Library Sparks

Celebrate National Gaming Day @ your library November 14, 2009

Your library can be part of hundreds of libraries across the country celebrating the American Library Association’s (ALA) second annual National Gaming Day @ your library on Saturday, November 14, 2009.

You have through Friday November 13th to register your library to get on the national map of participating locations.

During National Gaming Day, public, school, and academic libraries will offer a variety of in-person gaming activities, including a national video game tournament. Players of all ages and experience levels will be able to see how they rank on local, regional, and national leader boards.

More information at:

• tips & ideas for celebrating 2009 National Gaming Day @ your library
• http://ilovelibraries.org/gaming/
• posters, sample press releases, and more free publicity tools
• The Librarian’s Guide to Gaming: An Online Toolkit for Building Gaming @ Your Library

The nation’s libraries will celebrate the popularity of board and video games, as well as the recreational and educational value of play. Gaming also teaches leadership, problem solving, and team building skills.

A Pew/Internet study found that social gaming that occurs in person in the same room encourages civic engagement among teenagers and helps them become invested in their community.

[source: American Libraries Direct, September 30, 2009]

Fill out PLA 2010 conference session preference survey

Thinking about attending the Public Library Association (PLA) national conference in March 2010?

If so, use fill out a session preference survey to let them know which concurrent session programs you’re most likely to attend.

Note: By completing their survey, you are not registering for programs nor are you creating your conference schedule.

You can read program descriptions and find speakers organized by day and timeslot.

The lineup of speakers for the Public Library Association’s (PLA) 13th National Conference will include several authors (Scott Turow, Sue Grafton, and Nancy Pearl).

Book SLP performers in cooperation with local organizations to save $

From Mark Arend:

Talked with one of the performers this morning. He suggested cooperating with other organizations in town (nursing homes, schools, senior centers, service clubs, etc) to book performers and save money. We work with other libraries but don’t always think of these other groups.

He also said that he’d cut his fee for the offer of a back bedroom for the night, as he sleeps in a tent when he’s making the rounds of libraries for SLP performances.

Food For Fines at your library

If you’re thinking about trying a “Food For Fines” program at your library as an opportunity for the library to give back to the community, here are recent posts from the Publib discussion list that offer food for thought:

• [Publib] Food for fines revisited Melissa K. Davidson
• [Publib] Food For Fines Revisited Becky Tatar
• [Publib] Food for fines revisited Karen Mahnk
• [Publib] food for fines Elizabeth Fraser
• [Publib] Food for fines revisited Patrick Sweeney
• [Publib] Food for fines revisited Mary Soucie
• [Publib] Food for fines revisited Bonnie Mendes
• [Publib] Subject: Re: food for fines Marje Doyle

If your library has done a “Food For Fines” program and you have tips to share, please leave a comment!

Order free Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries notepads, posters & bookmarks

If you want free Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries notepads, posters, and/or bookmarks to distribute to your customers or use at your library, download & fill out the form (PDF) and fax to 608-245-3646 today.

The scratch paper (625 3” x 3” sheets per wrapped cellophane package) is useful for staff and customer note-taking needs.

You can also use these handy MS Word templates to feature the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries logo on Avery labels:

• Avery Labels No. 5160 (3 column)
• Avery Labels No. 5161 (2 column)

All Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries merchandise is made available to your library free of charge thanks to generous donations made to the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation.

[source: WLA E-newsletter, Volume VIII, Issue 9, October 8, 2009]

Apply for YALSA’s Great Books Giveaway award

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is giving away over 1200 new books, videos, CDs, and audiocassettes; apply for your chance to win and add these new materials to your library’s collection!

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Why the collection is needed in their community.
• Why the collection is needed in their institution.
• How acquiring the collection will help them better serve the youth of their community.
• That the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom and equity of access for young adults is supported by an up-to-date, board-approved collection development policy which is based upon the guidelines in the Intellectual Freedom Manual (ALA, 1996) and/or Censorship and Selection: Issues and Answers for Schools by Henry Reichman (ALA, 2001).

Application criteria, guidelines, cover sheet, and info on how to apply are at YALSA’s Great Books Giveaway Competition.

Application deadline: December 1, 2009

Each year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) office receives approximately 1200 new books, videos, CD’s and audiocassettes — materials written for young adults, ages 12-18. (Publishers and producers submit copies for selection committees to review and nominate.)  After committees select their annual lists, these materials need to be removed from the YALSA office to make room for the next year’s publications.

The YALSA Board of Directors believes many libraries that serve young adults would benefit by receiving this collection of materials.  YALSA and the cooperating publishers are therefore offering one year’s worth of review materials as a contribution to a library in need through this application process.

[source: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/awardsandgrants/yalsasgreatbook.cfm]

Celebrate Teen Read Week @ your library Oct. 18-24

Teen Read Week is October 18-24, 2009.

Use the 2009 Teen Read Week website and Teen Read Week Wiki to find resources, activity ideas, and publicity tools to promote  reading at your library.

Find something that will work for your library & readers at 50 Ideas for Teen Read Week.

This year’s theme is “Read Beyond Reality @ your library”.

Teen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

Borrow a book discussion group kit

If your library’s book discussion group is looking for its next title, consider borrowing one of these kits available at a Wisconsin library:

• WLA Readers Section: Book Discussion Kits at Wisconsin Libraries
  These libraries have agreed to loan out their multiple copies of book discussion titles to other Wisconsin public libraries to be used for their discussion groups.
• Manitowoc Public Library: Book Discussion Kits
  Each kit contains multiple copies of a title and a master book discussion guide. Book discussion kits are loaned out for 6 weeks.
• Reference & Loan: Multiple Copies Of Titles Available To Fill Book Club Requests [Excel spreadsheet]

When you submit your Book Club ILL Request Form for one of these, please indicate in the Notes field which library/libraries offer the title in kit form.

Deadline extended for National Library Week grant

The deadline for the $3000 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week grant has been extended to Friday, November 6, 2009.

The grant will be awarded to a single library for the best public awareness campaign incorporating the 2010 National Library Week theme, “Communities thrive @ your library®” and the “@ your library” logo.

Application form and guidelines

source: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/september2009/nlwextended_pio.cfm

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

If you haven’t already geared up for Library Card Sign-up Month, there’s still time to get the word out!  Here are ideas for how you can spread the word in your community:

• Download some graphics to add to your library’s website, blog, or signs
• Free public service announcements (PSAs) for your community’s newspaper and radio stations
• 52 Ways to Use Your Library Card (for each week of the year) (Word document)
• A Dozen Ways to Use the Giant “Smartest Card” During Library Card Sign Up Month (pdf)

Here’s a sample of great ideas you can get from A Dozen Ways to Use the Giant “Smartest Card” During Library Card Sign Up Month (pdf):

• Host a “First Library Card” event for babies. Invite new parents and their babies into
  the library for a new parent workshop with representatives from a local hospital or
  pediatrician’s office. Issue library cards to all of the babies, and take a photo of the
  parents and babies with the giant card. Send the photos to local newspapers and to
  parents.
• Ask local businesses to offer 5-10% discounts on a customer’s bill for the month of
  September if the customer shows a library card. Provide local businesses with an
  oversized card to show that they are a sponsor of the program and encourage them
  to display the card in their front windows.

[source: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/publicawareness/alainitiatives/otherinitiatives/card/librarycard.cfm]