Wii Bowling Challenge Results

The Wii Bowling for Seniors Challenge results are in! The Marlboro Free Library Grasshoppers crushed their competition with a whopping combined score of 777, earning them the right to bring home the gold. The NorthEast-Millerton Madams secured the silver by coming in second place with a score of 647. Howland Public Library’s Howland Generals came in third place scoring 638, “enduring” the bronze.

Each four-member team recorded their best combined score of their scheduled meeting day.
(It must be noted that Patty of the Marlboro Free Library Grasshoppers performed the incredible feat of getting seven strikes in a row!) There is already buzz about the next time…


MHLS Announcements
The 2008 MHLS Battle of the Books Regional Competition will take place on Saturday, September 13 from 1:00 – 4:00pm at the Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls. This will be the fourth year of the Battle (or BOB as it is affectionately called at MHLS), which puts teams from the following libraries in competition with each other: Beacon, Clinton, Cold Spring, Coxsackie, Hyde Park, Kinderhook, Millbrook, Plattekill, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Staatsburg, Stone Ridge, Town of Esopus, Valatie and Wappingers Falls. Librarians worked in the spring to write over 700 difficult trivia questions based on the 10 titles chosen for the young people to read. Those titles chosen are: All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall, The Boggart by Susan Cooper, Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac, Downsiders by Neal Shusterman, Hero by S. L. Rottman, The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick, A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach, Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar and The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Throughout the summer, each library recruited 6th-9th graders to read the books and take part in activities designed to be both fun and to help them master all the details of each story. Teams will be competing for a great book-shaped crystal trophy as well as a banner identifying their library as this year's winner. These young people are exposed to great teen literature, develop good teamwork skills, display sportsmanship and generally enjoy a positive experience based on reading. Any library thinking about taking part in the 2009 Battle of the Books project is welcome to attend the 9/13 competition to see some really bright kids have great fun Battling over teen lit.

* You can now buy BOB T-shirts, hats, magnets and stickers @ https://www.cafepress.com/MHLSBOB.
All proceeds go to the BOB fund.

 

MHLS Libraries
The Hudson Area Association Library has been listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places.

Resource Sharing & Millennium
Millennium for New Directors & Administrators, Friday, September 19th, from 10:00am-12:00pm in the MHLS Auditorium. Presented by Laurie Shedrick, MHLS Automated Systems Manager.
Issues to be discussed include:
· Web Management Reports
· Millennium Statistics
· Customizing access and settings for the Millennium Client
· Where to turn for more information
Register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org



Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
Engaging Support - more from the OCLC report “From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America”: Focus groups were conducted to help researchers figure out how to increase the commitment to the library in the community. The top theme to emerge was the concept of equal access for all. Also prized is the concept of shared community values (assets, respect, self-reliance) and the library as a sacred place (quiet, order, freedom, safety, social bonding). The final theme – they see the library as a reflection of the community’s stature, so a thriving library reflects a healthy community.
[Source: Library Hotline, 7.21.08]


Programming
Picturing America, part two: The National Endowment for the Humanities is now accepting applications for the second round of Picturing America program grants. Online applications will be accepted through October 31: http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/ Picturing America is a free educational resource that helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of our nation’s greatest works of art directly to classrooms and libraries.

Reference & Collection Development
Digital TV Transition [http://www.ala.org/dtv]: This web site includes information on the transition, who needs to do something, the government's coupon program for discount coupons for the potentially needed converter box and help for public programs, including how to get Radio Shack to bring converter boxes to your library to demonstrate how they work and how to hook them up.

New website will promote Banned Books Week
ALA and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression are launching a website that will help bookstores and libraries promote Banned Books Week, to be held this year from September 27 through October 4. A key feature will be a list that visitors can use to find participating bookstores and libraries in their communities. Libraries that would like to be listed can submit details of their Banned Books Week celebrations at http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/

Youth Services
Columbia/Greene/Ulster Youth Services meeting will be held Monday, October 6th from 10:00am – 12:00pm at the Palenville Branch of the Catskill Library. Columbia/Greene/ Ulster County library staff who work with young people (birth-teens) should plan to attend this meeting. We will be talking about how to manage and harness teens in libraries to minimize problems and still provide great service to this population. In addition, we will share summer reading program experiences, get an update on what's new at MHLS and discuss any other issues attendees bring to the meeting. This is also an opportunity to network with your colleagues in neighboring libraries so you know who to turn to for support and possible partnerships on projects and grants. Register online at http://calendar.midhudson.org/

Youth Services Department Open House: Do you have new youth services staff or think your seasoned staff could use a refresher on all the resources available at MHLS? Urge them to register for the Youth Services Open House on September 11th at MHLS from 10:00am – 12:00pm. We will cover:
· Touring the Youth Services website
· Discussing youth services consultations available to libraries
· Browsing through the Youth Services collection (book kits, puppets, flannelboard materials, story aprons, die cuts, musical instruments, adaptive equipment, Big Books, Kamishibai stories, professional collection materials, and more)
· Meeting youth services staff and asking questions about services, resources and any other relevant issues
Register for this event at http://calendar.midhudson.org/.

PAGE 3: "Around the System for August 2008"

PAGE 4: September 2008 Calendar: http://calendar.midhudson.org/

Member Libraries are welcome to submit items of interest and job openings to the MHLS Bulletin: bulletin@midhudson.org. The MHLS Bulletin is available on line at http://midhudson.org/bulletins/main.htm.