006

Member's Corner articles publish in the nsls.info weekly e-newsletter on the first Friday of each month. It is a place for libraries to share the successes of their library as well as the accomplishments of staff. Contact Christina Johnson to share your news.

Award

The Wauconda Grade School library has been selected to receive the 2006 "We The People Bookshelf" presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with ALA.

Food for Fines

The Crystal Lake Public Library accepted food and supplies in lieu of overdue fines May 1 - 7. Patrons donated items to benefit either the Crystal Lake Food Pantry or local animal shelters. One item = $1 in fines. The Library collected 4,961 items for the food pantry and $707.55 in monetary donations, as well as 377 shelter items and $185.00 in donations to the shelters. The grand total of items collected: $6,230.55.

Election Result

Don Roalkvam, Indian Trails Public Library District, was elected First Vice-President/ President-Elect of ALTA.

New Service

Gail Borden Public Library is now offering drive-through service. At the kick-off event, patrons were encouraged to stop at the drive-through window to pick up a coupon for a free order of french fries or coffee from the Bearco Family McDonald's restaurants. "The new convenience service is open during library hours. Patrons are encouraged to phone in their orders for books, DVDS or CDs two hours prior to pickup."

New Cards

Indian Trails Public Library District is phasing out their old cards and introducing new, periwinkle blue library cards that will allow for the convenience of prepaid photocopying and printing. To promote the new cards, there will be a "Key Connections @ your library" event on Saturday, June 3, at which the first 1,000 patrons who register for the new card will receive a key chain. Patrons will have the option of receiving a key tag card as well as a regular sized library card. Other libraries may want to call Indian Trails to confirm that reciprocal borrowing patrons' cards are still valid.

In Print

• Hector Marino, Des Plaines Public Library, was the subject of an article entitled, "Diversity Is a Fact of Life in America Today" in the Des Plaines Journal dated May 10, 2006. The article covers the ways in which he meets the needs of new immigrants to the area.
• Nancy Heggem, NSLS Board Member and Trustee from Palatine Public Library District, has had a poem chosen for publication in the Outrider Press 2006 Anthology, VACATIONS; THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. She will also be reading at the publishing kick off during ChicagoTribune/Printers Row Book Fair, Sunday June 4th at 10 a.m. Trustee Heggem' s original works have also appeared in the 2005 and
  2003 anthologies. Read full press release.
  

Let's Talk About It

Highland Park Public Library is hosting a five-part series called "Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature—Identity and Imagination" to explore Jewish literature and culture through discussions of contemporary and classic books, led by local scholar Dina Elenbogen. The series will begin with a chance to meet Elenbogen at their "Meet the Scholar" event on Sunday, June 25, and the discussions will kick off with Eva Hoffman's Lost in Translation on September 11. This project is made possible by a grant from Nextbook and the American Library Association. Read full press release.

Celebrate Reading

Vernon Area Public Library District will be celebrating summer reading and literacy at the "Discover Treasures at the Library" event on June 4 from 1-3 p.m., at the City Park in Lincolnshire (at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Aptakisic Road). Events will include a scavenger hunt, raffle drawings, and entertainment provided by Waterhouse Band. Read full press release.

One Book, One Community

Lake Villa District Library's 2006 One Book, One Community event will feature two books that celebrate the courage and determination in the lives of two fishermen: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick. Events in this program will include book discussions on June 28 and July 12, an evening with author Rodman Philbrick on July 19, a viewing of the movie The Old Man and the Sea starring Spencer Tracy on July 13, and a bus trip to Ernest Hemingway's Oak Park home on July 24. Read full press release.

Bradley Institute Selections

Congratulations to our members who have been chosen to participate in next month's Institute for School and Public Librarians at Bradley University in Peoria. The event, sponsored by the State Library, Bradley University, and Alliance Library System, will be held June 11-16. View full list of participants.

• Amy Bendall, Antioch School District #3, Antioch
• Patricia Bennett, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Arlington Heights
• Donna DeWit, Christian Heritage Academy, Northfield
• Pamela Eidmann, District 128, Vernon Hills
• Kenneth Kauth, Arlington Heights School District 25, Arlington Heights
• Lee Magno, Prospect Heights District 23, Propect Heights
• Nancy Mazzie, Des Plaines Public Library, Des Plaines
• Mary Beth McWilliams, Prospect Heights School District 23, Prospect Heights
• Jennifer Reopelle, Cary Area Public Library, Cary
• Maggie Ryan, Fremont Public Library, Mundelein
  

Remodeled Library

"When the Highland Park Public Library opens the remodeled Youth Services Department on Sunday, June 11, children and their parents will find plenty that’s new and exciting. While there’s still a great collection of books and audiovisual materials to be found, the new space includes much more." Read full press release.

Library Anniversary

The Lake Forest Library building is celebrating 75 years. The Lake Forest Library was established by City charter July 4, 1898 and opened on the top floor of City Hall June 24, 1899. In 1929, with a gift from Mrs. Stanley Keith and Mrs. Charles H. Schweppe, in memory of Mrs. Keith's first husband, Kersey Coates Reed, plans were begun for a library building. Edwin H. Clark was the architect. Completed in 1931 and dedicated June 7, 1931, the building has served generations of Lake Foresters.

Record Use

Arlington Heights Memorial Library has marked its busiest year ever. The library's circulation - the number of items checked out by the public - has increased 22.4 percent since 2000, when the library had 1,551,579 checkouts. This year, there were 2,004,000 items checked out. Last year, library circulation reached 1.8 million items. On average, the Arlington Library sees 5000 checkouts daily in its single location at 500 N. Dunton Avenue. The Internet continues to drive the creation of more electronic service options in libraries nationwide. And although it is open 78 hours each week, Arlington Library has focused on the Internet for adding several new electronic services in recent months including: downloadable audio books and e-books, email reminders for items due, an option to pay library fees online, and the popular "tutor.com" online homework help service for students in grades 4-12 funded by the Friends of the Library.

Cartoon Corner

Start your day with a smile with this cartoon from Richard Lee, Waukegan Public Library.