Town Meetings

It seems like the annual town meeting just pops up out of nowhere. I don’t know how,  but it seems like when you least expect it it’s already May and you have to vote on your town budget, again. It always feels like you did this yesterday!

Well, it’s April 30th, and May is tomorrow. Not only is May tomorrow, but our town annual meeting is next week! We’re planning on being level funded just like we have the past couple years, and we even got the 50/50 funding last year. But it seems, that this year we’re going to have to be on our guard, just in case. As should every library.

I know town meetings are really boring, and some days they don’t affect the library. But you should always have a representative from the library just in case. As my mother always told me: “Better safe than sorry,”

So, how are you and your library gearing up for the annual town meeting?

~Small Town Librarian

Library Open House

A great way for you to involve your library patrons, and to help get new patrons into the library is by holding a library open house. An open house for your library is just like an open house for a house for sale. You’d have the library open, some goodies and drinks, and some library staff there to introduce themselves to the new and old patrons that may be entering the library.

Opening up the library to the community outside of the library is a great way to get everyone involved and to even get the selectmen to stop by the library and have a great photo op!

Holding an open house will make your patrons feel like they’re apart of the library, and not just people that come in weekly or daily. Holding an open house will make the library feel more welcoming, and after holding the open house you may even see a rise in paronage from people you didn’t even know lived within the town.

Personally speaking, holding an open house is one of the cheapest ways to open your doors to the community and allow them in to see what a library offers.

~Smalltown Librarian

E-books?

This is more of a question, than a post. But, lately with all of the trainings I’ve been going to for the library, the one question that always comes up is “Do you circulate E-books? If, so how does it work?” So now, here I am in a small library in a town with under 5,000 people. We’re lucky enough if we have enough money to stay open all of our hours. We’re the library that petitions and gets the townspeople out to vote to continue funding the library. So we certainly don’t have enough money for an E-Book. But it is interesting to hear other larger librarian’s viewpoints and their opinions on circulating E-Books. So, my question to all of you out there is: Do you circulate E-Books? If, so how does it work? What happens if it gets damaged? Would you recommend adding E-books into the library?

 

~Small Town Librarian

 

How to Get Teens More Involved in the Library

Many libraries have events for children and adults, but some libraries don’t know what type events will attract teens into the library. Planning an event for teens can be very hard, especially the older you are. A great way to help you figure out what type of events teens would like is asking them. Not only would you get an idea for an event but the teens will also want to come to the library more often as you want to hear their opinion. Also, when in doubt bring food. Teens love food, friends, and movies. The simplest of all events that you can hold is a teen movie night. To choose the movie, you can ask teens or just choose a popular DVD in your collection that teens seem to like. Another great event for teens is a book discussion. There are many great young adult books being released every month! Having a teen book discussion will also get teens to read more books.

My personal favorite way to get teens involved in the library is asking them for book suggestions. Maybe put up a little mailbox or a box on the wall where teens can write their book & movie suggestions. This of course makes the teens feel like they’re involved with the libary which will cause them to bring their friends to the library, but it will also help the person in charge of purchasing young adult material as she/he is being told what the teens will read instead of guessing what the teens will read.

What are some ways that you get teens involved in your library?

-Small Town Librarian

The Hunger Games

Everyone, or just about everyone, has heard about the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a thrilling trilogy by Suzanne Collins about the 12 districts in the country of Pannam. This Post Apocolyptic trilogy is the newest hot book on the streets. Not only was it a hot book before March, but in the beginning of March The Hunger Games came out as a movie.

When the Hunger Games came out in the theaters, the popularity of both the book and movie skyrocketed! Books were sold out, wait lists for requesting the books through the library system had hundreds of people on wait, tickets for the movies were sold out and lines grew.

I myself haven’t seen the movie, or read the books. Actually I’m in the middle of listening to the first book, as I simply don’t have to time to sit down and read anymore. Even though I haven’t finished reading the first book, and I haven’t seen the movie. I have heard two different stories on the movie being good. Half of my friends have said that the movie was a must see and followed the book fairly well, other friends said the opposite.

So I’m enlisting your help, did you watch the movie? If so, how was it? Did you enjoy it? Have you read the trilogy? Did you like it?

~ Small Town Librarian

How Do You Involve Patrons In Your Library?

As you all know, I’m a firm believer of involving patrons within the library. Whether its with material selection, volunteering, fundraisers, or events. I know I’ve shared many ways of how I involve my patrons in my library, but I’m curious. How do you involve patrons in your library?

Support the Libraries Month

April is Support the Libraries month. During this month there will be events throughout the month for all different ages at the West Warren Library. I will be using this blog to update and keep everyone on the know hows of what’s going on at the library and anything else that may come to mind. 

Most people wonder why I enjoy libraries, and why I support them. I say that the atmosphere is what attracts me, and the adventures within the books are what keep me. I could go on for hours talking about how amazing libraries are and how much they mean to me. But what they mean to me, don’t really matter. Now do they? I am the person running Support the Libraries Month. What really matters, is how much libraries mean to YOU. How much they affect YOUR life. Your voice is what will affect the library’s outcome, so here I am asking for you to use your voice.

Why do you support your local library? Do you support your local library? Why are libraries important to you?

Also, if you’re in the West Warren, MA area here are some events that will be held throughout the month of April for Support the Libraries Month. All are free of charge and you are welcome to join, whether you live in town or out of town.

Teen Book Discussion 

Thursday, April 12^th

7:00pm

West Warren Library

The book to be discussed is:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Copies of this book can be picked up at the library.

 This program is a part of Support the Libraries Month, which is a Girl Scout Gold Award Project for Caelyn Adams.

 

Teen Movie Night

 

Friday, April 13^th

7:30pm

Warren Senior Center

Please register in advance.

For more information call the library at 436-9892

This program is a part of Support the Libraries Month, which is a Girl Scout Gold Award Project for Caelyn Adams.

 

Creative Writing Workshop

 

Have you ever wondered how your favorite authors have written such amazing books?

Seeing the world in a whole new view is at your finger tips.

Have you always wanted to write a creative story?

Come join this 5 day long Creative Writing Workshop to help broaden your writing horizons and open up your imagination to the world beyond pen and paper.

The workshop will be held at the West Warren Library from 9:30am – 11am

For grades 5th – 7th

Starting on Monday, April 16^th and ending on Friday, April 20^th.

Registration in advance is required.

To register or for any more information call the West Warren Library at 436-9892

 

This program is a part of Support the Libraries Month, which is a Girl Scout Gold Award Project for Caelyn Adams.

 

West Warren Library Open House

Saturday, April 28^th

2:00pm – 4:00pm

At the West Warren Library

 

Come meet the staff of the West Warren Library.

Enjoy snacks and drinks.

Meet selectman Delanski.

See what your town library can offer you.

 

This program is a part of Support the Libraries Month, which is a Girl Scout Gold Award Project for Caelyn Adams.

 

~Small Town Librarian 

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein is my favorite author. I love all of his poems. My favorite one is NO! from Falling Up, so when I heard that Every Thing on It was coming out. I freaked out! When I saw it come into work, I was even more happy! It’s currently on my counter. I’ve read it, and it’s just as amazing. My favorite one so far is How Hungry is Polly?

“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,”
Said Polly in the park.
Ol’ Dobbin, grazin’ nearby,
Overheard her rude remark.
He shook his mane and pawed the ground,
He raised his noble head,
He snorted and looked down at her,
And this is what he said:
“I’ve been ridden, I’ve been driven,
I’ve been raced around a track,
I’ve been photographed with little
Whiny kiddies on my back.
I’ve pulled wagons through the winter,
I’ve pulled sleighs and I’ve pulled sleds,
I’ve pulled plows in sticky summer
With flies buzzin’ ’round my head.
I’ve been whipped and I’ve been beaten,
I’ve been called a such-and-such—
But to think of being eaten,
Well, that is really too much!
And when I get insulted,
My appetite runs wild,
And now I feel so hungry,
I could eat a child.”

As a person who works with horses, I loved this. I shared this with my barn director. I also, love the one Every Thing On It, the poem that the book is named after!

I asked for a hot dog
With everything on it,
‘Cause it came with a parrot,
A wristwatch, a wrench, and a rake.
A flag, and a fiddle,
A frog, and a front porch swing,
And a mouse in a mask—-
That’s the last time I ask
For a hot dog with everything.

The first poem in the book is Years From Now, as I read this I thought of Shel, dead for 12 years. Read this poem, and tell me what you think.

Although I cannot see your face
As you flip these poems awhile,
Somewhere from some far-off place
I hear you laughing—and I smile.

The last poem is called When I am Gone. It is just as amazing as the first poem.
When I am gone what will you do?

Who will write and draw for you?
Someone smarter—someone new?
Someone better—-maybe YOU!

This is a wonderful book to add to your person library, or your public library stacks. Every Thing On It, is worth it, and you will bring smiles to your family, or your patrons, for many years to come!

“We’re a public library, so we have a public bathroom”

“We’re a public library, so we have a public bathroom”

I heard this the other day while I was in a library, I heard it and immediately loved it. So many times we deal with the public and sometimes their questions actually do qualify as stupid questions.

I’ve had my fair share of stupid questions from the public and of course the outrageous questions. There have been days when I need to bite my tongue to prevent a sarcastic remark. One day a patron asked me if he could ask me a question. I of course said yes, but in my head I wanted to say you already did, do you have another one?

Working in the library, you meet and have to deal with many people. Some people you will love and will absolutely adore as they tell you about how they heard about the book or movie they’re checking out, then you’ll get the people who never walk in to the library and make the lovely comments like “Oh, I never knew you guys existed”, or you’ll get the town officials come in whom are trying to close you so you need to act pleasant, and then of course you’ll get the ones that are the usual and you ask how their day has been, and how everything is going. You’ll met the most amazing people in the library, and although you want to have a relationship with them, you always want to make sure it is kept professional.

There are, of course, a few exceptions to this rule, but try for the most part to keep your relationship professional. And when you get a patron in who offends you or you frankly can’t stand. If you can’t hand the patron off to another librarian, simply grin and bear it. I’ve been told several times that you can’t annoy anyone, as long as you say it with a smile.”

I do have to state, if you are a very sarcastic person, like myself, you must keep your sarcasm out of the work place. Most people do not enjoy sarcasm, and it, in fact, offends them. And you wouldn’t want to lose a patron due to you trying to make a joke.

Another thing, and maybe the last thing, you want to keep your personal life out of the library. You don’t want to broadcast your personal life. If a close patron asks what you did for the weekend, sure you can answer, but if you say “Oh, I went on a vacation” or “It was a family emergency” and the patron continues to press, just simply tell the patron that you don’t feel comfortable sharing that information or that, that information is just family information.

So, all in all, you deal the public all the time, and the public’s eyes are constantly on you. And sure you’ll get patrons who will ask to use your bathrooms, and you will of course think of something like “We’re a public library, so we have a public bathroom”, but try to keep professional, calm, and overall happy.

What are some of your most memorable quotes or “stupid” questions? Do you have any hints dealing with patrons that annoy you?

Small Town Librarian

We Want to Hear From Our Patrons? Do You?

With this past budget season, we were given more funding, so with the more funding we wanted to show the patrons thank you. Open up more hours, offer museum passes, and see what we could improve on. Well, instead of saying: “We’re going to be open on Saturday 9 – 2 and will be getting museum passes from Higgins Armory” a board member wrote up a questionnaire for all of the patrons, that asked what they wanted. We gave them two options for more hours. Longer hours on Thursday or being open on Saturdays. We also listed  a couple local museums in the area that we could get museum passes to. We then finished off the questionnaire with an open response. Asking what the patrons would like to see in the library, or what we could improve on. That question was optional, of course.

The questionnaire was posted on our Facebook, in the library, and did send a letter to the editor about it. We put the questionnaire out and asked that all responses were back a couple of weeks before July 1st, which is when the changes will be effective, because that’s when FY 2012 will begin.

If you have a questionnaire, I highly recommending asking every patron that comes in, because most won’t pick it up, and also don’t make it really long, because if you have a high teenage and parent population, they won’t have a lot of time to fill out a 20 minute survey, so make it short and easy for them.

The one thing that I stress to patrons when they ask me why we’re doing this. I tell them that this is their library, and we librarians are just here to help them along their way. We want them to feel at home at the library. We want to hear what works best for them, instead what works for us.

Working with the public can be very difficult some days, but it can also be very rewarding at the same time. Always make sure you have some type of, relationship with each and every patron to make them feel welcomed.

Small Town Librarian