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 Selections
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The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System |
~ October 2009 ~ Volume 4, Issue 6 | |
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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 staff of Selby Library.
Community Connection:
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Community Groups
A La Mode
Selby Public Library plays host to more than 100 community groups in the Geldbart Auditorium and the 2nd floor Conference Room every year. The use of these rooms is granted to registered nonprofit groups and organizations whose aims are cultural, educational, intellectual, or charitable and/or for discussions of current public issues. Many of these groups have been coming to Selby for years, and then there are some new groups who discover us every week!
The variety of groups is tremendous. They range from book clubs to record collectors, recreational, cultural exchange and educational groups, government agencies, and some special interest groups, such as AARP. Some groups come to us because their membership has outgrown the living room or clubhouse they had previously met in, while others meet here specifically to reach a larger audience. Some meet here monthly, while others are happy to get together whenever the schedule allows.
In October 2008 Selby had the signups for the 2009 meetings. More than 30 contacts representing their groups waited outside the building, and then filed into the Auditorium to fill out forms, all in the hope of being the first to request their coveted “2nd Tuesday” or “last Saturday” of the month for their group for the following year. The signup for 2010 was October 2nd at 9 a.m., and we expected our faithful friends to return, along with some new faces.
Some groups offer lectures for the public, while some groups tie their programs into exhibits they have on display at Selby, such as the Florida Friends of Midwives, who are displaying a quilt during October of this year as part of their Safe Motherhood Quilt Project. They hope the display will attract people to their lecture, which would then increase awareness of the maternal mortality rate in the US. We are happy to have all of our groups, big and small, as a part of our community service package! For more information contact selbymeeting@scgov.net.
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Featured Story:
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As fall approaches and Sarasota residents eagerly await the upcoming season of musical events from organizations such as the Sarasota Orchestra and the Sarasota Opera, we here at the library would like to invite our patrons to continue to challenge conceptions that have in the past equated libraries with silence. Here at Selby we strive to make available to our patrons a wealth of musical resources, including a large circulating CD collection, DVDs and VHSs of opera and musical performances, and books about musical theory, famous musicians, and composers.
In addition to these materials, patrons can drop by or contact the Sarasota Music Archive, located on the second floor of the library, for access to their extensive holdings. The Archive contains a huge and ever expanding collection of recorded music on vinyl, reel-to-reel tape, VHS and CD, as well as thousands of pieces of sheet music and scores. It is run by a wonderful group of dedicated volunteers who support the organization’s dual role of stewardship of musical resources and public education and outreach. The Archive has been programming a fantastic live music series known as “Second Sundays at Selby” for many years now, and it is not unusual for these free public programs to fill our auditorium to capacity.
The individual who is instrumental (please forgive the pun) in selecting the quality artists who delight our patrons is Sarasota Music Archive Program Director Dr. John Goodman. Dr. Goodman came to Sarasota after retiring from a distinguished 38 year career as a professor at Boston University, and happily for us, upon arriving in our community he graciously retook his position both behind the lectern and behind the piano. As part of a continuing series entitled ‘Masters and Masterpieces of Music,’ the Friends of Selby Public Library have been proud to sponsor Dr. Goodman’s erudite and engaging lectures on a variety of musical topics and personalities over the years; past subjects have included Gilbert & Sullivan, Close Up on Opera I, II and III, the Music of J. S. Bach, the Operas of Puccini, the Music of Ravel, Great Choral Works, the Music of Beethoven, the Symphony, 20th Century Music, Music Fundamentals, and the Concerto.
Luckily for us, we haven’t yet come close to taxing Dr. Goodman’s inexhaustible knowledge or the public’s insatiable appetite for it, and this October Selby’s most beloved lecturer will return with a series of four lectures featuring the waltz, entitled “The Waltz: Twirling Through Time.” The series will occur on Wednesdays, from 10:30 – 11:35 a. m. in Selby’s Geldbart Auditorium. Beginning on October 14th, the first session will focus on the contributions of Schubert, von Weber, Chopin and Liszt to the genesis of the waltz. The next session will occur on October 21st, and will cover the waltz’s use in the symphonic works and operas of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and others. October 28th’s class will feature the Viennese Waltz, and the role of the Strausses, Lehar, and others in its development, while the final session on November 4th will cover R. Strauss, Ravel, and the waltz’s influence on American popular music.
With such a variety of musical offerings, we hope that you will find something that entertains and enhances your appreciation of the performing arts within our collections or at a library event or lecture. Please join us in our efforts to continue cultivating the audience of informed, enthusiastic and educated music lovers that our community treasures and deserves.
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Events:
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The Friends of the Selby Public Library to Co-Host Children's Reading Day,
Sunday, November 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at the Sarasota Children’s Garden.
Children’s Reading Day, a free, family-fun event co-hosted by the Friends of the Selby Public Library and the Sarasota Children’s Garden, will be held on one of Sarasota’s charming brick-paved streets, 10th Way, one block north of 10th Street and Orange Avenue. The happenings will be from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., rain or shine, on Sunday, November 22.
Children's Reading Day is about promoting reading among the young children of Sarasota. With fun and activities for children of all ages, the festival focuses on encouraging children of elementary school age to read. We don't need studies to tell us the importance of children learning to read at an early age. Reading is such a gateway to the world. It is up to the adults of Sarasota to show the children of Sarasota the importance of reading.
This festival was born out of the ashes of The Sarasota Reading Festival. For over a decade, The Sarasota Reading Festival filled the streets of downtown Sarasota with literary giants. Just one year without the festival, its absence was felt mostly by the parents of the young children who flooded the kids' area year after year. It was out of recognition of this void by Joan Marie Condon and Bob Stone that the Children's Reading Day was born. Both Marie and Bob agree “the festival would never have grown into the popular event it is now without the involvement of the Friends of the Selby Public Library, especially Kathy Hultquist.”
Joan Marie Condon said, "The ball got rolling as a direct result of a conversation I was having with Bob. Bob told me he had some ideas about expanding on my Reading Day. I have been having local children's authors come to the Garden for a few years now. It was time to grow, but I wasn't sure what the next step should be. With the absence of The Sarasota Reading Festival, it seemed a good time to create a reading day for children. The children and families of Sarasota need to know the importance of reading."
"There is no point having a reading festival without involving the library," added Bob Stone, chairman of the Children's Reading Day Committee. "Joan Marie and I started a conversation based on her Reading Days held at the Garden. The very first thing to do was to contact the library and make sure they’re in.” Library management quickly got on board.
This is a very special day where we promote reading with local children's authors and give authors an opportunity to sell their fantastic books. This is a great opportunity to have your books signed to your child from the author--great Christmas gifts! Lots of family fun with tons of activities, stage events, and food and drink from different vendors. This is a free admission day to the Children’s Garden.
Unplug your kids!
Come out and support our local children's authors and the Sarasota Children’s Garden!
Show your children the importance of reading! |
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| Comcast Check Presentation at The Children's Garden. From left to right: Joan Marie Condon, Kathy Hultquist, Bob Stone, Elaine Lunkes (Comcast), Bridget Mobley (Mommy Magazine) |
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National Library News:
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Recent Events at the Free Library of Philadelphia
Public libraries all over the country have been bearing witness to the troubled economy while seeing a surge in the number of library visitors and requests for informational assistance. What happens when the library itself is in trouble?
On Monday, September 14, 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story entitled, “Libraries Post Notice Warning of October 2 Closing.” How could that possibly be? It was the shot heard ‘round the library world.
As reported by the Inquirer:
"The Free Library of Philadelphia has posted notices at its branches and on its web site advising users that all libraries will close at the end of business on October 2 if the state Legislature does not act on the city's budget request.
The following is the text of the notice posted by the Free Library:
All Free Library of Philadelphia Branch, Regional and Central Libraries Closed Effective Close of Business October 2, 2009.
All Free Library of Philadelphia Customers,
We deeply regret to inform you that without the necessary budgetary legislation by the State Legislature in Harrisburg, the City of Philadelphia will not have the funds to operate our neighborhood branch libraries, regional libraries, or the Parkway Central Library after October 2, 2009.
Specifically, the following will take effect after the close of business, October 2, 2009:
All branch and regional library programs, including programs for children and teens, after school programs, computer classes, and programs for adults, will be cancelled.
All Parkway Central Library programs, including children programs, programs to support small businesses and job seekers, computer classes and after school programs, will be cancelled. We are exploring the possibility of relocating the Philadelphia Author Series programs to other non-library facilities.
All library visits to schools, day care centers, senior centers and other community centers will cease.
All community meetings at our branch and regional libraries, and the Parkway Central Library, will be cancelled.
All GED, ABE and ESL programs held at Free Library branches will be discontinued, students should contact their teacher to see if other arrangements are being made.
In addition, all library materials will be due on October 1, 2009. This will result in a diminishing borrowing period for books and other library materials, beginning September 11, 2009. No library materials will be able to be borrowed after September 30, 2009.
Even as we remain hopeful that the State Legislature will act and pass the enabling funding legislation, we wanted to notify all of our customers of this very possible outcome.
We thank you for your understanding, patience, and continued support of the Free Library of Philadelphia during these difficult times.
Siobhan Reardon, President and Director, Free Library of Philadelphia
Happily, the FLP website posts a letter from Ms. Reardon that shares the good news:
You Spoke, Harrisburg Listened
We are thrilled to announce that the Pennsylvania State Senate passed bill 1828 by a vote of 32 to 17. For all of you who have been following the saga over the city's budget crisis, this is the legislation that was needed for the City of Philadelphia to avoid the "Doomsday" Plan C budget scenario, which would have resulted in the layoff of 3,000 city employees and forced the closing of all libraries.
We are enormously grateful to everyone who advocated on our behalf. Thousands of letters to state legislators were collected from our libraries, and countless others made calls and sent emails underscoring how important public libraries are to the economic, educational and social life of our city. We also thank our incredible library staff, who despite the threat of imminent layoffs continued to provide excellent service to the thousands of people who use one of the 54 libraries in our system.
Stay abreast of what's happening at the Free Library of Philadelphia on that library's website: www.library.phila.gov.
For news from all around the library world, visit the American Library Association's "Libraries in the News" page:
ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/index.cfm.
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Local Library News:
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A Brand New Season for Cirque d'Book,
Selby's Book Discussion Group
Everywhere we go lately at Selby Library, we seem to be hearing more and more about book clubs and book discussion groups. For instance, there is the "Books and Coffee" monthly book lecture/discussion by renowned scholars sponsored by the Friends of the Selby Library* and also the "Paint the Town Re(a)d: Celebrate Book Clubs and Reading" event happening at Selby Library on Saturday, March 6, 2010.
In addition, Selby Library is reinstating Cirque d’Book, its monthly book discussion group. This incarnation of the group is led by talented librarian Charlotte Thompson. Charlotte retired from the library field a couple of years ago after working for decades in Massachusetts and here at Selby. We are really glad that Charlotte, an avid reader and creative thinker, accepted our invitation to facilitate the group.
The dates and titles for upcoming meetings of Cirque d’Book are as follows:
Cirque d’Book meets in the Conference Room of the Selby Public Library on the days listed above from 10:30 a.m. to noon. All the books listed are available to reserve in SUNCAT, the library catalog. No need to reserve a seat, but space is limited to 25 people.
*The schedule for "Books and Coffee" is found on the website of the Friends of the Selby Public Library, www.selbylibraryfriends.org/content/programs/books_coffee.html. |
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Featured Internet Sites:
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Government Document Websites
A list of handy websites to locate local, state and federal government
information:
sclibsegov.tumblr.com
The Sarasota County Library System’s direct connection to Government Information. A blog that shares interesting government related news.
Delicious.com/Sarasota_EGov
The Sarasota County Library System’s social bookmarks for
sharing and discovering local, state and federal government websites. It allows the library system to show you the most popular bookmarks being saved and provides you with the search and tagging tools you need to find the information you are looking for.
www.usa.gov
Whatever you want or need from the U.S. government, it’s here on USA.gov. With it’s powerful search engine and ever-growing collection of topical and customer-focused links, you are connected to millions of web pages from the federal government, local and tribal governments and foreign nations around the world.
www.fedworld.gov
FedWorld serves as an online locator service for locating federal government information. It provides access to searchable databases of federal job listings, government research and development publications, Supreme Court Decisions, Internal Revenue Service forms and documents, science and technology resources,
and government websites.
free.ed.gov/index.cfm
FREE: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence is a vast collection of teaching and
learning resources from more than 30 federal organizations working together to make educational resources easier to find. Resources are organized according to subject area or can be chosen from four format categories: animations, photos, primary source materials and videos. Subjects include arts, educational technology, foreign languages, health and safety, language arts, mathematics, physical education, science, social studies and vocational education.
www.pueblo.gsa.gov
The Federal Citizen Information Center is a one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government services. Consumers can access a wide range of subjects by clicking on different topic headings. Hundreds of publications, the latest product recalls and scams, updates of consumer news from various federal agencies, and a calendar of consumer-related events are also available.
www.govspot.com
Govspot is a directory of links to local, state and world government information. The website covers issues in the news, government employment job listings and shortcuts for much-needed information, such as tax forms, financial aid, postal rates, and passports. Listed subject areas include general government information, social services, justice, matters of money, science and travel, world affairs and politics.
www.healthierus.gov
The intention of this site is to be a “source of credible, accurate information to help Americans choose to love healthier lives.” It features links to government
reports and statistics on physical fitness, nutrition, prevention and the avoidance of risky behaviors. It is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
www.nutrition.gov
This website provides easy access to the best food and nutrition information from across the federal government. It serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition,
healthy eating, physical activity and food safety for consumers.
www.govloans.gov
Five federal agencies (Departments of Agriculture, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs plus the U.S. Small Business Administration) have come together to create this single point of access for federal loan information on the Web. You can browse or search for loans for farming, business, education, disaster relief, housing and more.
www.usajobs.opm.gov
This is the official website of the U.S. Federal Government. It's your one-stop source for federal jobs and employment information.
www.visi.com/juan/congress
This is a database of biographical information, phone numbers, FAX numbers, office addresses, electronic mail addresses and homepages for members of Congress and Congressional Committees.
www.loc.gov/wiseguide/
The Library of Congress introduces “the many fascinating, educational and otherwise useful resources available from the nation’s library and one of the most popular Web sites of the federal government. The ’Wise Guide’ will be refreshed monthly, much like a magazine, offering links to the best of the Library’s online materials. Each of these ‘articles’ is based on items contained in a collection, database, reading room or other area” of the site.
www.fedstats.gov
Fedstats makes available, statistical information from more than 100 government agencies. It provides "data and trend information on such topics as economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, and farm production." Searchable, and browsable by topic, program, or agency. Click on "MapStats" to get state, county, city, congressional district or federal judicial district profiles.
www.censusscope.org
"CensusScope is an easy-to-use tool for investigating U.S. demographic trends.... CensusScope is designed for generalists and specialists." Includes graphs, charts, maps and ranking for national, state, metro and county data from the 2000, 1990, 1980 and sometimes earlier censuses.
quickfacts.census.gov/qfd
This website provides quick, easy access to facts about people, business and geography at the national, state and county levels. “People Facts” include recent population estimates: racial, age and gender breakouts; high school and college graduates;
households; and children under the poverty level. “Business Facts” include retail sales,
minority and women owned businesses, and building permits.
www.brillig.com/debt_clock
Up-to-the-second display of the outstanding public debt and each citizen's share of the debt. Also provides links to news and a FAQ
www.statelocalgov.net
A directory of official State and Local Government websites.
www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
This is the official White House blog, launched in January 2009 at the start of the Barack Obama Administration. Includes video and text of the "Weekly Address" and announces events, proclamations, executive orders, and other White House activities. RSS feed is available.
blog.usa.gov/roller
This U.S. government blog, GovGab, covers a wide range of topics related to government
agencies: elections and voting, finance and investing, consumer topics, holidays, health and safety and more. It provides links to relevant sources for federal
government and other websites.
www.govfresh.com
This service is a live feed of official news from U.S. Government Twitter, YouTube, RSS, Facebook, Flickr accounts and more, all in one place. Click on each government entity (such as White House, Supreme Court, Department of State, FBI, and Army) to see specific material . | |
Reference Question of the Month:
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What exit should I take off Interstate 95 to get to Raleigh, North Carolina?
When traveling on I-95 North in North Carolina, one should take exit 81, which is I-40 West, to get to Raleigh, North Carolina.
This question seems straightforward enough, but there is more to this one:
This question was asked over the phone. It quickly became clear that this Sarasota resident was traveling north on I-95 while she was on the phone. (Our patrons call us before they call OnStar!) After the directions above were given, we suggested she stop at a gas station or convenience store to get a map and assistance from a North Carolina resident.
Sources: “The Road Atlas” (912 RAN) and Mapquest, mapquest.com.
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Staff Picks:
| DVDs and Audiobooks for Adults |
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Sarah's Pick:
Coraline (on DVD) |
Mike's Pick:
K-Pax (on DVD or VHS) |
Ellen's Pick:
Laws of Attraction (on DVD or VHS) |
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Chris's Pick:
Let the Right One In (on DVD) |
Mike's Pick:
Primeval (on DVD) |
Ellen's Pick:
The Wedding Date (on DVD) |
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Christie's Pick:
Skeletons at the Feast (book on CD) by Chris Bohjalian |
Sarah's Pick:
Stillness Speaks (book on CD) by Eckhart Tolle |
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Featured Database:
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BauerFinancial
With all the financial institutions in turmoil, it is good to know where to find dependable information on banks and credit unions. There is a reliable, free website that meets this need. The BauerFinancial website provides ratings of banks and credit unions. The address is www.bauerfinancial.com.
BauerFinancial, Inc. has been analyzing and reporting on the financial condition of the nation’s banking industry since 1983. This company is considered to be “the nation’s bank rating service.”
Financial data that is reported to the government is used to analyze the strength of the financial institution. Quarterly data is analyzed and is compared with historical data for consistency. Upon completion of the analysis, a star-rating is assigned based on a scale of zero to five stars with five stars being the strongest. BauerFinancial is the source for unbiased bank and credit union star-ratings. No institution pays for its rating. This is a free, very user-friendly website to use.
A frequently asked financial question is about CD rates. BauerFinancial also provides information on CDs and Jumbo CD rates offered by some of the strongest banks and credit unions in the country. There is a "CD Rates" tab that you click on to learn about the financial institution with the best CD rate based on 6 months, 1 year, 3 years or 5 years . |
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Your Feedback:
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What three things are most important to your library experience?
Please share your three things with us. We want to know what you think!
Submit your answers through the library website's "Suggestions and Comments" page, sclibs.net/comments.aspx, or send them in an email to librarywebmaster@scgov.net. |
| ** 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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Volunteer Spotlight:
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Walter Sargent
When Walter Sargent began looking for a retirement home on the Gulf Coast, the Massachusetts native had two important requirements: to be near a good library and no winter. Longboat Key was it for awhile, but then he and wife Sharon became city folks, settling in downtown Sarasota. He’s been a shelver at Selby almost since it opened in August 1998.
Walter’s 13 years of military service in the army’s Counter-Intellingence Corps got him trained in French and eventually posted in Germany and then Viet Nam, where his French would be useful. As Commanding Officer of the 82nd Military M1 Detachment, his specialty was security and counter-terrorism.
Walter left the army in 1966 and joined the State Department Foreign Service in 1967. Other postings brought him to Washington, D.C., Kinshasa, Beirut, Bogota, Tokyo, Manila and El Salvador (where he met Sharon, an English teacher, now Department Chair of ESOL at SCTI). He retired as a Senior Foreign Service Officer in 1996.
Today, he logs in three hours of shelving twice a week, wearing knee pads to enable him to do justice to the bottom shelves. He also practices tai chi and the Japanese swordsmanship art of Iaido. |
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Your Sarasota County Libraries are now on Facebook and Twitter.
 
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Life is too short to read a bad book! |
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