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 Selections
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The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System |
~ September 2009 ~ Volume 4, Issue 5 | |
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Read Selections online each month or sign up here to have it delivered to you by email.
If you have difficulty reading the newsletter in your email, read this issue here. |
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In this Issue:
This month's issue is brought to you by the library's Administration, Public Services and Technical Services staff in honor of Library Card Sign-up Month.
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Key to Free Education for the Whole Family - a Library Card!
As parents help their children prepare for a new school year, it is valuable to know that one school supply is free – a library card.
Launched in 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month, which is celebrated in September, is a time when libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all. The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries organizes Library Card Sign-up Month.
A new public service announcement (PSA) featuring WNBA star and Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month Candace Parker reminds parents and children that a library card is the “smartest card” you can have. The PSA highlights all the resources libraries offer, delivering the message that they are available for free with a library card.
According to 2008 poll results from Harris Interactive, library card registration is at an all-time high, with 68 percent of American’s reporting library card ownership. Use of public libraries is also on the rise, with 76 percent of Americans visiting their local public library in the past year, compared with 65.7 percent two years ago.
This celebration comes at a time when Americans are visiting their libraries more than ever. Americans visit their public libraries 1.4 billion times and check out almost 2.2 billion items each year.
Libraries offer children free access to the tools they need to succeed in school, including books, computers, homework help, and internet resources. In the current economic climate, libraries offer additional classes for parents and other adults on subjects ranging from resume building and job searches to information on financial planning and adult education classes.
Created by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the ALA, and the Campaign for America’s Libraries, the Smartest Card campaign was developed in 2004 to promote the library card as the important card in every wallet.
The Campaign for America’s Libraries, (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe - use the Campaign’s @ your library® brand. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions, corporations and foundations that advocate the importance of the library in American society.
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Community Connection:
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Calling All Book Clubs in Sarasota County!
Sarasota County Library System is planning a big event, Paint the Town Re(a)d: Celebrate Book Clubs and Reading, to be held at Selby Public Library on Saturday, March 6, 2010.
The event will be a gathering honoring and highlighting all book clubs in Sarasota County. A series of exciting events, such as book swaps, roundtable discussions with authors, a performance by the Asolo Play Readers, a cookie contest, and much more, are being planned.
The program is being sponsored by Whole Foods Market, The Pelican Press, Friends of the Selby Public Library, Dear Reader and the Sarasota County Library System.
If your club wants to know more or be part of the event, contact librarian Vera Neumann-Wood at vneumann@scgov.net or 941-861-1175. We're looking forward to hearing from all the book clubs.
Please help us spread the word and get ready to Paint the Town Re(a)d on March 6!
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Events:
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Are you prepared?
Sarasota County Community Preparedness Day:
Be Informed, Be Prepared
The Sarasota County Library System has been selected as a pilot project site by the National Library of Medicine to host a Community Preparedness Day during September, which is National Preparedness Month. The event is September 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Selby Library.
Library staff members have been working closely with Sarasota Emergency Services, the Sarasota Health Department, Public Communications and Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Bishopric Medical Library to plan an informative day of activities.
Community Preparedness Day will include a variety of presenters and exhibitors, with a focus on families. A full-slate of speakers is scheduled, including Anne Miller and Paul Hersey from Emergency Services for the keynote talk. Exhibitors include K9 Search and Rescue, the Red Cross, Senior Friendship Center, Public Safety, Sarasota Neighborhoods, Medical Reserve Corps, Mosquito Management and Sarasota Memorial Hospital, among others. Children’s programs--such as “stop, drop and roll”--are also planned.
Make plans to attend and find out if you're prepared!
Find out what else is new at your Sarasota County library
on Twitter at twitter.com/scgovlibrary and
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Sarasota-FL/Sarasota-County-Libraries/136804079679.
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National Library News:
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USA Today Highlights Importance of Libraries to Job Seekers
As CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) provided sources and background information for a USA Today story on the surge in Internet use in America’s libraries.
The article, “Internet attracts job seekers to libraries,” focused on how libraries are answering the demands of job seekers using the Internet to fill out applications, write résumés and look for job openings.
ALA’s Public Information Office (PIO) made sources and statistics available to USA Today for the article, which appeared Sept. 1.
Larra Clark, project manager in the ALA’s Office for Research and Statistics (ORS) was interviewed for the story and discussed findings from a new Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) set to be released on Sept. 15.
"Libraries are really the first responder in this economic crisis, and particularly for job seekers," said Clark.
The PIO also worked with CNN.com on an article entitled “The future of libraries, with or without books” which appeared online Sept. 4.
For more information on the PLFTAS, visit: www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2008_2009/index.cfm.
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Local Library News:
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Libraries Offer Audiobooks 24/7*
Sarasota County residents with library cards now have around-the-clock access to audiobooks. The audiobooks can be downloaded free to media players including iPods and others using the WMA or MP3 format.
The Sarasota County library system is collaborating with OverDrive, a leading distributor of digital media, to offer audiobooks to library customers. OverDrive provides download services for thousands of libraries with support for PC, Mac and Sony Reader.
“The OverDrive service offers yet another convenient way for Sarasota County library customers to enjoy books on their time,” said Laurie Bates-Weir, Web Services Librarian. “Customers will love it because they get what they want, when they want it. We love it because it helps us reduce cost while continuing to offer superior service combined with state-of-the-art technology.”
Library cardholders can go to the library’s download center at ecat.lib.overdrive.com to browse audiobook titles available and check out an audiobook with a simple click of the mouse. The system is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For more information about the audiobook service, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 or visit the library's Web site at www.sclibs.net.
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Staff Picks - DVDs, CDs and Books on CD:
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Featured Internet Sites:
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Links for National Preparedness Month
and
Community Preparedness Day
"Disaster Supplies Kit" from the American Red Cross, www.redcross.org/
preparedness/cdc_english/
kit.asp:
A list of basic items needed for your disaster kit.
"Emergency Preparedness and You" from the Centers for Disease Control, www.bt.cdc.gov/preparedness: Answers to common questions and step by step guidance on how you can protect you and your loved ones.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), www.fema.gov:
Find disaster assistance, applications, forms and information.
National Flood Insurance Program, www.floodsmart.gov:
Your premier resource for flood insurance information
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, www.flash.org:
Find information to be prepared for hazards.
FloridaDisaster.org from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, www.floridadisaster.org:
Create personalized family and business disaster plans.
National Hurricane Center, www.nhc.noaa.gov:
Hurricane information, including tracking charts - www.nhc.noaa.gov/
tracking_charts.shtml.
Ready.gov, www.ready.gov:
Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed. Pre-formatted family and business disaster plans to fill in and print out.
Prepare.org from the American Red Cross, www.prepare.org:
Helps you and your family prepare for natural and human-caused disasters.
Sarasota County Emergency Services, www.scgov.net/
EmergencyServices/
allhazards.asp:
Be better prepared for hurricane season and other disasters.
Sarasota County Storm Center, www.scgov.net/StormCenter/
StormCenterHome.asp:
Storm and hurricane information.
"Know What to Do About the Flu," www.flu.gov or www.pandemicflu.gov:
One-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information.
"Disasters and Emergencies" from the Department of Health and Human Services, www.hhs.gov/disasters:
Information on man-made and natural disasters. | |
Reference Question of the Month:
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I just read the book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon. That’s an unusual title.
Does the phrase “the dog in the night-time” have a special meaning?
Yes, that phrase is interesting, isn't it? According to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (REF 803 BRE) it means “an unconscious conniver; an unwitting party to a crime. The reference is to the dog in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story ‘Silver Blaze’ (1892), which did not bark in the night because it knew the man who took the horse from the stables. The exchange between Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Gregory is famous:
‘Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?’
‘To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.’
‘The dog did nothing in the night-time.’
‘That was the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock Holmes.”
* Look for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time under HADDON in Adult or Young Adult Fiction and audiobooks.
* Read “Silver Blaze” in a collection of stories titled Murder at the Races (FICTION MURDER) or on CD in a collection called "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. II" (DOYLE). Watch the movie version of "Silver Blaze" on DVD (DVD 823.912 SIL) or video (VHS 823.914). |
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Staff Picks - Children's Material:
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Your Feedback:
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Have you tried our new downloadable audiobooks, ecat.lib.overdrive.com?
Do you have suggestions for titles or subjects you would like to see added to the downloadable audiobook collection?
Please share your suggestions with us. We want to know what you think!
Submit your suggestions through the library website's "Suggestions and Comments" page, sclibs.net/comments.aspx, or send email to librarywebmaster@scgov.net.
Please include "downloadable audiobooks" somewhere in your message. |
| ** Important Notice Regarding privacy and e-mail.SB 80 effective July 1, 2006: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead contact this office by phone or in writing. |
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Your Sarasota County Libraries are now on Facebook and Twitter.
 
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Readers are lucky--they will never be bored or lonely.
- Natalie Babbitt
Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library.
- Walter Savage Landor
The richest person in the world, in fact, all the riches in the world couldn't provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library.
- Malcolm Forbes
There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island....
- Walt Disney
When I got my library card, that's when my life began.
- Rita Mae Brown
The only way to do all the things you'd like to do is to read.
- Tom Clancy
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Staff Picks - Adult Material:
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When I was your age, television was called books! ~Grandpa in "The Princess Bride" |
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