NSLS Member's Corner

Contest Winner

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:36:45 GMT

Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich received two honorable mentions for graphics at ALA's Best of Show.

In Print

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:25:54 GMT

The fifth edition of Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults, published by ALA, was authored and edited by Amy Alessio, Teen Librarian at the Schaumburg Twp. Library. Roxy Ekstrom, also of STDL, was one of the judges selecting items to be included in the publication.

Award

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:17:57 GMT

The Schaumburg Twp District Library won second place and a $200 Demco gift certificate for their presentation at the ALA Diversity and Outreach Fair. The title of the exhibit was "Having Fun Learning the more we're Different, the more we're the Same" with the subtitle reading "Diversity is just another way of saying how we all contribute to one another". The display represented the Library's multicultural outreach in Extension Services and Youth Services, says Barbara Adrianopoli.

Fundraiser

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:25:35 GMT

Des Plaines Public Library’s Book Babes Hit Their Stride Group raises funds for cancer research The Des Plaines Public Library’s Book Babes, a team of energized individuals committed to raising funds and awareness for cancer research, raised $5350.00, making it the highest fundraising team in the sixth annual American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Des Plaines. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this group,” says Veronica Schwartz, Des Plaines Public Library Head of Youth Services and Book Babe team captain. “Cancer is something that has touched the lives of every employee at the library. Many of us have had loved ones affected by the disease. We are proud to have participated in all six of the Relays in Des Plaines.” The annual event is also dear to many at the Library on a personal level. It has four cancer survivors on staff and it knows how difficult it is to get news that you have cancer and not knowing where to turn for help. The staff is very supportive of the Book Babes and contributed $600 to the team through staff bake sales and days when staff could wear jeans to work in exchange for a donation. The Des Plaines Public Library is a great resource for those interested in accessing credible and helpful information about cancer. While there is an inordinate amount of data online and in books, the library staff is able to assist individuals find information easily and quickly. “We want the Des Plaines Public Library to be a resource for our community,” says Schwartz. “Whether you’re getting married, having a child, or have been diagnosed with a major illness, we have resources available that will help you find quality information so you can make informed decisions.” The Library is already planning even bigger and better things for 2009’s Relay For Life. For more information about the Relay For Life or the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org.

Contest Winner

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:40:29 GMT

Nancy Prichard, Mount Prospect Public Library, won the name the newsletter contest for DVAlibrary.com. Her entry, "The Reel Deal," earns $500 in DVDs for MPPL.

Grant

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:14:17 GMT

The ISLMA/LBSS Endowment Fund has announced that 160 Illinois schools and libraries will receive the first annual ISLMA/LBSS Endowment Fund Grants. Grant recipients will receive one set of books for the 2009 reading campaign at the level indicated on their grant application. The Illinois children’s choice reading awards programs are the Monarch Award (20 books K- 3rd), the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award (20 books 4th -8th), and the Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award (22 books 9th – 12th). Students will read the books and vote for their favorite title. Congratulations to the NSLS school library recipients: - Central Elementary School, Lake Bluff - Fairhaven School, Mundelein - Forest Elementary, Des Plaines - Hawthorne Elementary, Vernon Hills - Highland School, Skokie - Lake Zurich Middle School, Lake Zurich - Larkin High School, Elgin - Lincoln School, Highland Park - Melzer Elementary, Morton Grove - Ravinia School, Highland Park - River Trails, Mount Prospect - Robert Crown Elementary, Wauconda - Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Waukegan - W.C. Petty Elementary, Antioch - Windsor School, Arlington Heights

Award

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:58:07 GMT

The Swap and Shop Committee of the Public Relations and Marketing section of the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) has announced the winners of the 2008 Best of Show awards. The awards recognize the best library public relations and marketing materials from the previous year, across 12 material types and four budget categories. This year, two NSLS libraries were recognized: - Ela Area Public Library District received an honorable mention in the Special Programs and Events Category. - Grayslake Area Public Library District received an honorable mention in the Adult and Family Reading Materials/One Book Materials category. For more information about this award and to view a full list of recipients, view the press release.

Author Visit

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:33:00 GMT

Award-winning author Tobias Wolff, whose book “The Barracks Thief” has been selected as the One Book, One Highland Park featured title, will appear at the Highland Park Public Library on Tuesday, July 15, at 7 p.m. Mr. Wolff will read from “The Barracks Thief” and discuss his writing. A question and answer session and book signing will follow the program. Wolff’s “The Barracks Thief,” the summer title for the One Book One Highland Park community-wide read program, is a brief yet powerful tale of three young paratroopers waiting to be shipped out to Vietnam. The award-winning novella tells the story of the three young men who share an experience that affects each of them in profoundly different ways and is an insightful examination of compassion, perspective and tolerance. Discussions of the “Barracks Thief” are scheduled at the Highland Park Public Library and the Highland Park Borders during the month of July. And, to enhance the experience of reading the “Barracks Thief,” Mr. Wolff will speak about the book. In addition to “The Barracks Thief,” Wolff’s books include the memoirs “This Boy’s Life” and “In Pharaoh’s Army: Memories of the Lost War;” the novel “Old School;” and four collections of short stories, “In the Garden of the North American Martyrs,” Back in the World,” “The Night in Question,” and most recently, “Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories.” He has also edited several anthologies. Wolff’s work has been translated widely and has received numerous awards including the PEN/Faulkner Award, The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, both the PEN/Malamud and the Rea Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Wolff is the Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor of English at Stanford. “The Barracks Thief” is the second title of the One Book, One Highland Park community-wide read program, a joint project with The City of Highland Park, the Highland Park Public Library and Highland Park Borders Books & Music. The program was initiated this spring to broaden and deepen an appreciation of reading and compel friends, family and neighbors to share their experience while reading the same book. The project seeks to engage the community in dialogue and bring them together by promoting tolerance and understanding about different points of view. The initial One Book, One Highland Park title for the community-wide read was “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale,” by Art Spiegelman. “An Evening with Tobias Wolff” at the Highland Park Public Library is free and open to the public. The program begins at 7 p.m. and will conclude with a book signing of Mr. Wolff’s work. The program is also presented by the City of Highland Park and the Highland Park Borders Books & Music. The Highland Park Public Library strives to provide the highest quality Library services to community members for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. The Highland Park Public Library is located at 494 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park. For more information, please call (847) 432-0216. # # #

In Print

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:22:43 GMT

Former NSLS board member Nancy Heggem has a poem in the book Wild Things: Domestic and Otherwise; ed. Whitney Scott; Dyer Indiana: Outrider Press, 2008.

Miscellaneous

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:15:10 GMT

NSLS board member Leora Siegel, Director of Lenhardt Library at the Chicago Botanic Garden, was elected Board President of the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) at their 40th annual meeting June 3-6, 2008.

In Print

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:20:02 GMT

The "Reader’s Shelf" column in the June 15, 2008 issue of Library Journal was written by Jennifer Baker, Youth Services Librarian at Algonquin Area Public Library District. The topic is Birth Pangs: Mothers of the American Revolution.

Deceased

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:36:30 GMT

Mary Radmacher, Skokie's Chief Librarian from 1956 through 1985, has died. Mary Radmacher came to Skokie in 1956 intending to make changes, and make changes she did, starting with removing a "SILENCE" sign from the doorway and installing a listed phone number to enable people to reach the library directly. The most tangible evidence of her unwavering commitment to serving the Skokie community is the library building itself. The original building at the library's current location, 5215 Oakton, embodied her devotion to quality, openness, and welcome that are still manifest today. Miss Radmacher, born November 24, 1915, in Monmouth, Illinois, died June 9, 2008 at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. She attended Monmouth College and graduated from the University of Illinois. She started her library career as children's librarian in Warren County Library in Monmouth, Illinois, then worked at the University of Illinois Library and the Gary Public Library before being appointed chief librarian in Skokie in 1956. During her 29-year career at Skokie Public Library, Miss Radmacher oversaw the building of the library's permanent home in 1959 and a major expansion in 1972. She was responsible for significant growth of all parts of the library to serve Skokie's rapidly growing community, including Bookmobile service, initial automation of the card catalog, and equipment and staff training to make many library materials accessible to those with vision impairments and other disabilities at a time when such equipment was not easily available. She also founded the Young Steinway Concert Series in 1981, along with library board member Diana Hunter, which continues to this day showcasing 16-18 talented young musicians each year. Miss Radmacher was very much a people person, devoted passionately to all members of the Skokie community and the library staff. The staff's devotion to her was clearly demonstrated by a surprise party thrown for her by the staff upon her 20th anniversary at the library. She regularly brought treats to the staff, and continued to remember staff members' birthdays, sending a beautiful flowering plant to her former secretary only a couple of months ago. The Village of Skokie offered tribute as well, declaring September 29, 1985 to be Mary Radmacher Day in the Village of Skokie. She was quite active in national, state, and local library associations, holding a life membership in the Illinois Library Association. She served in several offices of the Public Library Association of the American Library Association, as well as the Illinois Library Association and the American Library Association. Private services have been held in Monmouth, Illinois. A public memorial service is being held in the Mary Radmacher Meeting Room of Skokie Public Library at 1pm on Sunday, July 13.

New Staff

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:55:54 GMT

Detlev Pansch was named executive director of the Barrington Area Library last week and will be saddled with the challenge of overseeing the library's expansion project. Pansch, a Chicago resident, has served as library director for the Frankfort Public Library District since 1998 and oversaw a building expansion project there. "It's a great career opportunity to work for a large library (district) that has plans for the future," he said. "One thing that attracted me to the library was the expansion plans." Richard J. Ryan, president of the Barrington Area Library Board, said a referendum is being planned for the November ballot asking voters for funds to put an addition on the current library building at 505 N. Northwest Highway. "(Pansch) has experience and enthusiasm," Ryan said. "He had favorable answers to all of our questions and he's been through the referendum process which we will be looking into in the near future." Ryan said more information on the referendum will be available after Monday's board meeting. If the library district doesn't pose the referendum question in November, it will likely be on the April 2009 ballot, he said. Pansch said he has not discussed specifics about the proposed referendum or possible expansion with board members yet. He said he wants to speak with board members and library staff before revealing any other ideas he has for the library. "A challenge will be how to provide service in such a large district and how to best serve all areas of the district," he said. Pansch is expected to start on July 7 and he replaces former executive director, Barbara Sugden, who retired last month after over 32 years at the library. "Barbara left us in really good shape and we could probably run the place on autopilot for a while if we had to," said Ryan, who was on the board when Sugden was hired.

Award

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:03:57 GMT

Susan Gibberman of Schaumburg Township District Library has been selected as the 2008 Librarian of the Year by the Romance Writers of America. This award is presented to a librarian who demonstrates outstanding support of romance authors and the romance genre. She will be honored at the summer conference in San Francisco.

Award

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:04:22 GMT

Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country’s history and character through the study and understanding of its art." View full list of NSLS member recipients.