Public

L-o-v-e the Library

By T.D.  I have very few memories of my mom taking me to the downtown library back home in Virginia. She says she used to take me there when I was in preschool, but after that, I don’t really recall spending time in any library. In high school, the library was there, but I only … Read more

Carolyn

By Chris H.  My name is Chris and I have worked at the Hagaman Memorial Library for the past 20 years. I have many library stories to share and could write pages and pages filled with memories. One story I’ll share is about the children’s librarian, Carolyn, who worked at the library for about 30 … Read more

Sexiest eBooks alive…or at least the most popular

iPad reading

Stealing a page from People Magazine’s popular annual feature, we thought you may be interested to know what’s hot in the world of eBooks. I mean, there’s no Adam Levine or Johnny Depp here, but you’ll find a listing of fascinating and informative resources that are in high demand across the country. Nearly as exciting.

Read moreSexiest eBooks alive…or at least the most popular

A Part of Us

By G.T. I always enjoyed going to the library as a young girl with my grandmother. The quietness and respect in libraries was always magical for me. We moved from place to place in California; over 20 due to my parent’s divorce, starting a new life, remarrying, flipping houses, starting college, out on my own … Read more

Libraries = Sharing

By Dave E.  My parents both worked in libraries. I will never forget the way my dad summed up what libraries were all about in one simple word. Sharing. That’s what he would say when people asked what libraries were about… I am now a librarian myself and try to keep that simple answer in … Read more

Saved by the Book

By Sande B.  In 1952, after my second younger brother was born, my parents packed us up and joined the rapid migration to the potato farm suburbs of Long Island. Now my favorite aunts and uncles and grandparents were no longer a hop and a skip away. Most days, I was terribly lonely, and after … Read more

3 Surefire Tips to Help ESL/EFL Patrons Utilize eResources

Supporting ESL

By Anne Nagrant 

My experience living abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer made me very sympathetic to those in our local communities for whom English is not their native language. No matter the level of English a patron has, public libraries should be prepared to serve all.

Inside the library, signage and pictures can help visitors find what they need. Library staff can enunciate clearly and try saying the same thing in different ways. Because some immigrants prefer reading to conversation, offer flyers and handouts to take home. Order free Spanish-language print materials from Gale’s ProMo site to promote Informe Académico or PowerSpeak Languages.

Read more3 Surefire Tips to Help ESL/EFL Patrons Utilize eResources

Facts not Fear: Demystify Ebola and Enterovirus D68

Ebola Informational Resources

Turn on the news and try NOT to feel a little bit anxious about current public health crises. The onslaught of stories about Ebola and Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), “a flulike disease that has infected 664 people—most of them children—in 45 states so far and the District of Columbia.” [1] These and other illnesses can be overwhelming…and cause great concern in your community. As rumors and misinformation generate fear, people need expert information to better understand the risks to themselves and their families.

“One of the challenges of combating an Ebola outbreak is the fact that the early symptoms of the infection are similar to those of the flu, malaria, typhoid fever, and several bacterial infections, which occur more often and are not as serious. By the time the true nature of the infection becomes known, many people in a community could have been infected.

Read moreFacts not Fear: Demystify Ebola and Enterovirus D68