Book Club in a Bag #100!

Somethings in life are just meant to be…
The MHLS Book Club in a Bag program hit a milestone recently when the 100th kit was created: An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke donated by the NorthEast-Millerton Library. Why is this significant? Because NorthEast-Millerton's director, Midge Quick, came up with the idea for the Book Club in a Bag!

Launched in April 2006 through the MHLS Marketing & Program Advisory Program, the idea behind Book Club in a Bag (BCB) was to target "book people" in our communities that were not using the library to run their personal book clubs. The program had the added benefit of helping staff who run book discussions in the library to have a "program-to-go" since BCB kits consist of a tote bag containing at least 10 copies of a single title, discussion questions for the title, and discussion leader tips - everything you would need to run a group.

The Marketing & Program Committee had a modest goal for the first year of the program - 10 kits. Now, less than three years later, member libraries have blown away the initial goal, donating over 100 kits to date.

Libraries donate the kits to the collective, housed at MHLS headquarters. By working together, MHLS Libraries have created a great collection that people all through the region are using to create a quality experience for themselves and others, getting together to talk about a good book (or sometimes just an excuse to get together and gossip!)

Current members of the Marketing & Program Committee report that the most effective way to promote the program to patrons is staff awareness and word-of-mouth "sales" at the front desk.

Patrons can view the available kits in the online catalog or through the link on local library web sites, but must request kits through local library staff. There is an online booking form to place an order for the patron: http://midhudson.org/program/BCB/staff.htm. MHLS Public Services Team Assistant Kerstin Cruger keeps it all organized, helping patrons get what they need in time for their meeting and keeping the bags up-to-date for the next borrower.

The updated list of titles is enclosed with this week's Bulletin. Visit the BCB pages for more info:
For Patrons: http://midhudson.org/program/BCB/main.htm
For Staff: http://midhudson.org/program/BCB/staff.htm

Newest BCB Titles:
o Go With Me, Castle Freeman Jr.
o Half-Past Nowhere, Joseph Cavano
o Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
o Consumption, Kevin Patterson
o The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
o The Night Birds, Thomas Maltman
o The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett
o The Saffron Kitchen, Yasmin Crowther
o Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya
o The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz

Resource Sharing & Millennium
The form to report missing and damaged parts of an item has been updated to include "include tape and disk #'". It can be found in the Circulation section on the Resource Sharing area if midhudson.org or get there directly at: http://midhudson.org/resource/millennium/circulation/Instructions/missingform.pdf

Two new links have been added to the Millennium Administrator's Toolbox [http://midhudson.org/resource/millennium/tools/toolbox.htm].
· Find Bib level holds that can be filled by your collection only.
· Find Item level holds that can be filled by your collection only

Marketing, Advocacy & Funding
10 Reasons to Support Libraries:
Libraries. . .
1. Serve everyone.
2. Are places of opportunity.
3. Are great places for kids.
4. Bring you the world.
5. Help us lead better lives.
6. Build better communities.
7. Promote literacy.
8. Are essential to education.
9. Attract businesses.
10. Are a great value.
[From the "Small is Powerful Online Toolkit: Winning Support for Your Rural Library http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/supporttoolkit/toolkithome.cfm]

Reference & Collection Development
Unemployment & Job Hunting: These two critical issues are addressed in the Winter 2009 issue of the Central Library Bulletin. For this issue, reference librarians at the Central Reference Library of MHLS, Adriance Memorial Library uncover the best web and HOMEACCESS resources, and also offer their expertise in answering questions about registering for unemployment, searching for a new job, and even starting a new business. This issue also lists recent Central Library print acquisitions, and includes new titles added to the Foundation Center Cooperating Collection, for patrons seeking information about fund-raising and grant writing. Find the Winter 2009 issue, and previous issues, at http://midhudson.org then Reference and Collection Development page. Or get there directly at http://midhudson.org/collection/main.htm. A copy is enclosed with this week's Bulletin.
If you have a topic you'd like to see addressed in a future Bulletin, please contact Sue Hermans, Coordinator, Central Reference Library Services, Poughkeepsie Public Library District: 845.485.3445 x 3321 or shermans@poklib.org

Youth Services
Lead Testing Update: On February 6th the Consumer Product Safety Commission released an additional statement on the issue of lead content/testing in products designed for children up to age 12. It does mention that the stay of enforcement for testing of children's books is only for books printed after 1985. For more information see their press release: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09120.html

The State Library has produced an addendum to the 2009 Be Creative/Express Yourself Summer Reading Program (SRP) manual, now available on the MHLS Youth Services site at http://midhudson.org/department/youth/main.htm Look for the SRP links under "What's New." Looking for ways to incorporate the Quadricentennial celebration into your summer programs? Join us for the 2009 MHLS Summer Reading Program Workshops:
· Tuesday, March 25th from 9:00am - 1:00pm @MHLS
· Thursday, April 9th from 10:00am` - 1:00pm @Germantown Library

Trustee Resources
Two of the primary duties of a public library trustee are "to ensure adequate funding for your library" and "to advocate for the library in the community" - it's time to do both:
· Take the time to understand the cuts and the implications for your community - learn more through the MHLS Advocacy Toolkit http://midhudson.org/funding/advocacy/toolkit.htm.
· Help your fellow trustees to understand the cuts and what is at stake.
· Call your NYS Legislators and express your opinion about the cuts.
· Send postcards to your legislators (both your NYS Senator and Assemblyperson (available at all member libraries)
· Sign the Online Petition "Don't Cut New York's Libraries" [http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mhls/]
· Send a fax or email to your legislator through NYLA's Online Advocacy Center: http://www.nyla.org
· Come to Library Lobby Day: Tuesday March 10th in Albany. Legislators want to hear from people like you - volunteers with nothing to gain but a stronger library to serve the community. To register for the event, sign up for the bus and learn more about the "Lobby Day Experience" visit the Advocacy Toolkit.

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.