Teen Spaces, Cool Places

By Marge Kudrna, Youth Services Consultant

Ninety-six staff members representing Missouri public and school libraries attended presentations of “Teen Spaces, Cool Places:  Creating Library Spaces that Welcome Teens,” workshops made possible with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  The Missouri State Library, through a contract with Kim Bolan, library consultant and author of the highly-acclaimed Teen Spaces: The Step-by-Step Library Makeover and Technology Made Simple, presented five workshops in September 2006.

Bolen provided practical ideas and how-to information on planning, implementation, layout, design/décor, signage and merchandising.   Additional information, appropriate to small or large public and school facilities, addressed budgeting and revamping an existing space or starting from scratch by building a new facility.  Participants learned they would need to “think outside the box” with collections (multimedia, “alternative” formats - magazines, graphic novels, games, etc.), technology and programming ideas, in addition to using active teen planning participation through teen advisory groups, to create the “ideal” environment that will improve teen services and successfully attract teens to the library.

Workshop participants returned to their libraries prepared to submit an application for a Teen Spaces LSTA grant that addressed the creation, redesign, addition to or update of library space to be used exclusively by teens and the development of a unique program for teens that would promote the role of the library as a positive, creative and educational destination for youth ages 12 to 18.

One year later, 43 libraries and branches have implemented teen projects utilizing nearly $390,000 of LSTA grant funds serving teens across the state.  The following quotes attest to the positive effect of the Teen Spaces projects:

• “We had our most successful Teen Summer Reading Program to date this year, we are seeing more teens in the library and these teens are staying longer.” (Cari Boatright, Joplin Public Library)
• “The summer of 2007 had a 58% increase in the number of teens enrolled in the summer reading program and a 15% increase in the number of enrollees who actually turned in at least one reading log. These teens turned in over 23% more hours of reading than were turned in during the 2006 program.” (Jacque Gage, Barton County Library Director)
• “Managers and supervisors of these [teens space] locations have a new appreciation for the input and enthusiasm that comes from having the Teen Advisory groups. As one manager put it, ‘we have proven the value of actively involving the teens in the planning process and allowing them to express opinions and desires.” (Marie Conlin, Saint Louis County Library)

 

New LSTA Plan for Years 2008-2012 Approved by IMLS

By Barbara Reading, Library Development Director

In September, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) gave approval to the new five-year LSTA plan developed by the Missouri State Library. This plan examines the needs of Missourians for library services and outlines how funds from the Library Services and Technology Act will be used to meet those needs. The plan was developed with the input of librarians, citizens, and library trustees attending Town Hall meetings in spring 2007. In May, a group of 35 library staff and other representatives helped to hone these suggestions into eight main issues. State Library staff developed the descriptions of programs and target evaluation measures that will be used in the implementation of the plan.

The new plan retains many issues of the previous plan, but also outlines some new program areas for future development. These include increased access to electronic content, statewide delivery service for interlibrary loan, reference services and homework support as well as expansion of library service to unserved parts of the state.

The complete report may be accessed at http://www.sos.mo.gov/library/development/grants/ApprovedMoLSTAPLAN092107.pdf

 

E-rate Dollars at Work in Missouri

By Debbie Musselman, LSTA Grants Officer

Congratulations to the 47 public libraries in Missouri that submitted individual applications to participate in the E-rate program for 2007. The $904,289 in E-Rate dollars provided to Missouri public libraries represents discounts or reimbursements to libraries for eligible services identified by the Federal Communications Commission, such as:

• Telecommunications Services, including telephone
• Internet Access
• Internal Connections
• Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections

MOREnet’s application for E-rate reimbursements covers Internet access, state network connectivity and data connections services provided to its members. If you have questions about E-rate, please contact Rebecca Miller, National E-rate Program Manager at MOREnet at 573-884-2146 or by e-mail at millerrj@more.net.

 

Gates Staying Connected Project Successfully Completed

By Debbie Musselman, LSTA Grants Officer

The Gates Staying Connected Project in Missouri ended November 17, 2007 after being awarded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2004. The $429,433 award was used for hardware replacement, training, and technical support for public libraries. Through E-rate and LSTA funds, the Missouri State Library was able to add an additional $483,839.83 to the various projects along with $70,422.00 in local matches. The resulting total of $983,694.83 was spent on improving public library services in Missouri through grant-related activities.

During the three-year course of the grant period 656 computers were upgraded or replaced, 40 training sessions were held attended by 481 participants, 45 network assessments and 56 remote vulnerability audits were completed, and 182 hours of technical support given with activities touching 230 library buildings and countless patrons.

Are Missouri public libraries better able to serve their patrons as a result of all of the hardware additions, training and technical support? Absolutely! Improved computer networks and more knowledgeable library staff have elevated public libraries to a stronger position than ever in bridging the digital divide and serving as the information hub of their communities.

Stay tuned for details on the next Gates’ initiative, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Grant, as Missouri has its turn to help Missouri’s portion of the 40 percent of public libraries in the United States still struggling to provide reliable technology services for people who have no other access to computers and the Internet.

 

Web-based Customer Service Tutorial Developed by Department of Mental Health Now Available

By Nancy Nicholaus and Tonya Hays-Martin, Department of Mental Health

The need of library staff for help in learning good ways to work with persons with mental health issues or physical disabilities became apparent to staff of the Department of Mental Health (DMH) during their work with the Missouri State Library on various LSTA projects. In response, DMH developed four training videos for public librarians, available at www.librarian411.org. The videos were a collaborative effort between the Secretary of State, Department of Mental Health and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health.

The Missouri State Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) 2003 – 2008 Five-Year Plan supported program funding that increased excellence in library services through partnerships and new technologies. The Department of Mental Health saw this as an opportunity to expand collaboration between the two agencies and further improve outreach and services to persons with disabilities.

Department staff had long been gathering information from local librarians regarding this issue: they spoke with librarians at local trainings, at the Missouri Library Association Conferences and during other personal interactions. In 2006 DMH decided to conduct a formal needs assessment by sponsoring focus groups of public librarians throughout the state. These interactions reinforced the common purposes librarians and the Department have, such as:

• Ensuring that patrons with disabilities understand, access and utilize library services in a manner typical of other community members
• Providing librarians the information they need to meet the unique needs of these patrons
• Helping persons with disabilities understand what services are available at the library and how to access them.

The videos were launched at the October 2007 MLA Conference and are now available online at www.librarian411.org. Videos may be viewed either online or librarians may request a DVD through the Web site. Training modules address the following topics:

• Assistive Technology
• Disability Etiquette Library
• Every Fifth Customer [individuals with mental illness]
• When Bad Thins Happen to Good Librarians [dealing with difficult patrons]
The Department looks forward to expanding the training to include other appropriate modules in the near future.

 

Missouri Joins Thousands at National Book Festival

By Marge Kudrna, Youth Services Consultant

The Library of Congress estimates more than more than 120,000 book lovers gathered on September 30, 2006 in Washington, D.C. at the National Mall for the seventh annual National Book Festival. The event was organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by Mrs. Laura Bush. Some of the nation’s favorite authors read and discussed their works, including Joyce Carol Oates, Jodi Picoult, Harry Turtledove, Ken Burns, M.T. Anderson, Rosemary Wells, J.A. Jance, Lisa Scottoline, David Baldacci, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Cat Cora, Jack Prelutsky, Judith Martin (Miss Manners), and Mercer Mayer. More than 70 American authors, illustrators and poets spoke throughout the day in the genre pavilions on the National Mall. Authors signed books for thousands of fans willing to spend hours waiting in line.

Missouri representatives joined other state library organizations in the “Pavilion of the States” where children could visit state and territory booths to collect stickers or stamps for a map listing books from all 50 states. Missouri chose Hands of the Maya by Rachel Crandell of Town and Country, MO. Missouri’s booth featured a book display, bookmarks, and brochures all promoting Missouri’s literacy efforts and literary heritage.

Missouri Center for the Book board president and Missouri author Mark Tiedemann, board member and author Barri Bumgarner and Marge Kudrna, State Library Adult Services Consultant represented Missouri at the festival. Cybercasts of author readings and other events from the festival are available at www.loc.gov/bookfest/.

 

MLNC Certified to Provide Practitioner Certificates

By Deb Ehrstein, Manager, Member Services (MLNC)

Missouri Library Network Corporation (MLNC) is excited to announce that it has been selected as a certified education provider for the Western Council of State Libraries' Library Practitioner Certificate.

The Western Council of State Libraries received an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant in 2003 to improve library services. One of the grant’s activities was to define the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities of public library practitioners and build a certification program on these competencies. In order to be certified by Western Council, library directors or managers without an MLS must complete 162 contact hours in different competency areas and have library experience. Although this program doesn't take the place of an MLS degree, certification does have its benefits. By obtaining certification library staff demonstrate competencies, support their own advancement in the library profession, provide an objective validation of their achievements and prove qualifications to potential employers. Some state libraries recognize the Western Council Certification in lieu of their own certification.

The program also approves education providers, such as MLNC, who must meet standards set by Western Council. This approval process assures library staff seeking certification that they will obtain a high-quality educational experience from the providers approved by the program. As part of the application process, MLNC certified that:

• All of our instructors met the Council’s provider requirements
• The content and instructional methods we use are appropriate for the intended learning outcomes of our courses
• Attendees at MLNC classes are offered opportunities to participate, receive feedback, and evaluate the course.

MLNC is honored to be certified by Western Council and recognized as a high-quality education provider. For more information about Western Council's certification program, visit http://certificate.westernco.org/index.html

 

Prestigious Award for Missouri Depository Library

by Nancee Dahms-Stinson, youth services consultant

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) formally recognized the Middendorf-Kredell Branch of the Saint Charles City-County Library District as the 2007 Federal Depository Library of the Year this past October. Public Printer Robert C. Tapella at the annual Fall Federal Depository Conference in Washington, D.C. acknowledged the leadership that guided the O’Fallon depository branch library to be one of the first to move to an online environment and provide the public with Government information electronically.

The Library District’s Web site at www.youranswerplace.org provides a range of electronic products, services for kids, adults, citizens and consumers of all ages as well as to the business community: the Web site can also search the Library’s online catalog for electronic records and then link to the government publications. To quote Saint Charles City-County Library Director, Carl R. Sandstedt, “We’re certainly not the largest depository, so I like to think our recognition is tied to our strength of getting library services out to the broader community. We’ve tried for years to ‘knock’ the walls out of our buildings and push services throughout the area. We are simply much more proactive in the delivery of services than most public libraries.” This recognition by the GPO as the Library of the Year certainly indicates the District is successful in reaching its mission.

Article information provided by Maggie Preiss and Jan Bardon, Saint Charles City-County Library

 

Spanish Language Outreach Institute Trains the Trainers

By Ann Roberts, Adult Services Consultant

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is currently assisting public libraries with learning how to reach out to Spanish speakers in their communities. In September 2007, representatives from Missouri and 16 other states were part of the third wave to participate in the Spanish Language Outreach Institute in Seattle, Washington. Ann Roberts, State Library Adult Services Consultant plus three Professional Development Specialists from North Central Missouri College, participated in this intensive training to help libraries learn effective ways to reach out and serve ethnic and culturally diverse communities.

Yolanda J. Cuesta, a Mexican-American professional consultant who previously served as Chief of Library Development Services and Ethnic Services Consultant for the California State Library, was hired by WebJunction to be the creator of the curriculum and lead trainer for the national Spanish Language Outreach program. During the multi-day course of training, Ms. Cuesta not only guided the participants in developing specific skills for reaching out to Spanish speakers, but also exposed them to more general cultural sensitivity concepts when the trainers-in-training took the floor to present portions of the curriculum.

Ann and the North Central Missouri College development team returned to Missouri to customize the curriculum and prepare for the first Library Outreach to Spanish Speakers workshop presentation on November 7. During November, five workshops were presented in the west/northwest and east/southeast portions of the state.

These one-day workshops offered cultural sensitivity training on Hispanic cultures as well as provided specific suggestions for reaching out to the Spanish speaking community through local community leaders. Workshop materials include an Action Plan Guide, a listing of outreach activities, bookmarks and posters in Spanish supplied by the State Library and information on LSTA grant opportunity to aid participants in taking the first steps in reaching out to the Spanish speakers in their service area. Comments from the initial workshop evaluations have been very positive. Sample responses regarding the beneficial aspects of the workshops touched on:

• The speakers experience and sharing of them; community leaders who shared their roles and responsibilities
• Planning methods for reaching out and ideas for outreach activities
• Help in thinking about what services could be provided through the LSTA grant program
• Online resources that would be helpful in library Spanish speaking programs
• Presentation content that was practical and honest

Seven additional workshops are scheduled for April 2008 in the north/central and southwestern parts of the state as well as Saint Louis City. Registration for these workshops will open in March. If you were unable to attend a Library Outreach to Spanish Speakers workshop in November, you can still take advantage of this excellent opportunity at workshops offered during April in, Columbia, Joplin, Lebanon, Saint Louis City, Sedalia, Springfield or Trenton. Workshop dates will run in the State Library’s weekly electronic newsletter, Show Me Express: online registration will be available on the MOSL website in early March.

 

Summer Reading Wrap-up: Reaching New Audiences

By Marge Kudrna, Youth Services Consultant

Summer reading programs serve as one of the most popular and effective ways for libraries to promote their services, reach youth and their families and initiate community partnerships. Such programs are also the best opportunity for libraries to reach beyond their walls to connect with youth and families that don’t normally participate in the summer program, use the library or read during the summer months.

Nearly $150,000 in LSTA Summer Library Program grant funds were awarded to 15 public and three school libraries for their projects. All of the libraries developed quality programs in cooperation with other community entities, including schools, Boys and Girls Clubs and parks, to reach children who would otherwise not be able to get to the library during the summer.

Highlights from some of the LSTA 2007 Summer Library Program grants include:

• Kirkwood Public Library, whose goal was to better serve the working family population through outreach and in-house library evening and weekend programs and storytimes. By hiring an additional summer staff member for 30 hours a week, the library was able to offer additional in-house programs geared towards families who work during the day, reaching approximately 350 children. They also were able to schedule weekly visits with area daycares and preschools to presented storytimes thereby greatly increasing outreach programs and attendance. This summer they presented 128 outreach programs and saw a total of 2,250 children. The 44 programs presented at night or on the weekends had a total attendance of 1,023. The Library had a total of 1,550 children sign-up for summer reading with 34 schools and 86 homeschoolers.


• Morgan County R-I School Library’s outreach program made weekly visits over the two month period to Ivy Bend, Florence and Stover, to read, make crafts, do book activities and checkout books for the students to read during the week. Over and over, the families said that with the price of gasoline and having to travel 40 to 80 miles round trip their children could only participate with the program coming to them. The school library surpassed its goal of increasing participation over 2006 by 15%. To keep contacts they had made during the summer, the library continues to offer the three communities a monthly Family Reading Night at which turnouts have been outstanding.


• Rolla Public Library, through outreach activities to many children living in unserved areas, was able to extend the summer reading program to children outside of the library’s service area and to summer schools and daycares in the community. The Library took its Summer Reading Program to the Rolla Elementary Summer School, Newburg Elementary Summer School, the Phelps County R-3 Schools and local daycares in addition to providing their in-house library program. Library staff and two elementary librarians worked as a team to develop the “I Spy” program for this year’s projects. With the help of library staff and 61 volunteers the summer program reached 810 participants.

These are just examples of innovative and effective ways public and school libraries worked to make sure children and teens have access to books and the encouragement to read during the summer. A number of public and school libraries have applied for a 2008 Summer Library Program grant with projects based on collaborative arrangements with community partners to effectively reach previously unserved audiences.

 

Kirkwood Public Library is a Winner!

by Diana Very, library consultant/LSTA grant coordinator

Kirkwood voters approved a 12 cent levy increase on November 7, 2007 to renovate their 67 year old library building and restore service reductions, which were cut due to a budget crunch in 2005. The library will use eight cents of the tax increase to finance leasehold revenue bonds totaling $6.5 million for renovations that will include a replacement heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, upgraded lighting, replacement doors, windows and plumbing and painting the building exterior. Renovations are anticipated to begin late next year. This portion of the levy increase will expire in 25 years when the loan will be retired. The remaining four cents will generate approximately $280,000 of which $50,000 will be applied annually to the materials budget and the remainder will go toward reinstating Monday evening and Sunday afternoon service hours early next year. Board of Trustees chairwoman Liz Walker stated the increased tax levy will allow the library to “continue to be a vital part of the community.” The Kirkwood Library was the first tax-supported library in Saint Louis County.

In addition to passing Proposition L, the Kirkwood Landmarks Commission, in unanimous recognition of the Library’s unique architecture, historical significance and small town setting, bestowed historical landmark status on the institution.  The Library was among the four local properties to be so designated in five years.  And the Missouri Library Association (MLA) at the 2007 annual conference made it’s first ever award of “Library of the Year” to Kirkwood.  Criteria for award to an MLA institutional member include overall excellence of library service, operation and leadership.

 

Fulbright to University of Missouri-Columbia Faculty

by Diana Very, library consultant/LSTA grant coordinator

Denice Adkins, Associate Professor at the School of Information Science and Learning Technologies (SISLT), University of Missouri-Columbia, has been awarded a Fulbright grant to Honduras. She will develop coursework and teach for a brand new library science master's program at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán. The program is the first of its kind in Honduras.  Denice will be in Honduras for eight months, from February to October 2008.  "I'm very excited about the opportunity to live abroad and study library services in Central America," said Denice.

 

Two Missouri Librarians Selected as Emerging Leaders

Amy Crump, Marshall Public Library Director, and Wayne Sanders, Monograph Cataloger at University of Missouri Ellis Library, have been selected as 2008 participants in the American Library Association’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP).  A total of 124 librarians were chosen to participate in problem-solving workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity on an ALA division, chapter or round table committee, task force or work group upon completion of the program.

Selection of the program participants was based on geography, gender, ethnicity and type of library to ensure a wide variety of experience at the conferences and in the online environment.  Participants had to be under 35 years of age or in a librarian position for fewer than five years.  Congratulations to Amy and Wayne!

 

Annual Brick and Click Symposium Held in Maryville

The seventh Brick and Click Symposium was held on Friday, November 2, 2007 at J.W. Jones Student Union, Northwest Missouri State University. This one-day forum for academic librarians provided an opportunity for approximately 150 participants representing 76 institutions from 22 states to share relevant, practical information regarding traditional and online resources and services. The 2007 program sessions were peer-reviewed; abstracts and papers are published in the symposium proceedings available at www.nwmissouri.edu/library/brickandclick/.

2007 Symposium presentations by Missouri librarians included:

• “Often Overlooked: Database Users with Disabilities” by Chris Le Beau and Rebecca Power, University of Missouri—Columbia, and UMKC
• “Keeping on Track” by Lori Mardis, Lisa Jennings, Kathy Ferguson, and Sara Duff, all of Northwest Missouri State University
• “Digg This: Tagging and Social Collaboration on the Web” by Keri Cascio, MLNC
• “Looking at the Whole Pie and One Piece at a Time: Measuring Our Instructional Delivery” by Connie Ury, Northwest Missouri State University

Poster sessions included:

• “Blackboard to the Rescue” by Marian Davis and Robert Hallis, University of Central Missouri


• “A Journey of Incorporating Portable Media Players into Library Services” by Larisa Hart and Amy Presley, Ozarks Technical Community College


• “Creating In-House Digital Photo Databases on a Budget” by Raleigh Muns, University of Missouri—Saint Louis

Next year’s symposium will be held at Northwest Missouri State University, November 7, 2008. Whether you choose to present or attend, join in this exchange of ideas to expand your knowledge base.

Article information provided by Robert W. Frizzell, Director of Libraries, Northwest Missouri State University

 

LSTA Long Term Grant Projects Awarded in September

Twenty-six grant applications, requesting $654,365, were received resulting in a total of $242,649 for 20 grants in the categories listed below.  These grants started October 1, 2007 and end the summer of 2008.  Funding for this round of grants comes from the current FY07 LSTA appropriation and is administered under the five year plan expiring September 30 with the Institute of Museum and Library Service (IMLS) approval.

After School Connections - $8,530
Springfield-Greene County Library

Cooperation - $109,534
Bollinger County Library Main Library - $22,075
Cape Girardeau Public Library - $5,495
Mountain View Public Library - $10,615
Sullivan Primary School Library - $3,076
Saint Joseph Public Library - $29,431
Saint Louis Public Library - $38,842

Discoveries for Seniors - $1,613
Kirkwood Public Library 

Retrospective Conversion - $35,361
Saint Louis Mercantile Library at University of Missouri- St. Louis

Technology Ladder - $66,616
Barton County Library - $10,078
Cape Girardeau Public Library - $6,564
Cedar County Library - $ 884
Hamilton Public Library - $8,217
Jefferson County Library – $7,320
Little Dixie Regional Libraries - $8,259
Nevada Public Library - $5,043
Saint Clair County Library - $6,382
Webster Groves Public Library - $ 13,869
 
Website Makeover - $950
Camden County Library

Videoconferencing - $20,045
Kirkwood Public Library

 

Your “Friendly” State Library

The State Library would like to thank everyone who stopped by for a visit, enjoyed our chocolate fountain S’mores, viewed our creatively captioned scouting photographs from days long gone to learn more about our programs and most of all, voted us to our first Missouri Library Association Conference Friendly Booth Award.  Be sure to check us out next year!

 

Missouri Library News

State Library Staff

Linda Harris, Reference Services Director for the past eight years, has accepted the References Services Manager position at the New Mexico State Library.  Linda was a library development consultant during the year prior to assuming the reference director post.

Lindsay McCarroll, former Statistical Research Analyst, is now with the Legislative Budget Office at the Capitol.  As a budget analyst she will research and analyze current policy issues and develop recommendations for the Legislature.

Haiying Qian is the State Library’s new Metadata Cataloger and will be working with the Missouri Digital Heritage Initiative.  She will collaborate with librarians, archival staff, and colleagues in other institutions to evaluate and apply appropriate metadata schemas for digital collections held by the Secretary of States office and participating institutions.  She will also provide leadership in the development of standards, policies and procedures for digital resources.

She comes to the State Library from Indiana where she was the Catalog Librarian at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College for the past five years.  She has experience in cataloging, acquisitions, digital libraries, interlibrary loan, and circulation.  Qian holds an MLS from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Brandy Sanchez is the State Library's new Continuing Education Consultant.  She is responsible for administering the Show Me Steps Grant program, the State Library Scholarship program, and the bi-annual Institute held for library paraprofessionals.  Her background includes work in youth services and outreach to Spanish-speakers. Brandy received her master's degree in library science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned her bachelor's degree from Stephens College in Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising.  Brandy was a 2005 ALA Spectrum Scholar and recently served on the 2007 ALSC Carnegie Award Committee for Excellence in Children’s Video Production.  Prior to joining the State Library she worked as a children's associate for Daniel Boone Regional Library for nearly five years.

Patricia Walker joined the State Library staff as Digital Collections Coordinator.  She will manage the CONTENT dm database, a key part of the Missouri Digital Heritage Initiative project.

Trisha, a Certified Archivist, formerly was a Manuscript Specialist with the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia (WHMC-C), University of Missouri where her responsibilities included processing the personal papers of individuals and families, working rotations on the reference desk and maintaining databases as well as Web sites.  She received a masters degree in library science from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and bachelor degrees in History and in Interdisciplinary Studies (Latin America, English Literature, and Art History) from Virginia Tech.

Staff Changes

Colleen Hiatt has retired after more than 19 years of service to the city of Bethany Public Library.

Susan Lightfoot replaces Angie Germann as director of the Carrollton Public Library.

Chaffee Public Library recently hired Jennifer Nolen, who has accepted director responsibilities, and Tina Horton, who will assist with library management.

Joyce Hollums, the assistant library director at the McDonald County Library, retired in October after 30 years of service under four directors.  

Steve Campbell has been named the new director of the North Kansas City Public Library.  He was the former branch manager of Mid-Continent Public Library’s South Independence facility for the past seven years.
         
Leatha Walsh is the new director at the Putnam County Library.

Sara Nielsen, former director of the Washington Public Library, will be the manager of community branches and adult programming at Saint Charles City-County Library District.

George Durnell, assistant director at Saint Louis County Library, retired October 31after 36 years of service with the system.  George started working for the Library in audiovisual in 1971 and by 1973 began his advance through middle to upper management positions.  At the time of his retirement, he was in charge of Headquarters’ Services.

Shirley DeSha has replaced Susan O’Connor as director of the Sullivan County Public Library.

Carol Bunton will serve as interim director at the Washington Public Library during their search process.

Announcements

Cass County Public Library held a ribbon cutting in early October to celebrate moving the Pleasant Hill Branch to a new facility next door to its previous location.

Desloge Public Library held an open house in November to showcase an expansion and renovation of the facility.  Improvements included a new heating and cooling system, wiring and lighting fixtures, flooring, kitchenette and furniture.  In addition to this expenditure of local funds, the Library was also able to incorporate a teen space using grant funds. LSTA grant funds were applied to this teen spaces project.

Ozark Regional Library held an open house for its new Annapolis branch on September 30.  A dedication ceremony was held to honor Faye Wiegenstein, who with her husband helped start the community library and served the as its librarian for 22 years.

Trails Regional Library and Leeton R-X School District celebrated the opening of the new school annex housing new classrooms and a media center as well as a new branch of Trails Regional.  This school and local library partnership agreement is the most recent of a limited number of such collaborations in the state.

Saint Louis County Library corporate partner Boeing Company has sponsored the purchase of a new bookmobile for the library district that began service to schools throughout the county this fall.  The bookmobile is the fourth corporate sponsored vehicle and the fifth new vehicle in district’s fleet.
 
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) held a ceremonial groundbreaking on October 31 for an expansion to the Miller Nichols Library, a comprehensive public research facility for the Kansas City metropolitan area.  The expanded and renovated Library and Interactive Learning Center will result in a facility of approximately 170,000 renovated and 65,000 new square feet.

Anniversaries

Cass County Library celebrated its 60th birthday in September with a musical talent show: 12 finalists competed for a $1,000 grand prize.

The Vandalia branch of the Mexico-Audrain County Library celebrated the 50th anniversary of the library building in October.  The celebration included music, refreshments and a brief program based on the ‘50’s theme.  The Vandalia library was founded in 1911.

Show Me Libraries
Winter 2008
Volume 2, Nunber 2

Show Me Libraries is published quarterly by the Library Development Division of the Missouri State Library, PO Box 387, Jefferson City, MO 65102; telephone 800-325-0131 in Missouri or 573-751-2680; fax 573-751-3612.

Contents of Show Me Libraries may be reprinted with reference given to the publication and its date of issue. The Missouri State Library is a division of the Secretary of State's Office.