Photo Story 3 from Microsoft

If you haven't discovered Photo Story 3 - take a look. This presentation tool is very quick and the results are professional. The download is free as long as you have other Microsoft products on your computer.

Photo Story 3 includes features that enable you to create a slideshow with your digital pictures, edit your pictures, create your story with original music, add narration, and share them with your family and friends.

Create a photo story. You can create a photo story that includes motion, narration, and music. Photo Story 3 includes dramatic pan and zoom effects, picture rotation, and cropping tools to customize your photos. You can also compose an original soundtrack from directly within Photo Story 3, narrate your story and add special effects, transitions, and much more.

Edit and save your photo story. The new smart touch-up features make it easy to instantly remove red eye, and correct the lighting in your pictures. There are also several different options for saving a story and its associated project so that you can edit the story later or share it immediately.

Import pictures. If you have a collection of pictures on an MSN Group Web site, you can import these pictures into your photo stories.

Altered Books and Other Creative Tidbits

NTRLS just hosted Julie Ousley from the New Braunfels Public Library for an altered books workshop. Do you have books leftover from your booksales? They can still make money for the library. Julie makes altered books, book purses and furniture that is sold at the library. She gets many of her ideas from Crafters. Here are some of her designs. What a creative way to discard those books!

Internet Funding Study Survey

If you have a moment, please read the text below and fill out the survey. Thanks!

The answers you provide will provide public libraries, state library agencies, the American Library Association, policymakers, and others with extremely important data regarding public library computer and Internet access issues, what it takes to sustain public access computer and Internet services in your library, and the impacts of such public access services on the communities that your library serves.
You may access the survey at http://survey.pnmi.com. The survey is web-based and has a total of 21 questions that will take you about 30 minutes to complete. PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY BY MARCH 1, 2007.
You will need your state assigned Library ID code included in the survey announcement letter that library directors received to initiate the survey. If you have lost that ID number, you can look it up on the survey site. If you have any questions, or need further assistance, please e-mail PL2006@ci.fsu.edu.
We appreciate all your help with this important study. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks again.
Deborah Littrell
Director, Library Development division
Texas State Library and Archives Commission PO Box 12927 Austin, TX 78711-2927
512-463-5456
512-463-8800 fax
deborah.littrell@tsl.state.tx.us

Customer Service

Kerry McGeath, the library director at Southlake Public Library presented two workshops on customer service for NTRLS. Kerry has over 20 years of experience in the retail world and is bringing that experience to the public library arena.

One comment that really stood out to me was to remember that your patrons do not know your rules. Even if you have signs posted, know that people often miss the signs. We might get irritated at having to answer the same questions over and over, but just remember the next time you walk into an unfamiliar environment - how do you feel? Do you know who to ask questions, where to go, or what the policies are?

At the end of the day, and I know it sounds cliché, but it all comes down to treating people with respect, professionalism and courtesy. Treat everyone as if they were your mother, child, spouse, etc... - well that is, if you like those people!

System Funding Formula Under Review

The Texas Library Systems Act Advisory Board(LSSA) met yesterday. This board advises the Texas State Library and Archives Commission(TSLAC) on the Systems and they have been tasked with the responsibility of revising the System funding formula. As a reminder, TSLAC uses the funding formula for the distribution of grant funds to the ten Texas Systems. For additional background information, please check the background document TSLAC provided to the LSAA for yesterday's meeting. The LSAA approved this timeline and is looking for public comments after the new proposed formula is finalized at the February 23rd meeting. TSLAC gave the LSAA some funding formula examples for their consideration. If you look at the examples, the first one given is what our FY2008 budget would be if the formula did not change at all ($619,077). If one of the other examples is adopted, we could receive anywhere from $569K to $631K. I highly encourage anyone interested in how the Systems are funded to look at this process very carefully and take a few minutes to comment on the proposed funding formula. I will post the URL for public comments as soon as TSLAC makes it available.

Two New NTRLS Board of Directors Members

Hi. The NTRLS Board of Directors met last Thursday and appointed two new board members. Carl Campbell will represent Region 6 libraries while Patricia Jefferson will represent Region 2 libraries. You can find their contact information here. Welcome to our new Board members!

Library Round-Up!

Welcome to Tanya Ochoa, the new library director at the Betty Foster Public Library in Ponder Texas! Tanya comes with vast customer service experience.

Yesterday, I met with Tanya and changes are in the air. The library has been rearranged and new furniture highlights the updated design. While this library is small square footage wise, it is outreaching its community well.

I also visited The Colony Public Library and received the grand tour from Joan Sveinsson, the library director. The library was remodeled in 2000 and like so many of our libraries, is growing fast and needs space. While I was there, around lunch time, all of the computers were full, there were many parents with their children, and staff busily helping patrons. I was surprised to learn that The Colony was incorporated in 1977 - so it is a relatively young "official" community. Joan and her staff are busy working on a local history project to coordinate the community's history - including details of original landowners and gifts. Once completed, this will be vital resource for the community.

Second Round of NTRLS HELP Mini-Grants

The NTRLS Services Planning Committee has decided to offer a second round of HELP Mini-Grants to member libraries in the amount of $18,000. Extra funds became available when NTRLS staffing levels fell to six employees. The applications for this second round of grants are due by March 15, 2007. Awards will be given in April 2007. All grant funds must be spent by August 11, 2007. As a reminder, the scope of the grant has been expanded “to fund projects that are enhancements of existing services; however, first priority will be given to projects that request the assistance of paid consultants for specific library development projects (taken from the HELP Mini-Grants Application form found on the NTRLS website).” In the first round of funding, the Services Planning Committee gave awards for a variety of projects including: (1) producing a video to introduce children to library services; (2) hiring a consultant to perform a space needs assessment; and (3) renewing an electronic subscription as well as purchasing equipment to process books. I must stress that Grant applications will be evaluated heavily on the ability to meet the spending deadlines specified above. If you have a summer project needing funds, please do not hesitate to apply. Applications can be found on the NTRLS website under Featured Links. If you have any questions, please call me at 800-856-3050.

Bedford City Council Decides to Look into Outsourcing Library

This article explains the situation in Bedford concerning the possible outsourcing of the library operations to a private company. I attended part of the city council meeting last night and was impressed with the support the library received from the Bedford residents. Maria Redburn, director of the Bedford Public Library, did a fantastic job presenting her business plan to the council. I lasted through four of the presentations done by the citizens. All of them were very passionate and logical in their arguments against outsourcing, and it surprised me that the council voted in favor going forward with the RFP process. NTRLS will be watching, and reporting, on developments over the next few months.

Strengthening Library Staff Through Training

The North Texas Regional Library System held the third meeting of the ad hoc Continuing Education Provider's Committee on January 9, 2007. This committee was created for resource sharing and idea brainstorming. With shrinking funds for libraries, it is often difficult for librarians and other staff to develop skills and tools for professional growth. NTRLS strives to provide relevant workshops which are presented throughout our area, and are open to anyone - free of charge.

If you would like to check out what workshops we currently have available, check our CE Portal. If you would like to be involved in the CE Provider's committee, email Carolyn Davidson at cdavidson(at)ntrls.org.

New Jersey Library Locks Doors After School

I read about this article on Michael Stephen's Tame the Web. It states that the Maplewood Public Library has decided to lock its doors between 2:45 pm and 5 pm to keep rowdy teens out of the library. These teens apparently descend upon the library and cause chaos.

In consultation with a lawyer, the library board came up with behavior guidelines in May 2005 that prohibited activities like “hairdressing or grooming of another person” and “refusal to leave the building.” The policy includes some politely precise language common to those who speak softly from behind a reference desk: “If a patron seems to be placing a staff member in the position of providing a nonlibrary-related function, the staff member may bring the interaction to a prompt conclusion."

But library officials felt that a bigger stick was needed. Last week, the board posted a notice on its Web site and library doors saying it had “struggled with this problem for over 10 years” and voted “with great reluctance” on Dec. 20 to close after school.

When I worked for the Houston Public Library, I worked at a branch located between a elementary school and a middle school. Everyday, we had 50 to 100 children come to our library. At my branch, we worked hard to provide a structured environment for the children so it was just an extension of their school day. We met the children at the door, walked them into the library and gave them assigned seats. We then monitored the stacks assisting children when needed. Did it work all the time? No. We often asked children to leave because of their behavior. I find it hard to believe that a library would be forced to close its doors to avoid dealing with children. There has to be a better solution!!

The Lifelong Library Experience (L2E)

I have written an featured article on ntrls.org about The Lifelong Library Experience (L2E). Here is snippet:

"As we move into a new age where libraries are evolving, It is essential that the different types of libraries, school, academic and public, come together to continue to offer consistent services to our patrons throughout their lifetimes. I am calling this the Lifelong Library Experience, or L2E for short."

Check it out.

Bedford City Council Meeting

Last night, I attended the Bedford City Council meeting. As you might have heard, the City of Bedford is considering outsourcing the library management to Library Systems and Services, Inc (LSSI). dona weisman, President of the Bedford Public Library Advisory Board, made a statement against privatization. From my conversations with dona and Maria Redburn, Library Director of the Bedford Public Library, this will be the first time that LSSI has taken over an established library that is not in a dire financial crisis. dona mentioned in her statement to the City Council that LSSI would be experimenting with Bedford. dona also mentioned that City would only save .2%($100,000) of the overall City Budget if they outsourced the management of the library. dona also praised the leadership of Maria pointing out the fact that none of the Bedford Public Library staff has left since Bedford was reopened and Maria took the helm. dona related that the advisory board felt it was too risky for the library to be an experiment for LSSI, and she mentioned a fear of a degradation of services and the loss of community if LSSI succeeds in their efforts. The City Council will vote on the measure on January 9, 2007. I plan on being there.

Library Service in Nocona

Yesterday, I visited the Nocona Public Library. Nocona serves a population of 3,230 in Montague County.

The library is decorated for the holidays and is very welcoming and festive. A big children's Christmas party is planned for this Saturday - and the goodies are ready to go.

It is amazing to me to see how much rural libraries provide for their communities. The Library Director, Mary Norman and Alicia Walker, Assistant Librarian, are expanding programs to bring adults and children into the library. They have worked together this last year, to update the collection and create a welcoming atmosphere.

If you are ever in Nocona, stop in and say hello!

Lessons Learned from an Infocentre Upgrade

As part of my duties here at NTRLS, I consult with our member libraries on their Integrated Library Systems (ILS). I was at the John Ed Keeter Public Library of Saginaw yesterday assisting them with their migration from Sagebrush Athena to Follett’s Infocentre. Saginaw uses Novell, which was a challenge because Novell is not my primary area of expertise. Here are some lessons learned from the experience.

1. Test, Test, Test. I encouraged Saginaw to set up a test environment before attempting to migrate their “live” system. I did this because if something goes wrong in a test environment, you can easily recover whereas if something happens when migrating a “live” system, it can be devastating.

2. Call, Call again and Call one more time. Follett’s customer service was backed up with phone calls. We called at 11:15 am when we encountered our first issue with the migration. We didn’t hear anything back until after 2 pm and this was after we called them twice more. We, of course, continued to troubleshoot the issue while we waited, but it was still frustrating to have such a poor response time.

3. Download from a faster location if available. Saginaw does not have the fastest Internet connection so I had downloaded some of the required software the night before from my house where my connection is much quicker. Despite this, I still had to spend about an hour downloading some other software. If you have access to a fast connection, I highly recommend you use it.

4. Patience, Patience and more Patience. I hate to report that we never did get it to work correctly. This was actually my second visit to the library to attempt the migration in the test environment. I wanted to try again because Follett released version 2.2 of the Infocentre product. My hope was the newer version would fix whatever was causing the connection failure. We haven’t given up. Follett has upgraded our support request to the next tier and I am going to be on the hunt for a Novell expert who might be able to give us a hand.

Economic Benefit Study Released November 29, 2006

A new study released November 29, 2006 shows that nine public library systems in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren counties in Southwest Ohio create an annual economic impact of nearly four times the amount invested in their operations. While this report covers Ohio libraries, much of the resulting information and analysis can be replicated for Texas libraries to determine economic value. The report from Levin, Driscoll & Fleeter in Columbus concludes that, using a conservative measure of value the libraries' cumulative expenditure of about $74 million returned a quantifiable direct economic benefit of $238.6 million, or $3.81 for each dollar expended in 2005. The study also recognizes that these libraries add significant value to their users and communities that cannot be assigned a dollar value including, "improved economic prospects and an enhanced quality of life."

Spanish for Librarians

NTRLS just provided the workshop "Spanish for Librarians" for library staff and volunteers. The instructor, Dr. Maryjane Dunn, the Director of Training at Command Spanish, taught two days of intensive Spanish language verbal drills and exercises. Many attendees commented they were amazed by how many phrases they were able to retain in just two days. This workshop will be repeated at a later date since there is such a demand and seating is limited. Please watch for the flyer (it is anticipated that the workshop will be held in early 2007).

To share a little bit of the knowledge learned, two phrases that we might all find helpful are:
Baje el volumen, por favor. (Lower your voice, please.)
No hablo mucho español, pero trataré de ayudar. (I don't speak much Spanish, but I will try to help.)

TALL Texans Leadership Institute

Texas Library Association is seeking candidates for the 2007 TALL Texans Leadership Institute.

The TALL Texans Institute is a week-long intensive workshop on leadership and management in the library profession. This transformational program is intended to enhance leadership skills in diverse participants. Many librarians have found that this program has changed their careers in profoundly positive ways.

Topics covered include * Improving your effectiveness as a leader * Key components for effective communication * Understanding personal power *
* Styles of influence * Process for making risky decisions * Diagnosing sources of conflict and disagreement * Negotiating skills *
* Principles and Practices of working in collaboration * Leading effective teams * Appreciative Inquiry: an innovative approach to change *
* Coaching and mentoring * Developing commitment to change * Planning your development

The seminar is taught by Maureen Sullivan and Jack Siggins.

Maureen Sullivan is on the faculty of the annual ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute and is a professor of practice in the new Ph.D./Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions program at the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science. She received her MLS degree from the University of Maryland.
Jack Siggins is the University Librarian the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. His career in academic and research libraries has included positions at the Library of Congress, the University of Chicago, the University of Maryland, Yale University. He is a graduate of Princeton University with a B.A. degree in Romance Languages. He also holds advanced degrees from American University and the University of Chicago.

The course will be held at Highland Lakes Camp, approximately 35 miles west of Austin within Pace Bend Park. Participants will stay in dormitory rooms on site and all meals are included in the cost of registration. TLA members are encouraged to seek financial support from their employers and TLA units to cover the costs of the workshop.

To apply for candidacy to the TALL Institute, please complete an online application form before January 2, 2007, at
http://www.txla.org/groups/talltex/apply.html

Applications will be reviewed by the TLA Leadership Development Selection Subcommittee. Most participants will be required to have 5 years of professional experience, current employment in the library field, and membership in the Texas Library Association by the date that applications are reviewed (please see application instructions for details).

Job Search Site

SimplyHired, a search engine focused on employment launches Resume Post, which allows job seekers to instantly post their resumes to 5 major job boards, including Monster, Career Builder and Job.com.

These two resume posting services will help you to increase your visibility among the companies hiring for the jobs you want most. Before Simply Hired, you'd have to visit different sites one by one to post your resume. And each site would require you to enter your resume in a different format. Now, with our new resume posting services, you don't need to visit a dozen different sites to get the job done. We'll submit your resume to multiple job boards at once to help you on your hunt for the ideal "new gig".

Simply Hired is a great resource for job seekers using your library's computers.

Free Subscription to Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online

In the November 20th issue of Library Hotline, Disney announces that public libraries can receive a free subscription to Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online.

"The ad-free, interactive learning program for preschoolers offers story-driven games and activities focusing on building skills in letter and number recognition, shape and color identification, and counting." (Library Hotline, 11/16/2006, p.5)

Email library@preschooltime.com to receive a welcome kit.