NMRLS News:

Value of Service Correction
Greg Pronevitz

We discovered a problem in the calculations used to calculate the value of NMRLS services published in December. The problem was limited to the category "Discounts on Library Supplies and Materials & Supplementary Services" and totals calculated with this figure. Following is a table with the correct figures. We apologize for any problems caused by this error.

	Elementary Schools	Middle Schools	High Schools	Special Libraries	Academic Libraries	Public Libraries	All Libraries
Individual Library Subscriptions Electronic Databases	$4,915	$6,796	$16,330	$12,660	$61,341	$36,256
Continuing Education	$62	$89	$502	$298	$1,404	$2,186
Discounts on Library Supplies and Materials & Supplementary Services	$230	$859	$996	$76	$1,272	$11,700
Delivery	n/a	n/a	$38	$91	$2,918	$3,900
Interlibrary Loans & Net Lender Reimbursement	$1	$3	$236	$108	$2,375	$3,017
Regional Reference Center services	$8	$10	$112	$29	$52	$3,062
Grants for MARC Conversion and Automation	n/a	n/a	$33	$317	n/a	$301
Consulting Services	$2	$11	$15	$20	$77	$109
Average Value	$5,218	$7,768	$18,262	$13,599	$69,439	$60,531	$20,413
Number of Libraries	129	38	61	34	13	54	329
Total Value	$673,122	$295,184	$1,113,982	$462,366	$902,707	$3,268,674	$6,716,035

We will send an individual report to public, academic, and high school libraries outlining the actual values in these institutions.

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Dialog@Carl Content Changes:

The Library Corporation (the service provider of the Dialog@Carl service) has informed us that they will no longer be able to provide Knight Ridder newspapers in this collection. The Knight Ridder titles removed as a result of this change are listed below:

Aberdeen American News	Kansas City Star
Akron Beacon Journal	Lexington Herald-Leader
Biloxi Sun Herald	Macon Telegraph
Bradenton Herald	Miami Herald
Charlotte Observer	Myrtle Beach Sun News
Columbia State	Philadelphia Daily News
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer	Philadelphia Inquirer
Contra Costa Newspapers	San Jose Mercury News
Detroit Free Press	St. Paul Pioneer Press
Duluth News Tribune	Tallahassee Democrat
Fort Wayne News Sentinel	Wichita Eagle
Grand Forks Herald

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NMRLS Executive Board News -NMRLS, Danvers, December 19, 2001

Prior to the Executive Board Meeting, members met for an orientation presented by Greg Pronevitz, Doug Rendell, Victoria Yablonsky, and Susan Grabski. Topics covered included the history of NMRLS, an overview of the Bylaws, Board Roles/Job Descriptions, review of the Executive Board Handbook, NMRLS Staffing/Programs/Plan of Service/Strategic Plan, Committee Chair Roles, the Administrative Calendar, and Monthly Financial Reports/Annual Budget.

Upcoming Meetings: Susan Grabski reminded the Board that the next scheduled meeting would be on January 16, 2002 at the NMRLS office in Danvers.

NMRLS Audit: Doug Rendell, Budget Committee Chair, provided a brief overview of the routine, annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2001, prepared by Robert Guimond, CPA. The Budget Committee recommendation to accept the report was approved unanimously.

Personnel & Budget Committees Recommendation: To approve the job description for a new Operations Coordinator position for a current staff member and the designation of salary adjustment pool for equity. The recommendation was approved unanimously.

Budget Update: Greg reported that while library funding from the state has been reduced in many areas, the regions have received a small increase in funding for the six regions. This will amount to about $17,000 (less than one percent) in additional funding for the Northeast region. The Boston Public Library received a substantial increase; while direct aid to public libraries, programs for library technology, and services for the blind and physically handicapped were all cut by about seven percent. The MBLC was compelled to institute a hiring freeze and a ban on out-of-state travel.

Greg informed the Board about a likely budget surplus for electronic reference services this fiscal year that will allow NMRLS to expand its regional subscriptions. He is working with the Reference Committee to address this issue and asked that Board members contact either him or a member of the Reference Committee with service suggestions.

Value of Service Report Correction: Greg reported that we have found an error in our original findings (published in the December NMRLS Newsletter) that caused us to revise our value of service estimates in the area of purchasing cooperatives. This value was overstated by a large percentage in the original report due to an error in a formula in the spreadsheet. A correction will be published in the January NMRLS Newsletter.

Regional Reference Center Contract Discussion: Greg led a discussion about NMRLS plans to continue contracting for regional reference services with Memorial Hall Library (MHL). The current contract continues until the end of FY2003. He asked the Board to consider a number of issues, e.g., the need to recognize current reference trends and not just the traditional services, e.g., growing use of electronic reference vs. shrinking use in-person and phone, continuing the trend of increasing funding for electronic and decreasing funding for traditional services. How much funding for regional electronic services should go through the contracting library vs. funding directly from NMRLS? Is there still a desire by the membership to consider issuing a request for information and/or request for proposal. Recognition that of 21 sampled NMRLS member libraries service to non-residents was substantial (see sample data). A lengthy discussion ensued with input from former, current, and new Board members. The Board felt that Greg should pursue further discussions with Jim Sutton (Library Director of Memorial Hall Library in Andover) with the hope of coming to a mutual agreement. Thomas Standring moved that Greg Pronevitz draft a letter to Jim Sutton informing him of the Board's intention to address the discrepancy of cost vs. value in the contract for regional reference services. Camilla Glynn seconded. All were in favor, with no opposition.

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Grant Opportunities:

Please visit our web site to view and download applications for the following grant opportunities:

• MARC Conversion Grant 2002
• Special Collections Online Grant 2002

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Upcoming Meetings

Advocating for Your Library: It's Easier than You Think

Effective advocacy is critical to libraries. It builds public support and helps ensure funding and approval for future plans. Are you one of the majority who are not comfortable with the advocacy process? Then join us at this session to demystify the advocacy process and learn when to participate and how to plan and implement a successful advocacy effort.

When:	January 15, 2002
Where:	Memorial Hall Library, Andover
Time:	9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

We welcome librarians from all types of libraries, as well as library friends and trustees.

For more information please contact the NMRLS headquarters at 888-326-7772 / info@nmrls.org.

Register online. There is no fee for registration.

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Quarterly meeting of NMRLS Special Libraries

When:	Tuesday, January 8th, 2002 (Snow date: January 9th at 10:00 AM)
Where:	Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)
Time:	10:00 AM - Noon

Agenda

• Roundtable discussion of special library issues and updates from members

• Nominations for a chair for the NMRLS Special Libraries Committee (this committee has been inactive for over a year). At our last meeting members discussed the need for this committee.

• NMRLS Update, including MassCat

• Tour of NEDCC

For more information please contact the NMRLS headquarters at 888-326-7772 / info@nmrls.org.

Register online.

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Open House for Library Media Specialists

When:	Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Where:	NMRLS, Danvers Directions
Time:	3:30 - 5:30

Agenda

• 3:30 - 4:00: Registration and Refreshment
• 4:00 - 4:50: Overview of NMRLS Programs and Services
• 5:00 - 5:30: Breakout Sessions

Please register online. Confirmations will not be sent.

Focus On ... Continuing Education

With a new year beginning, it's a good time to visit our Continuing Education page and brush up on registration procedures and note new features.

Registration procedures: Participants may register online or print out the registration form and send via fax or mail to the NMRLS office. Registrants will receive an e-mail or letter indicating the workshops for which they are confirmed as well as the workshops that are full. If a workshop is full, we will create a waiting list and notify people if there are any cancellations.

Registration policies: Registrations are processed on a first-come first-served basis. Participants will receive notification by U.S. Mail indicating the courses they are confirmed to attend and those that are full. If a pre-registered individual is unable to attend a program, they should notify the NMRLS office as soon as possible. Failure to notify the office 24 hours in advance of the program will result in the registrant receiving the lowest registration priority for any other workshops being held that quarter and the next. Please note that this last procedure is in effect beginning January 2002.

Weather policy: NMRLS may cancel programs due to unforeseen complications or inclement weather. If a cancellation is made prior to the date of a program, registrants will be contacted. In the event of inclement weather, a message will be placed on the NMRLS answering machine, the NMRLS web site and listserv by 7:30 a.m. If the schools are closed in the town where the program was to be held, the program will be cancelled.

New Features: We are now posting selected Continuing Education handouts.

Regional ILL Centers Updates

Memorial Hall Library (Andover) Phone: 978-623-8401 x15 Fax: 978-623-8406 E-mail

NOBLE (Danvers) Phone: 978-777-8844 Fax: 978-750-8472 E-mail

Filling ILL requests for dissertations:

James Morris Whiton wrote the first American doctoral dissertation in 1861 for Yale University. Written in Latin, it was six pages long and written about the proverb "Brevis vita, ars longa". Since that time many others have satisfied the requirements of a Ph.D. by writing lengthy books on original research. These are usually stored at the institution that granted the Ph.D. Usually we associate the topics of dissertations with the highest scholarly research. However, not all the topics are as scholarly sounding as Whiton's.

Here's a sample of some interesting titles in the UMI database:

• Life's a Beach: The Shore-Lyric from Arnold to Ammons
• Elvis Presley: All Shook Up
• Life's Little Problems...and Pleasures: Watching Soap Operas
• Communication Use in the Motorcycle Gang
• I Am You, You Are Me: A Philosophical Explanation of the Possibility That We Are All the Same Person

Occasionally a library will submit a request for a thesis or dissertation. Sometimes it seems a mystery how we will find a copy for the patron. As mentioned they are usually held by the granting institution and most often at the library. Other universities may also hold titles of interest. Many are cataloged as part of the library collection and available through OCLC. This will help us get some of those requests filled. The problem with dissertations is that some libraries don't want to lend out their only copy. Sometimes their policy is to lend only if they have a 2nd copy or a microfilm copy.

If we can't get a needed copy from a library we turn to other services that provide dissertations. One place to look at is Proquest. UMI publishes and archives dissertations and theses, sells copies on demand, and maintains the definitive bibliographic record for over 1.4 million doctoral dissertations and master's theses. At this site, a search for the dissertation needed can be made and a request to purchase it can be submitted. Copies cost between $32 and $73 depending on format.

The ILL Centers try to borrow copies of dissertations first and generally don't purchase copies. But the information on the dissertation can be passed on to the requesting library and ultimately to the patron. Patrons may also consider a visit to the library holding the dissertation if all else fails. The UMI site is also a good place to verify bibliographic information on a dissertation request. So when a patron inquires about the availability of dissertations the answer is yes, many are available for loan and we will do all we can to borrow a copy! - Marilyn Graves, Interlibrary Loan Librarian, NOBLE ILL CENTER

Memorial Hall Library ILL Open House:

The NMRLS ILL Center at Andover held an open house/informational meeting on Wednesday afternoon, December 5. 22 ILL librarians representing public, academic and school libraries attended. There was coffee, cider and conversation in the new ILL offices at Memorial Hall Library. Jim Sutton, Director, welcomed everyone, and led the group on a brief tour of the newly renovated Young Adult area on the way up to the hall where the "formal" part of the meeting was held. Scott Kehoe from NMRLS updated the group on state and regional happenings, particularly in regard to MassCat. Anna Kjoss, ILL supervisor in Andover, reviewed some general procedures and then did some sample searching on WorldCat and the Virtual Catalog. She also made a brief presentation on the new ILL web request form which should be up and running in the next month or so. This will permit member libraries to track the status of their requests online. Eleanor Sathan, regional reference librarian, gave a summary of the new 24/7 reference service in which Memorial Hall Library is participating. A brief discussion period followed and the meeting adjourned about 4:30. For those ILL staff who were unable to attend the meeting, the regional ILL staff are available for on site visits and demonstrations and are always happy to field questions, concerns and comments. - Anna Kjoss, Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Memorial Hall

NMRLS Regional Reference and Research Centers

Regional Reference Centers
Memorial Hall Library (Andover) Phone: 978-623-8401 Fax: 978-623-8407	Lawrence Law Library Phone: (978) 687-7608 Fax: (978) 688-2346	Reference On Call Phone:866-733-6622 (toll-free)

By Eleanor Sathan
Memorial Hall Library, Andover

Memorial Hall Library in Andover is contracted by the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System to provide supplementary reference service to all NMRLS member libraries. You are encouraged to call the reference desk at Memorial Hall Library with questions that cannot be answered with the materials available in your library. The Memorial Hall reference staff of twelve MLS certified librarians is eager to assist you. This service is available by telephone at 978/623-8401 ext. 31, by fax at 978/623-8407, or via the Web.

Recent Reference Additions:

Boston A to Z by Thomas H. Connor is more than an interesting compilation of Boston trivia. The entries provide detailed information not easily found elsewhere. Mister Boston, Fannie Farmer, Filene's Basement and the Citgo sign are examples of the people, places, and things unique to Boston discussed in this source.

Peterson's Professional Degree Programs in the Visual & Performing Arts provides detailed information on colleges and universities that have bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in art, dance, music, and theatre.

Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business, a Nolo Press publication, includes forms essential for starting and running a small business. Instructions for using the forms are also included.

Interesting Web Sites:

Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies: John Hopkins School of Public Health provides information on anthrax, botulism, small pox, and tularemia.

Foreign Policy Association: This educational organization provides information on international issues effecting Americans.

Frequently Asked Questions: The United States Government lists frequently asked questions on eighteen topics, including how to order a flag or locate military personnel.

Stumper for December:

Did American consumers spend more on equipment for golf or hockey in 2000?

Answer: Golf

Source: The National Sporting Goods Association lists information for retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers including statistical sales data.

Stumper for January:

Can you find a street map from 1700 of lower Manhattan, NY, that shows Smith Street? Smith Street is close to Broadway

Happy New Year!
Until next month,
Eleanor Sathan
Regional Reference Librarian

Submitted by Brian J. Archambault , Head Law Librarian, Lawrence Law Library. (The opinions expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries.)

Lawrence Law Library Seeks Part-Time Reference Librarian

The Lawrence Law Library is seeking a part-time Reference Librarian (12 to 15 hours per week, weeknights and Saturdays) to fill a vacancy in the extended hours staffing funded by NMRLS. Candidates must hold a Masters Degree in Library Science from an accredited library school or a Juris Doctor degree (strong preference will be given to candidates who hold a Library Science degree), plus one year of library experience.

An official Massachusetts Trial Court application (available at all Court locations, at the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, and on the Web) must be received by 4:30 PM on January 18, 2002. For a full job description, see the job listings at the MLIN site, or contact the Lawrence Law Library.

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries Continue to Improve Web Site to Better Serve You

Looking for a source for legal forms on the web? Need Massachusetts Law About Traffic Violations? These are but two of the newest additions to the Website of the Trial Court Law Libraries. Take a look!

Lawrence Law Library Continues to Offer Extended Hours:

The Lawrence Law Library, located at the Fenton Judicial Center, 2 Appleton Street, Lawrence, MA is open to the public as follows:

Monday through Thursday:	8:30AM to 9:00PM
Friday:	8:30AM to 4:30PM
Saturday:	9:00AM to 3:00PM

Trial Court Security Officers are stationed at the Appleton Street entrance, and the Law Library is on the second floor.

Evening and Weekend Hours are made possible by NMRLS funding, as part of the Reference-On-Call service. We are available in person, by telephone (978-687-7608), fax (978-688-2346) or email.

The NMRLS Region includes three of the seventeen Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries: Lawrence Law Library, Lowell Law Library, and the Essex Law Library (Salem, MA). Directions, hours, telephone numbers and email addresses for all Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries can be found on the Web site.

Reference On Call

By Esmé Green

This month Reference on Call librarians helped a caller who wanted to know the name of the women who starred in White Christmas as sisters. As many good librarians know, sometimes the best place to find an answer is by asking a specialist. Librarian Terri Boudette knew this and called her mother. Of course, she then confirmed in Google that it was Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. Happy Holidays!

Examples of press releases and other promotional tools are available on our website, such as magnets, bookmarks and business cards. Please visit the website for details.

Reference on Call is provided by NMRLS through state funding administered by the MBLC in co-operation with your local public library.

Youth Services Column

By Susan Babb

YSLead Massachusetts:
(For Potential Leaders serving youth in school and public libraries from across the state)

Reminder!

January 14, 2002 is the deadline to submit your YSLead Massachusetts Application Form to the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System.

This institute will be held August 8 - 10, 2002 at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.

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Best Ideas in Youth Services for 2001
collected by Susan Babb, Youth Services Consultant, NMRLS

Happy New Year! To celebrate the New Year, I recently invited librarians to send me their "Best Ideas in Youth Services for 2001". Specifically, I asked for "bests" in any/all of the three categories listed below:

• Solution to a problem in the children's department
• Topic for a program
• Theme for a display

Our Massachusetts Regional Library Systems Youth Services Consultants are now taking turns in polling members of the MASSYAC email distribution list to investigate aspects of library service to youth. Do contact Susan Babb if you have a topic that you would like us to investigate.

Below is a summary of the responses that I received. A big thank you to all of the librarians who generously contributed to this list.

Solution to a Problem in the Children's Department

"First Day of Story Time Registration" Onslaught:
This year's goal was to take the heartbreak out of the story time registration process. The solitary objective was to reduce overall acrimony surrounding the process.
The library did away with "first come, first served" registration, placing control of the process solely in the hands of the staff. Patrons "applied" for their top three choices of program times, by e-mail, by phone, or in person. Patrons were guaranteed that the library would try to get them into at least one program.
Staff processed these applications randomly. 94% of the patrons received their first preference of program times. These patrons automatically went on the waiting list for their second and third choices. The remaining 6% received their second choice, and were placed on the waiting list for their first and third choices. Patrons who wanted to attend the September Story Time sessions were notified a week before the program began. Patrons for subsequent sessions were notified within the month.
This process has resolved a number of chronic political problems for the library administration, while giving the staff the chance to say "yes" to our patrons more often. - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Westford

Topics for programs

Using Photography in Programs:
At Greenfield Public Library, we have had a number of successes this year, due in part to the addition of staff (an assistant children's librarian and some shelving help) and subsequently planning time in my department. We have incorporated photography a good deal in programs this year.
When we did the summer reading program we focused (no pun intended) on aliens and space, and one of our projects was called "Alien Family Albums." Kids had disposable cameras and took portraits of each other and objects created for the purpose in a space environment. It was relatively cheap (lots of aluminum foil cleverly covered some common objects to excellent effect, courtesy of a very talented teenage helper; and disposable cameras bought at Staples with a good discount), and it worked because of the attractiveness to the kids of the theme. Another way we have used photography was to send middle school kids out to a downtown event with disposable cameras, creating an exhibit about the event with the kids' work. This was done with the help of a newspaper photographer who volunteered his time, and we know the connection with the paper has resulted in more pictures in the local paper of things happening at the library.
Still another use of photography has been taking digital photographs at our program parties and having a CD of the pictures burned and displayed in a slide show on one of our computers. People see the photos and ask about other programs, or they see themselves in the photos and feel really special and want to come to our next thing. It makes library programs look like great fun. (And of course, they are!) - Kay Lyons, Greenfield Public Library

Live Animal Programs:
Educational live animal programs work great for us at the Montague Public Libraries. Tom Ricardi and his live birds of prey have drawn over 100 people of all ages each of the 5 times we had them in one year (thanks mostly to grant money).
For our end of the year summer reading program party this year we had a baby tiger and other live animals from Greenville Wildlife Park in Greenville NH. Using the baby tiger visit as a carrot helped double our summer reading signups. - Linda Hickman, Children's Librarian, Montague Public Libraries

Summer Reading with the Manatees:
This summer was the first time that we had a summer reading program for young adults. It was a huge success. We had 76 participants. Each participant could earn manatee money with every 3 hours that they read. The money was put in an aquarium so that we could see all the money that was earned. The reading log was a maze that they would fill in for every 3 hours read. The participants were trying to get the manatee to safety with all of the environmental problems that the endangered manatee faces. The participants could select the manatee that they wanted to adopt. We were able to adopt all the manatees that were named. The Friends of the Amesbury Public Library agreed to give us real money for the manatee money. The young adults earned $301.00 and we adopted 13 manatees from Save the Manatee in Maitland, Florida. Dana was the most popular manatee as he was born the same year as most of the participants. The Save the Manatees organization sent a certificate to the young adult department honoring our teens for their participation. We also had a raffle with manatee prizes at the end of the program. A local business donated the money for all the manatee prizes. I wanted the young adults to feel that they were contributing to a cause for reading. Not just doing it because they would win prizes. - Margie Shepard, Amesbury Public Library

"Kenya Read" -Humanitarian Summer Reading:
The topic of our SRP was probably our best idea this year. In "Kenya Read" we eschewed the little plastic prizes and supported the Heifer Project instead (with the financial support of the Friends). Children earned "shares" for every 2hrs and 20 min they read (20 minutes each day for a week). These "shares" were put towards buying farm animals for families in Kenya through the Heifer Project. Children could choose to put their "shares" in the drums for heifer, goat, sheep, chick, rabbit or bees. The children loved to pick out which animal they'd help buy for families. We read parts of Beatrices' Goat when we did the school visits so they knew how important the animals were to poor families. Many parents thanked us for encouraging humanitarian awareness in their children and for giving families an opportunity to address these issues. Despite the fact that our library was closed for more hours this summer, the number of hours read per child increased from 9.2 to 11 hours. The total of 12,366 hours read, earned enough "shares" to buy 1 heifer, 2 goats, 1 sheep, 8 flocks of chicks, 2 trios of rabbits and 6 hives of bees. We were all very proud. - Corinne Fisher, Reading Public Library

Literary Lunch Bunch:
For several years now, McCall Middle School Library has run a program called the "Literary Lunch Bunch". Sixth grade students and Seniors from the local Senior activity center all read the same book (eg. Nothing but the Truth by Avi). They meet over lunch to discuss the book using suggested questions prepared by the school librarian. The group meets monthly and alternates location between the school library and the senior center. Support from a local bank allows us to provide individual copies of the book, and helps defray the cost of the luncheons. Typically we have about 20-30 students and a core group of 20-25 seniors. Word of the success of the "Literary Lunch Bunch" has spread to surrounding towns and with the help of one of our original senior members, it has been implemented in Arlington and Medford. Such an opportunity for sharing between Seniors and students is rare and truly a joy to behold. I continue to be excited each time the group meets. - Gerry Driscoll, McCall Middle School Library

Author Visits:
In Reading we did something a little different for our annual author visit. We had a children's author/illustrator, Matt Tavares, do an all day presentation at both middle schools and an evening program for the public at the Reading Public Library. He was well received and appealed to a wide audience.
Another YA program we did was a graphic novel illustrator/colorist. His program drew kids that don't usually come to the library. He had the students draw their own work and he would critique them. They loved it! - Susan Beauregard, Reading Public Library

Harry Potter Book Club:
The best topic of the year was the "Harry Potter Book Club". We had a birthday party for him on July 31st and a Halloween party in October, featuring costumes, trivia games, classes and theme based snacks. The programs have been organized and put on by 4 or 5 dedicated teenagers. They would like to have a meeting once a month! - Townsend Public Library

YA Karaoke & Dance Party:
In an attempt to get the YAs that were getting into trouble hanging out at the library, we decided to engage them more actively. During school vacation, we hired a DJ who worked with the kids teaching line dances, as well as providing the kids with karaoke equipment and a playlist. It was such a hit with the kids that it became a monthly event. - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield

Harry Potter Party:
As part of the "Share" Week at the library, children attended Harry's birthday party on July 31st, bringing a present with them to be donated to children in foster care in Harry's honor, since Harry had never received presents from his foster parents. Over 60 children attended. A local magician, Nathan LaSpina, Magician Extraordinaire, performed to help the cause. Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield

Poetry Sharing Contest:
Children received a Halloween beanie baby prize for memorizing and reciting a Halloween poem to the Youth Room staff. The poem had to be at least as many lines as their age. They could enter the contest as often as they like, but they had to memorize a second poem to earn a second prize. In ten days, we gave away 113 beanie babies. - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield

"Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" Party
Under the expert guidance of a drama teacher, 20 pre-teens and teens performed comic improvisation in front of their peers. Strangers and friends worked together to provide their audience with a fun-filled evening. - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield

Best Displays

Books on a Clothesline:
Here's a best "display" (bulletin board) reading: "Get Hung Up on Reading" with a clothesline holding book covers & childrens' clothes. Very cute! - Jan Herzog, Library Media Specialist, Mary E. Finn School, Southboro

Teachers as Youth - Still Popular!
Our high school has many faculty members who graduated from our high school. I went through old year books and photocopied yearbook pictures. The kids got to guess who they were. The school committee meets in the library and I was able to add their photos also. - Meg Morton, Rockland High School

Monthly Display Table:
To get books to move we have a special monthly display table. Each month a children's staff takes turns being in charge of the table. She comes up with a theme and displays not only books but also provides take home activity sheets on the same theme. Some themes we've done - In July the city of Lowell has it's folk festival so we put out all folk tales and activities about making folk crafts; August (has National Joke Day) so we put out joke and riddle books and also, every day we put out sheets with 5 new jokes. This display table is very popular. - Molly Hancock, Lowell

Hero Display:
One display was about Heroes, where children posted a star bearing the name of a person the child admires. Gray Sawyer designed this display in response to the tragic events of September 11th. - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield

Thankful Turkey:
The second display was for Thanksgiving, in which the children expressed their gratitude on paper turkey feathers. Gray Sawyer also designed this display, which was such a hit with the children that we had to expand the turkey. - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield

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Upcoming NMRLS Youth Services Programs:
January Continuing Education

Resources on the Web for Youth Services Librarians: Evaluating Web Sites
1/7/02 -- 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- NMRLS, Danvers
Participants will examine virtual library sites on the Web and evaluate them based upon the criteria of content, design, and purpose. Participants can note special features for their own web sites.

Library Media Specialist Discussion: Copyright Issues
1/31/02 -- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM -- Chelmsford Public Library, Chelmsford
The Internet has been characterized as the largest threat to copyright since its inception. The Internet is awash in information, much of it with varying degrees of copyright protection. Copyrighted works on the net include news stories, software, novels, screenplays, graphics, pictures, Usenet messages and even email. In fact, the frightening reality is that almost everything on the Net is protected by copyright law. How do educators sort all this information out? How do you get permission to use that great graphic you found on someone else's web site? Come and find out this and much, much more. Handouts and further web sites included. Join this lively discussion on copyright.
Valerie Diggs of the Chelmsford Public Schools will lead off with a short presentation. Facilitated by NMRLS Consultant Susan Babb.

Upcoming Youth Services Book Review meetings, NRMLS Headquarters, Danvers :
All meetings begin at 10:00 and end at 12:00.
Thursday, January 10
Wednesday, February 6
Tuesday, March 5
Monday, April 1
Thursday, May 2
Wednesday, June 12

What’s New with Staff and Libraries in the Region?

Reading Public Library Staff Development Day:
On December 14, the Reading Public Library held its fourth annual Staff Development Day, funded by the Friends of the Library. With the Library closed for the day, twenty-seven staff members headed up to Merrimack College, where they spent the day learning about readers advisory service. With the help of Roberta Johnson, founder of Fiction_L, and some in-house experts, staff learned about genres of fiction that they don't normally read in. They also learned how to help readers identify their reading preferences and answer the question, "What do I read next?" After a break for lunch and a quick country line-dancing class, staff practiced finding book recommendations using books and electronic resources. The Library expects to follow up with lunchtime genre discussions, an improved readers advisory reference collection, workshops in collaboration with other NOBLE or NMRLS libraries, and more proactive service to patrons looking for a good read. For more information, contact Diane Young, Assistant Director .

Westford Bookmobile Dedication:
Our Bookmobile dedication was a huge success! On Friday, November 9th Library staff, trustees, and members of the Westford community turned out to celebrate the arrival of the Library's new bookmobile. Veronica Whitehouse, Chair of the Library Board of Trustees, led the dedication. Representative Geoffrey Hall performed the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Director of the Library, Ellen Rainville and the Bookmobile Librarian, Maureen Barry were congratulated for all their hard work in making the new bookmobile a reality. The bookmobile provides services to homebound residents, day care facilities, nursing homes, neighborhoods, etc. Attendees were treated to cookies and coffee, as well as a tour of the new bookmobile. For those who couldn't attend please see the Bookmobile Slide Show from our website.

The Gleason Public Library in Carlisle is one of the libraries featured in Library Journal's December 2001 issue on architecture. You may find a very nice photograph of the library on page 56!

Program Planners Meeting:
Norma Gammon has offered to host the next Program Planners meeting at the Memorial Hall Library in Andover. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 15, at 2:30 p.m. Our topic will be "Getting your calendar online." Norma has asked Beth Mazin (Assistant Director of Andover's Memorial Hall Library) to do a "show and tell" of their community calendar. You can take a peek at their calendar on their web site. Look for "Events calendar." As always feel free to bring along copies of your publications, new program ideas, or other resources to share. If we require a snow date, Norma has reserved Wednesday, Jan. 16th at 2:30 p.m. Questions? You can contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at the Chelmsford Public Library 978-256-5521, ext. 109. Or contact Norma Gammon at 978-623-8401, ext. 49.

NMRLS welcomes new members:

Peter W. Reilly Elementary School, Lowell

Varnum Elementary School, Lowell, MA 01850

Newsletter Deadline for February

Job Postings

Head of Adult Services, Lynnfield Public Library
Head of Youth Services, Lynnfield Public Library
Adult Service Specialist, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library
Young Adult Librarian (Part-Time), Wilmington Memorial Library
Reference Librarian (Part-Time), Wilmington Memorial Library
Head of Technical Services, Wilmington Memorial Library

To have a listing from your library included on our web site, please email the posting to Lucie Gallagher. The listing will be the first and third Fridays of the month.

NMRLS posts library-related jobs on our site for positions within the region or related to the region, e.g., positions in other regional systems, automated resource sharing networks, or at our funding agency, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Other positions outside the region will not be posted.