News about Staff and Libraries in the Region

Katherine A. Bell (Kate) started on Monday, April 9, as the Youth Services Librarian at the Flint Memorial Library, North Reading. She completes her MLS at Simmons in mid-May. She worked most recently at the York Public Library, in York, Maine.

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Mary Condon is the new LMS at Lowell Catholic High School. Mary was formerly with Bishop Fenwick High School, Peabody.

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Rachelle Carroll is the LMS at Buker Elementary School in Wenham.

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Kids Kount in Peabody!

On March 3, 2007, 57 teenagers in Peabody spent a Saturday not playing video games or soccer or going to the mall or the movies, but reading at the Peabody Institute Library. The group devoted six hours of their precious day off to reading in support of a Massachusetts charity, Kids Kount. Kids Kount is a charitable foundation whose mission is to raise money for children with terminal illnesses. The organization was started by a teen from Acton.

The 57 teens found friends and family to sponsor their reading. Most of the participants are members of the Higgins Middle School National Junior Honor Society. They received community service credit for attending the all day Read-a-Thon, which was a collaborative event between the Peabody Institute Library and the Higgins Middle School. Teens who stayed the entire day were also eligible for a $50 mall gift certificate.

All told, the teens read enough hours to raise $2,189 for Kids Kount!

Melissa S. Rauseo, Young Adult Librarian, Peabody Institute Library, Peabody  

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After months (years even) of anticipation, the newly renovated Reading Memorial High School Library Media Center opened in January, 2007. The new library takes its place as part of an extensive high school building and renovation project in Reading which comprises one new building and three renovated buildings, now in the final phase of completion. By September of 2007, we shall have lovely landscaping and lots of much-needed parking as well. The physical layout of the new Media Center includes two large computer labs with at least 25 desktops in each and equipped with Smart technology. As expected, these labs have seen almost continual class use since our opening. The Media Center also features two project rooms which can be reserved for quiet study, group meetings and student projects. There is a large storage room, a workroom and an office. The main floor has two circulation/work desk areas for staff, comfortable seating for students and two pods each with eight desktop computers for student use. Everyone loves the attractive new tables and chairs, bookcases, and computer equipment.

In recent weeks, we have added to our collection of technology equipment available in the library for student and staff use. We have just purchased a very nice Canon digital still camera and have added three new laptops to our collection of Macs, bringing our total inventory to eight laptops available for use in the library or by students at home. We also circulate digital video cameras for students doing video projects and movie-making on the Mac laptops. We have added two new scanners, which will be of great use to our Web Team and to teachers digitizing their curriculum for use with Edline.

The library is open from 7 am to at least 3 pm each day and often later. Students can come to the library during their study periods, before or after school to do homework or use the books or computers for research. It is a busy place! We also host evening adult education classes or other meetings and workshops as requested. Our beautiful new space is being put to good use by the entire Reading community and we are so proud of it!

Lori Bosco, RMHS Library Educational Assistant

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Susan B. Anthony Comes to the Rockport Elementary School Library

Susan B. Anthony, on her speaking tour, made a stop at the Rockport Elementary School Library on March 15, to elicit support in her struggle for helping women to attain the right to vote. She shared her experiences with fourth graders, who will be studying biographies in the upcoming weeks. She told of how she had tomatoes thrown at her when she went to speak, and at one meeting hall, when she got to the podium to speak, someone turned off all the lights and left her in the dark.

As part of a collaborative grant between the librarian, Mrs. Hussey, and the grade four teachers, Mrs. Tibert, Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. Clifton, and Mrs. Corcoran, Sally Mattson was hired to come to the library and bring to life the famous women's rights activist, Susan B. Anthony. The students were engaged and attentive, and asked thoughtful questions when the presentation was over. Sally made a point of saying how well-behaved and responsive they were throughout the presentation and during the question and answer period.

The library was able to purchase two hundred brand new biographies of famous Americans in history, as well as several videos to support the curriculum, with funds from the grant. These materials and activities are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the state of Massachusetts.

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Jack Hall, who was the Director of Media and Information Services of Greater Lowell Technical High, Tyngsborough, retired at Christmas time. He was the first library media center director starting in 1973 while the facility was still under construction. He assisted with the final designs of the library media centers, television production studio and video distribution system. He also supervised the creation and arrangement of the collection. During his 34 years he was also the first Title I Director, Chairperson of the Graphic Arts Department and director of several grant programs.

He was the co-author of the two volume reference work The Vocational Technical Core Collection published by Neal-Schuman as well as the author of articles that appeared in School Library Journal, Collection Building, WGBH's NOVA and others. Additionally, he served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Reference Books Bulletin for two terms as well as reviewing for Library Journal and School Library Journal. He was a member of the American Library Association and chaired and was a member of the AASL/AVA Joint Committee.

During the last few years of his career he was named Director of Media and Information Services and was responsible for library media services as well as the school's network of 800 computers. He was also the City of Lowell's Cable Television Coordinator and negotiated the last two cable franchises.