October 13, 2008

Volunteer Needed for NH Library Use Value Calculator

Want to help justify libraries in NH? Do you feel libraries are undervalued by funding agencies? Here's your chance to make a difference. The NHLA Executive Board is looking for volunteers to help implement a web-based NH Library Use Value Calculator, similar to this one published by the Vermont Library Association, http://www.vermontlibraries.org/library-use-value-calculator. You don't need to have web development skills, just a few hours to assist with some background research. Please contact me by email at skbutzel at lib.cityofportsmouth.com if you'd be willing to contribute. We'd really appreciate it!

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October 11, 2008

Food Drive at NELA Annual Conference

NELA Executive Board and NELA Conference Committee 2008 are planning a non-perishable food drive to benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester, but we can’t do it without your help.

While you are preparing to pack for the Annual Conference, please consider setting aside some room in your suitcase for one or two non-perishable food items.

Urgently Needed Items

·       Protein items such as canned tuna or chicken and canned stews

·       Peanut butter

·       100% juice boxes (no glass please)

·       Canned fruits in light syrup, applesauce

·       Canned vegetables, tomatoes and tomato sauce

·       Soups

·       Healthy cereals

·       Pasta, rice

·       Dry beans

 

Donations may be left in the Conference Exhibit Hall. Arrangements are being made for Tuesday afternoon pick-up. Let’s work together to fill this Food pantry!

Also, the New Hampshire Electric Co-op has issued a financial Food Bank Challenge. Until October 31, 2008, they will match dollar for dollar all of the money raised through their Foundation. For more information on monetary donation, read the Food Bank Challenge website.

Thank you for your assistance in the effort to bring relief and aid to those much in need.

~NELA Executive Board and NELA Conference Committee 2008.

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October 10, 2008

2008 READS Award of Excellence--And the Nominees Are!

With the READS Fall Conference only weeks away, the 2008 READS Award Selection Committee has diligently reviewed this year’s nominations and finally chosen a recipient. As always, the selection of a recipient for this award was a difficult decision to make. This year’s candidates have all contributed significantly to the New Hampshire Library community in a variety of ways. Please join the committee in congratulating the nominees on their achievements. The award will be presented at the READS Fall Conference on October 24 (the registration form is available here).

Without further ado, the READS Award Selection Committee is delighted to present to you the nominees for the 2008 READS Award of Excellence.

And the nominees are:
  • Diane Mayr, Assistant Director-Head of Adult Services at Nesmith Library. Diane was nominated for this award by Carl Heidenblad, the Director at Nesmith Library.
  • Michelle Bergeron, Library Clerk I at Manchester City Library. Michelle was nominated for this award by Lichen Rancourt, who is the Head of Technology at Manchester City Library.
  • Michelle Du Breuil, Library Assistant at Gordon-Nash Library. Michelle was nominated for this award by Diane Gilson, who is the Assistant Director at Gordon-Nash Library.
  • Patricia Walker, Adult Services Librarian at Nichols Memorial Library. Patricia was nominated for this award by Andy Richmond, who is the Director of Nichols Memorial Library.
This year, the READS Award Selection Committee includes Sarah Leonardi (Past READS President) from Amherst Public Library, Ellen Knowlton ( 2007 Award winner) of Merrimack Public Library, Eleanor Croteau ( 2005 Award winner) and Claudia Mayer (READS Award Selection Committee chair) of Manchester City Library.
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October 08, 2008

Request or plea for donations for NHLA fall conference raffle

At our last NHLA meeting, the board decided to use the money that we raise from our spring and fall conference raffles to bring in speakers that we might pass on otherwise due to cost factors. If your library, group, or just you yourself can donate some items for the fall conference raffle, you’ll be helping to bring in some great speakers! You can therefore expect these pleas for donations every six months or so (my apologies in advance).

Thanks again to everyone who donated items for the spring conference raffle. We raised over $600 from that effort. Also, thanks very much in advance to anyone who can send items for the upcoming raffle.

Sean Fleming
NHLA Ways
and Means
Lebanon van stop
Lebanon Public Library

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October 06, 2008

Get your game face on!

In two weeks, New Hampshire librarians will be competing against other New England librarians and vendors for the coveted Snail in a NELA-revised version of Trivial Pursuit.  Since New Hampshire is the host for this year's conference, and since New Hampshire librarians are singularly smart, it behooves us to beat our brethren and sistren. We're looking for several intrepid players and lots of audience participation. Please contact Judy Haskell at hamptonfalls.library@comcast.net if you're ready for this challenge!
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October 03, 2008

Seeking Spring Conference Speaker and Program Ideas

AttitashThe 2009 NHLA Spring Conference Programming Committee is seeking ideas for speakers and programs. If you have a good idea, please download this form and send it to Andrea Thorpe (athorpe at newport.lib.nh.us). This form will also be available on the Spring 2009 Conference web page. By the way, the conference will be at the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel and Conference Center, a pretty nice place, so start thinking about making plans to attend.
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October 01, 2008

NELA conference discount for early registration

If your registration for "Taking Charge of Change", the 2008 annual NELA conference being held from October 19th to 21st at the Raddison Hotel in Manchester is postmarked by October 10th, you can receive a 25-30% discount!

Here are a few of the highlights:

  • Adult Programming Showcase 
  • Drop-In Resume Review
  • Easy Web Fixes
  • Help! The Teen Librarian Has Left the Building
  • Hot Topics in Technical Services
  • Leading by Example: Toward More Sustainable Communities
  • My College Freshman is Your High School Senior
  • Sophisticated Picture Books
  • The Vanishing Male: Guy Stuff that Lures and Hooks
  • Special Guest Authors: Simon Winchester, Cynthia Lord, and Michael Palmer
  • Special Guest Storytellers: Eshu and Motoko and Raouf Mama

Join us for all this plus award winners, discussion leaders, gamers, social hours, luncheons, exhibits, exhibits, and more exhibits!

Register by mail or online at www.nelib.org

 

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September 28, 2008

READS Fall Conference Coming Soon!

We at READS want to remind you of the program we are presenting on the 24th of October. It will offer suggestions from a variety of people involved in human services to help us best serve our disabled customers. Speakers will include librarians, representatives from social services, and specialists in serving people with a variety of disabilities. We hope you come with questions, suggestions, and examples of your own experiences.

The deadline for registering is October 10th. Forms are available at the READS Fall Conference page.

Hope to see you!

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September 25, 2008

Info Tech Section Quarterly Drop-in Meeting in October

Howe LibraryThe next NHLA-ITS quarterly drop-in meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct.28th at 10am at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH. In addition to discussing general IT topics of interest and concern, we will also be given a presentation by the Howe Library staff about their new website and the content management system upon which it is based. We'll also get a chance to take a look at the three new Kindles they have made available to be checked out by their patrons.Kindle

For directions to the Howe Library, visit their snazzy new website, http://www.thehowe.org. Library Director Mary White and their technology coordinator Pamela Smith, both members of ITS, will be our hosts.

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September 24, 2008

Couldn't Make It to PLA's Conference? No Problem

PLA AnnualMost of us work at libraries that can't afford to send us to some of the major library conferences, for example the annual Public Library Association conference. This year, PLA was held in Minnesota in March, and who really wants to go to Minnesota in the spring? But fear not. A great many of the presentation handouts from conference sessions are freely available to download on the PLA website, http://www.placonference.org/handoutspage.cfm. So don't hesitate. Visit the site right away and start downloading. It's free!

Does anyone know of other major library conferences that make their handouts freely available online following the conference? If so, please leave a comment!

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Between the Lions creators bring a new multi-media music project to Public Libraries!

Very nice speaking with you today. Included below is a general project description, short benefits summary, and how the program works. I really appreciate you forwarding the opportunity state-wide. We are looking forward to partnering with public libraries in New Hampshire so that ALL kids can get the benefits of the award-winning curriculum. Please preview a full ½ hour episode of LOMAX when you get the chance: http://www.cpbn.org/program/lomax-hound-music.

We typically form partnerships with associations or systems to implement the educational outreach for this project and provide group in-service trainings once a year. Any additional feedback on how we can move forward is greatly appreciated.

Warm Regards,
Gene

Gene B. Hale, III
Vice President/General Manager
Melody Hounds® Music Classes
P: 800-619-2206, F: 732-450-9250
gene3rd@melodyhounds.com

www.MelodyHounds.com

Melody Hounds® is a new curriculum-based, multi-media music program designed to help ALL kids develop an artful sense of melody and rhythm.

We are currently running the curriculum/classes in over 150 local YMCAs Nationally, helping 10,000+ kids ages 2.5 to 7 years enhance their musical intelligence. The “Media” element of our project comes by way of a curriculum-based TV series called Lomax, The Hound of Music™ airing on Public Television this fall. The LOMAX TV series mirrors the Melody Hounds® music classes being run in a growing number of locations across the country.

Lomax: The Hound of Music is a new, highly participatory, 13-part children's series premiering on PBS October 6th 2008. Our partners creating the series are the same people that brought you Between the Lions®. Please watch a full ½ hour episode of LOMAX when you get the chance: http://www.cpbn.org/program/lomax-hound-music.

Starting now, we are extending this new program opportunity to Public Libraries across the United States. 

Benefits Summary:

All children receiving Melody Hounds are getting numerous cross-curricular benefits in addition to enhancing their musical development. They are learning mathematical concepts through the beat exercises, language development through songs/rhymes, even learning our country's history through songtales. The kids are also learning social skills, such as waiting their turn, reducing performance anxiety, and building self-esteem. Other concepts learned are critical thinking skills, expressive speech, fine and gross motor skills including awareness of body parts (Laban-wrote a complex code for body movement, we use this in our lessons), imagination, creativity, and cultural and moral values. All these wonderful aspects of the curriculum will be reinforced at home when LOMAX airs this fall. We also provide licensed sites with a parent letter to send home so parents can log-in to the parent section of www.melodyhounds.com and hopefully get involved at home!

How it works:

  1. Cost - $900 annual fee per library (this is our typical discounted association rate assuming all staff from each site can attend one group training and at least 4 libraries participate)
  2. Program Application - MH recommends the program be delivered to 10-15 kids at a time, 1 to 5 times a week, for 20-25 minutes at a time.
  3. Training – we provide an annual in-service training for all your staff. You will receive a new group training each year and there is no limit to the number of staff each site sends (training is included in the annual fee). Training lasts approximately 3 hours and anyone trained can effectively teach the program (i.e. you don't have to be a professional singer or musician).
  4. 2009 MH Kit - each licensed site receives an MH kit (all teaching materials fit into a portable duffel bag provided by Melody Hounds), and a new one each year that will correspond with the TV Series. Everything needed to operate the program is included in the MH kit.
  5. Website - as part of the program, your Melody Hounds parents will have exclusive access via user name & password (per licensed site) to the parent section of our website where they will find words from the songs/rhymes done in class and at-home activities.
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September 22, 2008

NHLA Website Now Searchable (So are the CHILIS, READS and URBANS sites)

Google Custom SearchThe entire NHLA website is now searchable from the home page. Look for the Google Custom Search form on the right hand side, just below the form for searching the blog. I know that's a bit confusing, so let me spell it out. If you want to limit your search to blog entries, use the top search box. If you want your search to include blog entries and all other pages within the nhlibraries.org domain, including the CHILIS, READS, READS-TO-GO, URBANS and NHLA websites, use the Google Custom Search form.

If you're interested in adding a Google Custom Search form to your library's website, join the Information Technology Section (by sending me an email stating you want to do so, skbutzel at lib.cityofportrsmouth.com) and members of ITS will help you through the process. Remember, joining ITS is completely free. There is no membership fee.

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September 19, 2008

Various NHLA Google Groups, or, How Do We Communicate

CommunicationYou may not know it, but some NHLA sections have created Google Groups for communicating within their section. Here are links to the Google Groups for the Information Technology Section and the Academics Section.

CHILIS has its own listserv, which you can access via their website, or here: http://maillist2.nh.gov/mailman/listinfo/chilis-l . CHILIS also has an online newsletter named Red Hot CHILIS News which you can also access via an RSS feed. Very cool.

Speaking of communication, another way to communicate with NHLA members is by leaving comments on blog entries. Recently, there was a technical glitch with our blogging software, and submitted comments weren't getting regularly reviewed and posted, but that's been fixed, and comments should be reviewed fairly quickly now. (In fact, if you submitted a comment in the last few months, it's been published earlier today.)
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September 18, 2008

Executive Board Quarterly Reports, Take 2

Just in case you didn't receive notice of the previous post, here it is again...

Listed below are quarterly reports from NHLA Board members. Download and read through any or all of them.

    * Executive Board meeting minutes, August 2008
    * Past President and Conference Chair reports
    * Vice President's report
    * Treasurer's report, July 2008
    * Treasurer's report, August 2008
    * Financial report
    * Academics Section report
    * READS report
    * Information Technology Section (ITS) report
    * Webmaster report
    * Continuing Education report
    * Membership report
    * Scholarship report
    * Ways and Means report
    * Center for the Book (State Library)
    * Conference attendance
    * YALS bylaws
 

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Executive Board Quarterly Reports

Listed below are quarterly reports from NHLA Board members. Download and read through any or all of them.

    * Executive Board meeting minutes, August 2008
    * Past President and Conference Chair reports
    * Vice President's report
    * Treasurer's report, July 2008
    * Treasurer's report, August 2008
    * Financial report
    * Academics Section report
    * READS report
    * Information Technology Section (ITS) report
    * Webmaster report
    * Continuing Education report
    * Membership report
    * Scholarship report
    * Ways and Means report
    * Center for the Book (State Library)
    * Conference attendance
    * YALS bylaws

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