A heartfelt Happy Holidays goes out to the thousands of people who have contributed to the success of the library this and every year. Appreciation centers on the patrons who continue to check out materials in record numbers and who provide countless book donations to the Browser's Corner. A heartfelt thank you extends to the Carson Nugget and the Mae B. Adams Trust, whose unwavering philanthropy continues to enable the library to apply for and receive grants. The Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library put in countless hours in order to raise funds for existing and future projects and library improvements. Thank you to the tireless library staff, whose work ethic, enthusiasm and dedication have made it possible to maintain longer library hours than those in many other locales. So many positive changes have occurred in the library, and hundreds of events have spotlighted its value to the community. It's time for the best innovations and book choices of 2011. So many things have happened that it will probably take two columns.
The Best of 2011
A New Library Inches Closer to Reality, Thanks to the Board of Supervisors, Library Foundation and Carson Nugget/Mae B. Adams Trust.
During these tough economic times, grants and philanthropy are the lifeblood of library operations. The Carson Nugget and the Mae B. Adams Trust have been consistent in their community support. In 2011, assistance included underwriting the successful LSTA BranchAnywhere grant that will locate a checkout facility at the Boy's and Girl's Club; continuing education advocacy for the BRIC and its economic development initiatives; as well as underwriting education initiatives that included a site visit to the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Southern California.
After much discussion and community input, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to move the new library project forward. With a stunning design, grant applications and fundraising plans, the new library is on track toward reality.
Summer Reading Program and Library Cards
The Summer Reading Program logged its most successful participation numbers in years, with over 800 children and teens engaged, and 150 people who came to the end-of-the-program and ice-cream party at Mills Park, where children enjoyed face-painting, games and free books and T-shirts.
The staff has made sure each child in the school district has a library card, including the littlest students who attend story time and the incoming kindergartners and preschoolers. In addition, many older students have received demonstrations of the catalog, homework tutoring (BrainFuse) and online databases.
OverDrive, the online system that allows patrons to check-out eBooks and audiobooks, has expanded its collection and is currently offering more than 100 new selections. OverDrive services all types of e-readers, including Kindle, and is easily accessed through the library's website.
Teen Advisory Board
The teenagers worked tirelessly this year and, along with Youth Services Director Amber Sady and her talented assistant, Abby Murray, deserve kudos for their efforts. Their participation in the Holiday Art Contest included picking a theme, creating the artistic flyer and judging the entries. Ms. Murray created a festive art wall using the entries.
Best Books of 2011- Library Folk Pick Favorites
What better way to find ideas for reading selections than to ask those connected to the library? The following suggestions include biographies, best-selling fiction and non-fiction, as well as historical fiction.
Phyllis Patton, former chairwoman of the Library Board of Trustees and vice president of the Friends of the Library, just finished reading the biography "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson. She found Jobs, the creative entrepreneur who founded Apple Computers, to be "an intriguing person."
Library Deputy Director Tammy Westergard calls "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?" by Seth Godin "a must read for anyone who wants to know the secret to success." According to the description: "There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team, the linchpins. These people figure out what to do when there's no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art." There are quite a few "linchpins" working at the library!
Frieda Ford, Friends of the Library stalwart and library icon, recommends "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. The book chronicles the story of Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells were the first "immortal" human cells grown in culture and provided medical breakthroughs in polio, cancer, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping.
Drew Simmons, vice chairwoman of the Library Board of Trustees, found a great book at a Friends book sale this year that she couldn't put down. The book, "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey" by Lillian Schlissel, is a compilation of experiences and stories written by pioneer women who experienced traveling the Overland Trail, settling Oregon, California and Nevada territories from 1840-1870.
Newsworthy Announcements
The library will be closed on Monday in observance of the New Year's holiday.
Family Story time will resume at its regular times and dates, at 10:15 and 10:45 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
