Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach is available for your book group to borrow. It's currently sitting on the shelf at the Nesmith Library and would love to take a ride in the van to your library.
from the Introduction to Stiff: "This book is not about death as in dying. Death, as in dying, is sad and profound. There is nothing funny about losing someone you love, or about being the person about to be lost. This book is about the already dead, the anonymous, behind-the-scenes dead."
One thing I'll tell you, the discussion of this book won't be dull! If you'd like to book this kit, contact Lois at lfreeston@library.windham.nh.us.
--Diane Mayr
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the raffle - those who contributed baskets/items for the baskets, and also those who bought raffle tickets. We raised approximately $150 from the fall raffle, in addition to the $600 from the spring conference raffle. The NHLA Board recently decided to earmark this money for speakers at the fall conference, so you’ll see a direct benefit from this fundraising if you attend the fall conferences in the future. Thanks again!
Sean Fleming/NHLA Ways and Means
At the , Deborah Ross Wilcox was presented with the 2008 Ann Geisel Award for Distinguished Service to the New Hampshire Library Community. The Ann Geisel Award of Merit recognizes librarians, libraries and other individuals and organizations that have contributed to the Association or the New Hampshire library community. Through their efforts as library professionals, providing library services or advocating for library issues, they have improved all New Hampshire libraries.
Read more about Debbie and what her nominators had to say about her here.
Congratulations Debbie!
The third set of speakers in the session on adult literacy programs will be Judy Fournier and Tamara McClure from Project LIFT (Literacy for Today) of the Fuller Public Library in Hillsboro, NH..
Judy Fournier has been Program Director for Project LIFT Adult Education in Hillsboro for the past 8 years. She has worked with families in many capacities including home visiting, parent educator and counselor. She has a master's degree in counseling and certified as a family life educator. As program director, she is responsible for recruitment of students and volunteer tutors, scheduling, program administration and also teaches basic adult education, GED preparation and English as a Second Language. Project LIFT collaborates with social services agencies in the community and several school districts in order to provide students and their families with appropriate referrals for their needs.
Tamara McClure has been the librarian at the Fuller Public Library from 1989 to the present. Before coming to Fuller Library, she was the Media Associate at Hillsboro-Deering Elementary School from 1980-1989. In 1993 Tamara was instrumental in applying for the original federal grant for literacy called Project LIFT which was granted again in 1994 and 1995. Since 1995 the Library has continued to fund Project LIFT.
Our final speaker of the day on Thursday will be Heidi McCann. Her topic will be information literacy in the 21st century. Heidi is the Reference and Instructional Services Coordinator at Mt. Wachusett Community College Library in Gardner, Massachusetts. Before working at Mt. Wachusett, she worked at a number of libraries in Western Massachusetts including the University of Massachusetts Amherst DuBois Library, Amherst College's Frost Library, Holyoke Community College Library, and the Jones Public Library. Heidi has also worked in many different capacities within libraries such as Serials Cataloger and Weekend Circulation Supervisor. She has an MSLS from Simmons College and is a May 2003 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Management, having earned a Masters of Business Administration.
The featured speaker for the mid-day session "Federated Searching Case Study: NELLCO" will be Roberta Woods, Assistant Professor of Research at the Franklin Pierce Law Center and Reference and Electronic Resources Librarian at the Pierce Law Library.
Besides selecting, evaluating and making electronic resources available online and in the Law Library, Professor Woods chairs a NELLCO (New England Law Library Consortium) committee working on a high-tech solution to create an open source search system that will enable researchers to search all of the library’s digital holdings with one search. The project was awarded a grant by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in 2007 and runs through Nov. 30, 2009.
Professor Woods is uniquely qualified to address the electronic resource needs of the Law Library. She holds bachelor’s degrees in computer and library sciences. From her perspective, solutions to the increasingly technical aspects of libraries require technological creativity and a willingness to open up to ever expanding possibilities. “Technology offers a wonderful tool for libraries and researchers.” Professor Woods is always on the lookout to bring the library closer to the realm of today’s electronic researcher.

Nancy Ladd, Library Director at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner NH since 1985, started adult literacy programming in 1999 at the library with the assistance of Louise Hazen, as volunteer coordinator, and an LSTA Literacy Program grant for materials and publicity.
Louise Hazen holds an M. Ed. with various certifications including Reading Specialist, General Special Education and Learning Disabilities. In addition to working part time at the Pillsbury Free Library, she volunteers as the Adult Literacy Program coordinator and as a literacy tutor. Prior to working at the library, she was frequently involved in volunteer adult literacy work during her career in teaching.
Started in 2000, the Adult Literacy Program at Pillsbury Free Library is volunteer-based, with library funding and grants providing materials and publicity as needed. Second Start Adult Tutorial Program of Merrimack County provides free G.E.D. pretest clinics, some materials, and Tutor education. They also partner with Kearsarge Regional High School’s Adult Diploma Program, which was begun in 2004. Some grants included funding for materials and programs in several other area libraries.
As of tomorrow morning, the long awaited NHLA Annual Business Meeting event will be just a short week away. So I thought I'd start giving you a little more information about some of the speakers you'll be hearing from.
One of the speakers in the adult literacy programs session will be Elizabeth Sabol, Executive Director of the Learn To Read program at the Manchester City Library. Beth discovered her passion for adult literacy in 1990 when she became a volunteer tutor and then a tutor for the Adult Literacy Project, Palm Beach County Library System. In 2001 she joined the adult literacy program at the Manchester City Library as the program coordinator.
Under her leadership, the number of one-on-one matched, adult learner pairs, has grown over 300%. The program has achieved accreditation from ProLiteracy America and sustains a very active board of directors. Beth has developed innovative approaches to teaching lifelong learning skills as the foundation for literacy instruction.
In addition, Beth is an assistant vice president of leadership and professional development
at TD Bank University.
This is a reminder about tomorrow's NHLA-ITS quarterly drop-in meeting at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH. The meeting begins at 10am, and everyone is welcome. In addition to discussing general IT topics of interest and concern, we will also be given a presentation by the Howe Library staff on 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, an ITS member, will be our host. RSVP by phone, 603-643-4120, or email, mary.h.white at thehowe.org.
p.s. If you arrive early, the library may not yet be open. Mary suggests either waiting for them to open, or try the rear entrance.
While many of you have already registered for NHLA's Annual Business Meeting (taking place on November 6th,) registration has been extended beyond the initial deadline so more of you can still come. Just download the event brochure/registration form, fill it out and send it in as soon as you can.
I hope to see you all there!