South Dakota State Library: Library Development e-Newsletter

Trends & More

A.H. Brown Public Library now appearing on the Web

Karla Bieber, Library Director of the A.H. Brown Public Library in Mobridge just announced the launching of their new Web site at www.ahbrownlibrary.org. As a small library with no separate technology department, they found a relatively inexpensive and easy way to accomplish their goal.

To get started on the Web site they purchased Serif (WEBPlus X2) software. It was a great bargain on sale through Amazon.com. It was chosen because it fell into their original price range and had spell check. It also comes with an instruction book and good tutorials. Karla explained, “If you "play" with it a little you can learn it pretty quickly. I had taken a class earlier on HTML and Web site design and was very thankful that I did not have to use the HTML code for everything.”

For hosting the site the library went with the same company used by their police department - Ultra Website Hosting. They received a free domain name and the hosting cost for four years was just over $140.00. Karla said she did have some trouble moving the saved site, but patron Tom Zerr volunteered his time to help solve the problems and get the FTP files moved.

The library has a policy in place for the Web site which also covers anything they would put on the Web like a blog or a Facebook link. It is called the Web Identity Policy and includes areas such as webmaster, scope, content and access, identity links, maintenance and a privacy policy. Make sure to check out the photos of pre-construction activities and the new teen area when you visit the virtual A.H. Brown Public Library.

More resources in the news

Great Web Sites for Kids at www.ala.org/greatsites has just been updated by the Association for Library Service to Children. Links for children up to age 14 are organized by broad topics such as Animals, Literature & Languages, History & Biography, etc.

StorySnoops at www.storysnoops.com is a new book review site aimed at parents of tweens and teens. The site was created by moms and offers daily updates which can be followed via Facebook or Twitter.

Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture at www.talkstorytogether.org was created by the American Indian Library Association and the Asian/Pacific Americans Librarians Association as a joint project. Contents include booklists and storytime ideas as well as opportunities for sharing. The site is a part of the ALA Family Literacy Focus initiative of President Dr. Camila Alire.

Nolo Press at www.nolo.com now offers free legal information online. It includes a plain-English legal dictionary, a directory of lawyers, hundreds of articles on common legal topics (employment law, real estate, family law and divorce, wills and probate, etc.), and calculators for personal finance, as well as the full text of several of their popular titles. Note the disclaimer “Legal information is not legal advice.”

What is Library Development reading?

Programming for Adults: a Guide for Small-and Medium-Sized Libraries

Reviewed by Brenda Hemmelman

Ever spend hours planning an adult program, contacting a speaker, getting snacks, advertising, setting up, and only have four people show up? What’s the deal? You thought you had a great topic and a good time to present it. This month’s highlighted title may help you with future programming efforts.

Programming for Adults, written by Raymond Ranier and published by Scarecrow Press, is divided into eight chapters and six appendices and addresses all aspects of the programming process. The chapters cover basics of setting up and marketing programs, as well as discuss specific types of programs from crafts and entertainment to film, cultural, educational and more. The appendices include Web sites, sample policy statements, evaluation forms and contracts. Are you interested in hosting a library murder mystery? This book has information on having one and recommended Web sites to obtain materials. Maybe your mayor or a city councilman would volunteer to be cast as the bad guy or the one who gets “offed.”

The book stresses knowing your community in order to find out what kinds of programs will work best. The author is the adult services librarian at Peabody Public Library in Columbia City, Indiana. A reference librarian when his library built a new facility, he moved into the new building with a new position that included adult programming and he had no real source to turn to for guidance. This book is written based on his own experiences.

Programming for Adults: A Guide for Small-and Medium-Sized Libraries is available for check out at the State Library.

AILA, ALA, books, Mobridge, policy, programming, review, website

prev: School Libraries | Table of Contents

next: Why Didn't I Think of That?

The Cornerstone monthly e-newsletter is created by the South Dakota State Library. For more information on how to be a part of this newsletter, please contact us via e-mail with your questions and ideas.