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Members' Corner

November 2005

Keep up on the achievements of your colleagues. Member's Corner will publish the first Friday of each month.

Hurricane Relief

Many of our member libraries are volunteering to adopt a library through ALA. NSLS has coordinated with ALA for our membership to adopt a library and we've been assigned to help out Jefferson Parish, LA. They have fifteen public libraries: 4 are totally destroyed, 3 have major collection losses, 2 are struggling to save their collections, 5 have minor damage, and 1 is unharmed. Additionally, Jefferson Parish is now the only large library in metropolitan New Orleans that can serve people as they return, and it has dropped its nonresident fees and is issuing "Katrina library cards" to anyone in the area. We are still in the process of gathering information and are waiting on contact info for the school libraries in the area.

Below is a list of what's been donated during October. Check the October Member's Corner for previous announcements. We commend all of our libraries for being so helpful and supportive during this difficult time for those struck by the hurricanes. To be included in next month's Member's Corner, contact Christina Johnson.

• Deerfield Public Library is in a partnership effort with the Village of Deerfield, the public elementary schools, West Deerfield Township, and Representative Karen May to collect and provide books and other library materials to Pass Christian, Mississippi. Karen May's office will provide transportation for the materials collected.
• The Friends of the Fox Lake District Library have donated $1,000 to the Jefferson Parish Libraries, along with three boxes of the "cream of the crop" of donations to the Friends book sale.
• Skokie Public Library organized Reach Out and Read, a community-wide effort to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
• The Zion-Benton Public Library has donted their month-long book sale proceeds of $463.22 to the Jefferson Parish Libraries.

Award

Rick Kinnebrew, Evanston Public Library's Children's Outreach Librarian, has been honored with an award from the Childcare Network of Evanston. The Childcare Network presents annual awards to three professionals in early childhood education.

Event

Cook Memorial Public Library hosted it's fourth annual Touch the Trucks day, an event allowing kids to get up close to local vehicles ranging in size and shape. Over twenty community businesses and organizations supplied trucks for the event. A fire engine, school bus, police car, motorcycle, tow-truck, ambulance, and many other vehicles were all in attendance. The kids were also able to meet the community officials who operate the special equipment. As the kids played, parents were treated to complimentary Starbucks coffee and cookies. The event itself drew photographers from two of the local papers and the camera crew from the Library Cable Network. 

Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR)

Data for HAPLR was filed by 9,211 libraries across the nation. Ratings were based on data available prior to Hurricane Katrina. NSLS member libraries are listed below. View full report.

• Ela Area Public Library is listed as 9th in serving a population of 25,000 to 49,999
• Palatine Public Library District, is listed as 7th in serving a population of 50,000 to 99,999

National Media

• Ela Area Public Library's Anime Club was recently featured in the October issue of the national anime magazine NewType USA. The article included information about the club and its members.
• Highland Park Public Library will be featured in the upcoming Neal-Schuman book, Grants for Libraries, for a sucessful grant experience in 2004.

Grant

Highland Park Public Library has received a generous donation of $56,000 from the Rotary Club of Highland Park to remodel its Youth Services department and expand its literacy activities. "Remodeling of the Youth Services Department, slated to begin in mid-November, will feature separate areas for pre-readers, youth readers, and teen readers. By providing early literacy activities and other materials for families, the library will be able to support the North Shore School District 112's curriculum as well as prepare children entering kindergarten."

FY2006 LSTA Grant Recipients

View list of NSLS member libraries awarded LSTA grants.

"Our Libraries" Daily Herald Column

The following libraries were mentioned in "Our Libraries" during the month of October:

• October 3, "Towering 'Giants' dinosaur skeleton exhibit awes visitors at Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin": Gail Borden Public Library
• October 7, "Libraries looking to the future with e-books": Park Ridge Public Library
• October 16, "Sometimes tax dollars are not enough": Grayslake Area Public Library District, Lake Villa District Library
• October 26, "Recovery efforts for libraries continue": Lake Forest Library, Waukegan Public Library

What's New in Libraries?

The following libraries were featured in the October episode of What's New in Libraries?, Libraries: Your Passport to Information.

• Arlington Heights Memorial Library
• Gail Borden Public Library District
• Ela Area Public Library

Cartoon Corner

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