April 28, 2010
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April 05, 2010
I am a Candidate for Vice President/President-Elect
I am honored to be nominated for the position of Vice President/President-Elect of the Illinois Library Association (ILA). In 2009, I was elected as an ILA Director-at-Large to serve a 3-year term. This experience has been both rewarding and educational. I look forward to continuing my service, perhaps in a new role, with ILA.
On April 1st, ILA opened the 2010 Election Polls, which run the entire month. Candidates are posted for the Vice President/President-Elect, ALA Councilor, and Board of Directors. View the President-Elect candidate statements and biographies here (mine is listed 2nd with a familiar picture). Other candidate statements can be found here.
ILA is a not-for-profit educational organization that provides effective leadership to the Illinois Library community and is 3,700+ members strong. This membership includes public, academic, school, and special libraries and librarians, and is comprised of trustees, library staff, students, and vendors. It would be an honor to represent IL librarians and the interests of the library communities we serve.
My Personal Statement
This is a challenging time for today's libraries. Proper funding, fiscal constraints, system changes, technology shifts, and other issues are each of great concern. The vibrancy of our services and value to the community we each serve must continue to be advocated front and center. We need to spotlight how relevant and essential libraries are in supporting Illinois residents at every stage - and age - in their lives. We need to mentor library colleagues and communicate with both our community of users and elected leaders to promote effective library advocates and - even more so - library champions. ILA provides strong leadership and addresses the many challenges today's libraries face.
If elected as the ILA Vice-President/President-Elect, I would listen thoughtfully, work hard, and strive to provide a positive voice to encourage leadership, relevancy and support. As a proud member of our profession I would be honored to serve in a new role as part of ILA's partnership with Illinois libraries. Our collective vision can make a true difference.
Check out my other blog, The Synergistic Librarian.
On April 1st, ILA opened the 2010 Election Polls, which run the entire month. Candidates are posted for the Vice President/President-Elect, ALA Councilor, and Board of Directors. View the President-Elect candidate statements and biographies here (mine is listed 2nd with a familiar picture). Other candidate statements can be found here.
ILA is a not-for-profit educational organization that provides effective leadership to the Illinois Library community and is 3,700+ members strong. This membership includes public, academic, school, and special libraries and librarians, and is comprised of trustees, library staff, students, and vendors. It would be an honor to represent IL librarians and the interests of the library communities we serve.
My Personal Statement
This is a challenging time for today's libraries. Proper funding, fiscal constraints, system changes, technology shifts, and other issues are each of great concern. The vibrancy of our services and value to the community we each serve must continue to be advocated front and center. We need to spotlight how relevant and essential libraries are in supporting Illinois residents at every stage - and age - in their lives. We need to mentor library colleagues and communicate with both our community of users and elected leaders to promote effective library advocates and - even more so - library champions. ILA provides strong leadership and addresses the many challenges today's libraries face.
If elected as the ILA Vice-President/President-Elect, I would listen thoughtfully, work hard, and strive to provide a positive voice to encourage leadership, relevancy and support. As a proud member of our profession I would be honored to serve in a new role as part of ILA's partnership with Illinois libraries. Our collective vision can make a true difference.
Check out my other blog, The Synergistic Librarian.
March 31, 2010
New for You - Macy's Museum Adventure Pass!
We are proud and pleased to be able to now offer the "Museum Adventure Pass, presented by Macy's." Beginning April 1st Homer Township Public Library card holders can receive free admission to 19 exciting museums and cultural institutions throughout the Chicago area. Brookfield Zoo, the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Oriental Institute, Bronzeville Children’s Museum and Morton Arboretum are among those included. This special opportunity is made possible by a generous contribution from Macy's.
Visit the library to pick up a one week pass for the museum of your choice. They are available on a first come, first served basis.
Background
The Museum Adventure Pass Program launched September 1st, 2009, and is a first of its kind partnership in the greater Chicago area for Macy’s, the DuPage, Metropolitan, North Suburban, ten libraries in Prairie Area Library Systems, 19 local arts and cultural organizations, and more than 160 suburban area public libraries. Since the program launch, library patrons have checked out over 23,000 passes to participating institutions.
So many adventures await – some you might never have expected! All you need to take part in these learning adventures is a valid Homer library card.
The Museum Adventure Pass program is designed to enhance the learning experience for people of all ages through books and other library materials, and to provide access to arts and cultural organizations. For a full listing of participating institutions and for check-out guidelines, go to www.museumadventure.org, or ask the next time you visit the library.
"The Museum Adventure Pass is a truly innovate approach to education that Macy's is thrilled to support," said Brad Poterack, District Vice President, Macy's. "Our hope is that people who may not have access to the wonderful local arts and cultural scene will use this program as a learning tool for themselves and their families, and realize that libraries are a great way to explore and learn something new."
Participating organizations include:
Air Classics Museum of Air and Space
Arlington Heights Historical Museum
Bronzeville Children's Museum
Brookfield Zoo
Cantigny Park
Chicago Botanic Garden
Children's Museum of Oak Lawn
Cuneo Museum and Gardens
Elgin History Museum
Elgin Public Museum
Graue Mill and Museum
Hellenic Museum
KidsWork Children's Museum
Kohl Children's Museum
Lake County Discovery Museum
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Morton Arboretum
Oriental Institute Museum
St. Charles Heritage Museum
About Macy's
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc., is known for epic events like Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Building on a 150-year tradition, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities that make a difference in the lives of their customers.
Visit the library to pick up a one week pass for the museum of your choice. They are available on a first come, first served basis.
Background
The Museum Adventure Pass Program launched September 1st, 2009, and is a first of its kind partnership in the greater Chicago area for Macy’s, the DuPage, Metropolitan, North Suburban, ten libraries in Prairie Area Library Systems, 19 local arts and cultural organizations, and more than 160 suburban area public libraries. Since the program launch, library patrons have checked out over 23,000 passes to participating institutions.
So many adventures await – some you might never have expected! All you need to take part in these learning adventures is a valid Homer library card.
The Museum Adventure Pass program is designed to enhance the learning experience for people of all ages through books and other library materials, and to provide access to arts and cultural organizations. For a full listing of participating institutions and for check-out guidelines, go to www.museumadventure.org, or ask the next time you visit the library.
"The Museum Adventure Pass is a truly innovate approach to education that Macy's is thrilled to support," said Brad Poterack, District Vice President, Macy's. "Our hope is that people who may not have access to the wonderful local arts and cultural scene will use this program as a learning tool for themselves and their families, and realize that libraries are a great way to explore and learn something new."
Participating organizations include:
Air Classics Museum of Air and Space
Arlington Heights Historical Museum
Bronzeville Children's Museum
Brookfield Zoo
Cantigny Park
Chicago Botanic Garden
Children's Museum of Oak Lawn
Cuneo Museum and Gardens
Elgin History Museum
Elgin Public Museum
Graue Mill and Museum
Hellenic Museum
KidsWork Children's Museum
Kohl Children's Museum
Lake County Discovery Museum
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Morton Arboretum
Oriental Institute Museum
St. Charles Heritage Museum
About Macy's
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc., is known for epic events like Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Building on a 150-year tradition, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities that make a difference in the lives of their customers.
February 28, 2010
Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries
We joined many libraries this past month when participating in "Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Illinois Libraries"on Wednesday, February 10.
In Homer Township our library serves as many things to many people, and a typical library day includes events for babies through seniors. This unique "snapshot" provided us with the opportunity to document usage in a fun way, with pictures and by asking people to tell us exactly what they think. And they did! The results are interesting and much of what I learned reinforces that we serve as a true social center in our community.
We have compiled Snapshot Day comments with pictures and statistics into a handy little booklet, which we will be providing to our elected officials to chronicle our library's importance to the community and how customers truly rely on us.
YOU SAID...a sampling of Homer Library's customer comments:
1. The teen section is pretty cool. I like the colors and chairs. It's a cool place to hang.
2. The Library is the most important service that Homer Glen provides. I am an ardent user of it. The entire staff is just wonderful.
3. Funding for local libraries should be increased, not cut. In today's society, the library serves as one of the few good resources for families in a time when there are far too many distractions and mischief for our kids to get into.
4. I love the libraries in this system. I rely on them for entertainment, information and books! (My favorite things!) As I cannot afford home-computer internet access I utilize this also. I do NOT know what I would do without the Library and its helpful staff.
5. We could not live without it!
6. Going to the library is a favorite regular outing with my daughter (written by a dad!)
7. I LOVE my Homer Glen Library. Great selection of materials and anything I have ever wanted was available thru the Prairie Cat System. Also ALL those that work at my Homer Glen Library are Knowledgeable, Efficient, and Super Friendly!
8. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, my library receives a 25.
9. This is the "Best Library Staff on the Southwest Side." The people who work here do an "Excellent Job"
10. Our Library is a welcoming place for our community members and families. They offer great programming and a friendly, helpful staff. We visit our library weekly, as well as, our library's bookmobile. We enjoy using the library's computers, programs, and children's area.
11. The Homer Bookmobile is awesome! They have a bunch of books and DVD's! I love my Bookmobile!
Snapshot Day, was created as a project of the Illinois Library Association, and helped us to showcase libraries in a challenging and exciting time. The vibrancy of our services and value to the communities we serve continues to grow and we are more relevant than ever today. More than 90 libraries showcased photos of this special day which can be found here.
Visit your library today and look at it with fresh eyes to truly see what we offer. Imagine even more @ your library.
We have compiled Snapshot Day comments with pictures and statistics into a handy little booklet, which we will be providing to our elected officials to chronicle our library's importance to the community and how customers truly rely on us.
YOU SAID...a sampling of Homer Library's customer comments:
1. The teen section is pretty cool. I like the colors and chairs. It's a cool place to hang.
2. The Library is the most important service that Homer Glen provides. I am an ardent user of it. The entire staff is just wonderful.
3. Funding for local libraries should be increased, not cut. In today's society, the library serves as one of the few good resources for families in a time when there are far too many distractions and mischief for our kids to get into.
4. I love the libraries in this system. I rely on them for entertainment, information and books! (My favorite things!) As I cannot afford home-computer internet access I utilize this also. I do NOT know what I would do without the Library and its helpful staff.
5. We could not live without it!
6. Going to the library is a favorite regular outing with my daughter (written by a dad!)
7. I LOVE my Homer Glen Library. Great selection of materials and anything I have ever wanted was available thru the Prairie Cat System. Also ALL those that work at my Homer Glen Library are Knowledgeable, Efficient, and Super Friendly!
8. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, my library receives a 25.
9. This is the "Best Library Staff on the Southwest Side." The people who work here do an "Excellent Job"
10. Our Library is a welcoming place for our community members and families. They offer great programming and a friendly, helpful staff. We visit our library weekly, as well as, our library's bookmobile. We enjoy using the library's computers, programs, and children's area.
11. The Homer Bookmobile is awesome! They have a bunch of books and DVD's! I love my Bookmobile!
Snapshot Day, was created as a project of the Illinois Library Association, and helped us to showcase libraries in a challenging and exciting time. The vibrancy of our services and value to the communities we serve continues to grow and we are more relevant than ever today. More than 90 libraries showcased photos of this special day which can be found here.
Visit your library today and look at it with fresh eyes to truly see what we offer. Imagine even more @ your library.
January 04, 2010
Come Play @ Homer Library
Play Literacy is based on the idea that children learn best through play. Early Literacy Play areas at Homer Library can help to stimulate a child's intellectual and social development and prepare children for structured formal learning and school activities. The SouthtownStar article describing this new library initiative is here.Early Literacy Play Areas include:
LEGO CREATION TABLE - supports eye-hand coordination, creativity, thinking skills
INTERACTIVE & BOARD BOOKS - easy to hold, promotes reading readiness and exploration
PUZZLES - encourages problem solving, eye-hand coordination, develops fine motor skills
TRAIN ACTIVITY TABLE - develops social and thinking skills through interactive play
CABIN PLAY HOUSE - stimulates creative, interactive and social play
DOLL HOUSE - dolls of the world for creative play, modeling and social skills
PUPPETS - stimulates imaginative play and role playing
COMPUTERS - fun and educational games foster reading, math, science, and more
EDUCATIONAL GAMES/TOYS - encourages school readiness, fuels intellectual development
Bring your child to the library for a great start to succeed in reading readiness through play!
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