Noteworthy Newsletter Winter 2007

Winter 2007.pdf with graphics, [215KB] This file requires the free Adobe Reader.

Maine Libraries Week, January 7-13, 2007

A special press conference will be held Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. in the State House Hall of Flags to announce the two winners of the 2006 Maine Libraries Excellence Award and to introduce the Maine Libraries Mascot. The public is invited.

Maine Library Excellence Awards

Two public libraries will receive the 2006 Excellence Awards at the State House Hall of Flags during a 10:30 press conference. Each library will receive a plaque, a $500 cash award, and the use of an Excellence Award banner for one year. The award is sponsored by the Maine State Library, Maine Library Association, Maine Library Trustees Association, and the Friends of Maine Libraries.

Library Mascot

A very large cat will appear at the State House Hall of Flags on Thursday, January 11, 2007. The newly adopted Maine Library Mascot, a Maine Coon Cat, will be introduced and a naming contest will be announced.

The mascot will serve as a visual reminder and promoter of libraries. The costume will be available for loan to libraries statewide for appearances at festivals, parades, and other community events. The 10:30 a.m. press conference will also mark the kick-off of a naming contest for the mascot. Further information will become available after January 11 at: www.maine.gov/libraries

The mascot idea was developed by a statewide committee of library professionals. Committee members: Shelly Davis (Mantor Library, UMF); Lynn McCarthy (Portland Schools); Laurie Rose (Orono Public Library); Sarah Sugden (Waterville Public Library); and Bonnie Dwyer (CMLD consultant).

Family Place Maine Welcomes Auburn Public Library

Place Libraries initiative in 2005 when grant funding enabled several CMLD libraries to participate. Auburn Public Library joins Topsham, Waterville, Hallowell, Norway, and Wilton as Family Place Libraries (FPL) and will send a youth services librarian to Long Island, NY for training in May, 2007. The ultimate goal of FPL is to have families utilize the library and to achieve their fullest potential. Auburn is the final library to receive Sandy River Foundation funding for FPL participation. Future funding for additional Maine libraries will depend on the level of interest indicated in an upcoming survey.

For more information, contact Bonnie Dwyer at 1-800-322-8899, or email her from the Contact Us

The Organizer, Inc., Part 2

Ellsworth professional organizer, Brenda Cartwright, will return to Augusta January 25 to present the nuts and bolts portion of her workshop on organizing your work space. People who registered for the November 2nd Fall Council meeting may attend free of charge, however, registration is required.

Attendance at the November 2nd session is not a pre-requisite, so others may attend. However, there will be a $15.00 registration fee for those who did not register for the Fall Council Meeting. The January 25 program will be at the Augusta Holiday Inn on Civic Center Drive from 9:30 to noon. A hot breakfast buffet will be included and starts at 8:30. There is no pre-set snow date. In the event of cancellation because of inclement weather, the program will be re-scheduled; all information will be posted on the CMLD website. Contact the CMLD office for registration details. 1-800-322-8899. Registration deadline is January 19.

Calendar of Library Events

Selected library events of interest to CMLD librarians are listed below. For updates, more detail, and a more comprehensive statewide list, visit the Maine State Library calendar.

Jan 11 Press Conference, Maine Libraries Week
Jan 16 SPARK, Hubbard Free Library, Hallowell
Jan 17 CASL, Maine State Library
Jan 25 Organizer, Part 2 of Fall Council Meeting (see page 1)
Jan 31 Weeding Workshop, Ricker Library, Poland
Feb 8 CMLD Executive Board
Mar 15 Reference Librarians, Lithgow, Augusta
Mar 26 SPARK, Auburn Public Library
Apr 12 Reading Round-Up, Augusta Civic Center
May 17 Spring Council Meeting; Copyright, Auburn Public Library

Bindery Schedule Changes

Because of rising fuel costs and decreasing binding needs, the Maine Bindery Cooperative will be limiting pickups and deliveries starting in January 2007. The new schedule will be sent to all Maine libraries by the cooperative’s vendor, Bridgeport Bindery in Agawam, Massachusetts. For further information about the cooperative, see the State Library Bindery web page. Contact the bindery to set up a new account. Phone 800-223-5083 or visit: http://www.BNBindery.com/

MaineLibraries: Something for everyone

PR efforts continue for Maine libraries through www.mainelibraries.com This website is intended as a tool for the general public to search easily for available libraries and services. During 2007 the website will migrate to a new URL, but the “dot com” address will also work. The new URL, which is in effect now, is www.maine.gov/libraries/ . Both addresses will work throughout 2007, and possibly beyond.

An important feature of the website is that library staff have the ability to update their own information. If you have been doing this on the website all along, continue with your username and password. If you have forgotten your library’s password, use the feedback option to request it.

Library of the Month Program Goes Statewide

The "Library of the Month" feature of the SMLD website will become a statewide program starting in January. The Southern Maine Library District started this program in 2001 to provide information about member libraries. Each month a different member library was featured on the SMLD website and was provided with a specially-designed banner and other publicity materials. The statewide program will continue to feature a different library each month. The selected library will be featured on the "Spotlight" section of the MaineLibraries website.

Libraries may be selected for one or more of the following reasons:

special collection or service
new or renovated building
state, regional or national award
special anniversary or event

Libraries will be selected by the regional library system (one in each district) public relations committees. Suggestions are welcome.

The first library to be featured in the new statewide program is the Maine State Library, March 1. Check it out at the MaineLibraries website.

If you would like to publicize your library events and services to the general public, remember to update your information on the Maine Libraries website. (www.maine.gov/libraries/) Click on “library login” and follow the directions. If you need assistance, contact either the webmaster (use feedback below) or your district consultant, Bonnie Dwyer from the Contact Us page.

New Public Library Standards

How does your library measure up? The 2007 Maine Public Library Standards have been published online at www.mainelibraries.org This Maine Library Association document can be used as incentive and support for increasing hours, collections, staff and services.

Mark your calendar

For the Central Maine Library District Spring 2007 Council Meeting

Date: Thursday, May 17
Location: Auburn Public Library
Topic: “So, You Think You Know Copyright?”
Speaker: Shelly Davis (Mantor Library, UMF)
More information will be available in March

Retirement Reception

Please join colleagues Friday, January 12 to honor retired NMLD Consultant Benita Davis. A reception will be held at the Bangor Public Library from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. All are invited.

People

Retirements

Benita Davis, Northeastern Maine Library District Consultant, December, 2006
Edna Greenlaw, Brown Memorial Library, Clinton, September 2006
Jerome Hopson, Stratton Public Library
Pat McDonald, Jay-Niles Library, Jay

Appointments

Wendy Boyle, Director, Stratton Public Library
Anne Campbell, Youth Services Librarian, Norway Memorial Library
John Clark, Director, Hartland Public Library
Cheryl Dickey-Whitish, Director, Brown Memorial Library, Clinton
Karen Handelsman, Director, Coolidge Public Library, Solon
Tamara Hoke, Director, Jay-Niles Library, Jay
Cindy Lowell, Children’s Librarian, Brown Memorial Library, Clinton
Abby Luchies, LMS, Woolwich Central School
David Olson, Director, Wilton Free Public Library
Julie Sawtelle, Director, Cumston Public Library, Monmouth
Susan Schroeder, Director, Bridge Academy Public Library, Dresden.
Dawn Thistle, Director, Vassalboro Public Library
Margaret Vital, District Librarian, MSAD 59, Madison

Vacancies

Director, Rangeley Public Library
Director, New Portland Public Library

Trustee & Friends Information

The Maine State Library website now includes a new section with information for public library trustees and Friends of Library organizations. Located on the homepage www.maine.gov/msl/ under For Libraries, the new page includes library statistics, grants, policies, and other relevant information. There are also links to the Friends of Maine Libraries (FOML) and the Maine Library Trustees Association (MLTA).

Reading Round-Up 2007

Date: Thursday, April 12, 2007
Theme: Children’s & YA Literature
Keynote: Author Susan Bartoletti
Location: Augusta Civic Center

PLEASE NOTE: Registration flyers for Reading Round-Up will not be mailed this year. Instead, they will be available only online by February. Look for a purple post card with details early in 2007.

Reference Librarians

A newly-formed interest group for CMLD reference librarians has met twice; a third meeting is planned for March 15 at Lithgow Library in Augusta. The format is round table discussion, sharing ideas and challenges unique to reference and research library staff from academic, public, medical, and special libraries. For further information, contact the CMLD office 1-800-322-8899

Basic Library Trainings

Weeding Workshops are available. Contact District Consultant, Bonnie Dwyer at 1-800-322-8899 to schedule a half-day workshop at your library. The next weeding workshop will be Wednesday morning, January 31, 2007 at Ricker Memorial Library in Poland. The training session is free but enrollment is limited, so pre-registration is required. To pre-register, contact Cheryl Ramsay (same number as above). The snow date is Thursday, Feb 1.

Noteworthy is published by the Central Maine Library District and is mailed free to CMLD member libraries. The Central Maine Library District (CMLD) is one of three districts in the Maine Regional Library System, created by the State Legislature in 1973. The System was formed to promote and improve access to library services for all Maine residents. It operates under the auspices of the Maine State Library. Membership in the Central Maine Library District is voluntary and free to all types of libraries located in its 7-county territory (Androscoggin, Franklin, Lincoln, Kennebec, Oxford, Sagadahoc, and Somerset).

The CMLD office is located at the Maine State Library, 64 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. 207-287-5620 or 1-800-322-8899
District Consultant: Bonnie Dwyer. Email through the Contact Us page

CMLD Board Voting Members: Pam Bonney, Hall-Dale High School, Kathy Brunjes, Central Maine Medical Center Library; Vaughan Gagne, Mantor Library, UMF; Shelly Davis, Mantor Library, UMF; Jo Hipsher, Brunswick High School Library; Betty Hughes, At-Large; Matt Pollack, Trustee, Topsham Public Library; Ann Siekman, Norway Memorial Library; Rick Speer, Lewiston Public Library. Non-voting (Ex-Officio): Karl Aromaa, Rumford Public Library, Maine Library Commission; Bonnie Dwyer, CMLD Consultant; Linda Lord, Deputy State Librarian, Maine State Library.

Resources