Roselle PLD Closed November 6th for Staff Development Day

The Roselle Public Library District will be closed on Friday, November 6, 2009 for a staff development day. The library will re-open on Saturday, November 7th at 9:30 a.m.

November 22 to 28 is National Game and Puzzle Week

Did you know that November 22 to 28 is National Game and Puzzle week? Even better, did you know the Kids! @ your library® Campaign tool kit has free, printer-friendly games and puzzles with library themes for you to share with young patrons at the library and during school visits?

Challenge kids with crosswords, mazes, hidden picture puzzles, word searches, "mad libs" and more. All are free to download and print from the Kids! Campaign website. Or, go to the ALA website and click on the “Tool Kit” link.

Jeff Dunham's Career Began with a Public Library Book

The following excerpt is from the New York Times Magazine article about ventriloquist Jeff Dunham:

"Dunham grew up in an affluent neighborhood of Dallas, the adopted son and only child of a real estate appraiser and a homemaker. When he was 8, his parents gave him for Christmas a Mortimer Snerd dummy, the bumpkin character used by the legendary ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. The next day, Dunham’s dad took him to the Dallas Public Library’s bookmobile to check out a how-to book, and Dunham started practicing long hours in front of a mirror, transcribing Bergen’s routines to study them."

Access the full article: Comedy for Dummies.

Programs Announced for Inside Writing & Publishing

Eleven libraries are teaming up to offer programs with speakers on writing and publishing for the 2010 Inside Writing and Publishing (DuPage branch) series.

2010 marks the group's third anniversary. This year, participating libraries include Addison Public Library, Bartlet Public Library District, Bloomingdale Public Library, Glen Ellyn Public Library, Glenside Public Library District, Helen M. Plum Memorial Library (Lombard), Hinsdale Public Library, Oak Brook Public Library, Villa Park Public Library, Warrenville Public Library District, and Wheaton Public Library.

The programs, held at the participating libraries, will feature local authors and publishers. The entire series is promoted at each session. This year's lineup includes programs on travel writing, tips for writing novels, writing for children, writing memoirs, and so much more.

Libraries are encouraged to download and print this brochure and share it with patrons.

A Day in the Life: Roselle Public Library District

Roselle Public Library District was one of the participating libraries in the DLS Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Your Public Library project. Public libraries were asked to relate statistics to DLS about the day's numbers and activities. Not only did the library compile the requested statistics, but library staff documented the day with photos and posted them to their Flickr photostream and Ning page. 

Staff at the library documented how the library serves all age groups, and included some behind the scenes photos. The library sent a message to its Ning users that explained the project and provided a link to the photos: 

"Did you drop by the Library last Wednesday? We were documenting 'A Day in the Life of Roselle Public Library' to demonstrate the value of libraries to their communities. We received many, many wonderful and helpful comments from visitors and we snapped photos all day. The photos have been uploaded to the Network. Enjoy!"

The Day in the Life project was featured at Monday's DLS Legislative Breakfast.

Acclaimed Author to Speak in Lombard

On Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 2:00 p.m., the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library is hosting author Mary Doria Russell, the critically acclaimed author of The Sparrow, Children of God, A Thread of Grace, and Dreamers of the Day. The program will feature a lecture and book signing.

Mary Doria Russell has been called one of the most versatile writers in contemporary American literature. Her acclaimed novels are studied in literature, theology, and history courses in colleges and universities across the United States. Her novels have won nine national and international literary awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the James Tiptree Award, and the American Library Association Readers' Choice Award. The Sparrow was selected as one of Entertainment Weekly’s ten best books of the year and A Thread of Grace was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. The Sparrow and Children of God have been optioned for Hollywood movies starring Antonio Banderas and Brad Pitt. 

The author grew up in Lombard; attended Sacred Heart Catholic elementary school and Glenbard East High School. She worked as a shelver at the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library as a teenager. Russell went on to study anthropology and paleoanthropology before teaching gross anatomy at Case Western University. She
began writing fiction after leaving academia. During her visit to the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library, Russell will talk about her memories growing up in Lombard and discuss elements of her writing that come from her experiences here. 

This program is open to the public, however reservations are required. Call the library at 630/627-0316 to register.

Submitted by Helen M. Plum Memorial Library.

ACT NOW! Contact Your Legislator Today!

State budget cuts have put Illinois libraries in jeopardy just at a time when usage is soaring. Don't Delay! The time to act is NOW, before things get worse!

If you have already contacted your legislator, THANK YOU! But your job isn't over! Please contact him or her again via another method--fax a letter, phone with your message, or visit your legislator! We want each legislator to receive 250 contacts so spread the message!

Go to SaveIllinoisLibraries.com, the Illinois library community's response to the grant funding cuts. Let legislators know that their constituents are passionate about keeping their libraries open and funded. At SaveIllinoisLibraries.com you'll see:

• Links to send email messages to your legislators via CapWiz
• Details of the pledge we're asking our legislators to make to Illinois libraries
• Tips on ways to take action on this issue
• A website badge you can put on your library's homepage to show your support
• Stories about library usage, libraries' needs, and the effect of the cuts -- and a place for you to tell your story, too
• A listing of Illinois legislators noting the "good guys" who have signed the pledge. We only have ONE to date!
• A link to a Facebook site that has 900+ fans! Become a fan and increase the fan base by posting info on your personal and library Facebook accounts.

Visit http://www.saveillinoislibraries.com today! Time is of the essence: the Illinois General Assembly will convene this week on Wednesday, October 14, for the Veto Session. The legislators are focused on the budget and they need to hear from the library community.

Send your message today and be prepared with six (6) other email addresses when you do so. You will be prompted to add in these addresses. We need many advocates to make this campaign effective.

For more information about the campaign to Save Illinois Libraries, here's a blog post.

Update Your Library's Record on IllinoisParents.org Site

A message from the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois

Dear Colleague,

I am contacting you from the Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative (ECAP) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. We are currently updating our library records in the IllinoisParents.org database. IllinoisParents is a joint effort of the Academic Development Institute, Inc. The database is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education, and there is no charge for being listed in IlllinoisParents.org.

We would appreciate your help in updating the information about your library.

Please check your library’s record by going to http://illinoisparents.crc.uiuc.edu/, choosing Resources by County on the orange bar at the top of the page, clicking on your county, and then selecting your library. If there is information that needs to be changed or added to your record, please go back to the home page and click on the add or update link, select libraries, and add or update the information. We are particularly interested in any additional parenting resources or activities you are currently providing.

If you know of additional libraries in your area that provide information and/or services for parents that are not listed in your county, we would appreciate receiving their names and contact information. Thank you for your time. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Karen Smith, IllinoisParents Database Coordinator

Save Illinois Libraries!

In response to the recent cuts to system funding and library grants, the library community is launching a campaign to secure the future of Illinois libraries. The kickoff for this statewide advocacy campaign, Save Illinois Libraries, will take place during the Illinois Library Association conference on Thursday, October 8, with all activities completed by October 23. Secretary of State/State Librarian Jesse White will be on hand to provide remarks and show his support for this event. Entrance to the exhibits is free, providing an excellent opportunity to show your support for Illinois libraries as we work towards regaining our funding.

Here's what you need to do...

A Lesson in Civil Discourse?

As the Director of Educational Services (Pamela Kramer) at the DuPage Library System, as a resident of the area, and most of all as a CITIZEN, I can not ignore the article published today in the Daily Herald by Burt Constable about the Oak Brook Public Library.

The Oak Brook Public Library is in DLS and we have been watching this situation unfold over the last couple of months. The consultant's report made some good suggestions on how the library could save money. The intent of the report was not that every recommendation be implemented at once, nor did the report recommend that the director be let go.  What we have in Oak Brook is a very politicized situation.  I believe, however, that it was never the city's intent to get rid of the library, rather it is one angry individual who has made it his mission to destroy the library.  I won't delve into the long history of the depth of his dislike for the library there. 

However, what absolutely crosses the line for me is the lack of respect shown for a child who was trying to participate in a civil discourse. Is this a way to teach about democracy? It was a teachable moment for that child -- but probably not the lesson that should have been taught.  How much courage did that child have to speak out?  How much courage will that child have the next time?

To maintain a democracy and to grow our institutions, it is important that we all model civil behavior.  If we, as adults, can't do it -- we can't expect our children to do it.