Events Calendar for August 27-September 3, 2007

Monday, August 27

• Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Westview Senior Center (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Avila Retirement Community (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Daughters of Sarah (Bookmobile)
• Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)

Tuesday, August 28

• Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
• Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Delaware Dogs Program (Delaware Branch)

Wednesday, August 29

• Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Delaware Branch)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)
• Silent Film Spectacular (Main Library)

Thursday, August 30

• Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
• Harry Potter Book Discussion (Pine Hills Branch)

Friday, August 31

• Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Connecting with America (Pine Hills Branch)

Saturday, September 1-Monday, September 3

All locations closed for Labor Day Weekend (0)

Events Calendar for August 20-25, 2007

Monday, August 20
Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
Bookmobile - Atria Shaker (Bookmobile)
Bookmobile - Atria Crossgates (Bookmobile)
Bookmobile - Harriman Campus (Bookmobile)
Movie - Hoot (Main Library)
Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)
Tuesday, August 21
Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
Movie - Charlotte's Web (Main Library)
Summer Reading Party (North Albany Branch)
Delaware Dogs Program (Delaware Branch)
Albany Public Library Called Board Meeting (Main Library)
Wednesday, August 22
Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
Book Discussion Group (Main Library)
Pre-School Storytime (North Albany Branch)
Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
Pre-School Storytime (Delaware Branch)
Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
Bookmobile - Crestwood Plaza (Bookmobile)
Movie - Happy Feet (Main Library)
Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)
Silent Film Spectacular (Main Library)
Thursday, August 23
Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
Movie - Tuck Everlasting (Main Library)
End of Summer Reading Party (Delaware Branch)
Friday, August 24
Get Caught Reading (Main Library)
Bookmobile - Ida Yarborough (Bookmobile)
Bookmobile - South Mall Towers (Bookmobile)
Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
Movie - Stuart Little (Main Library)
Connecting with America (Pine Hills Branch)
Saturday, August 25
Chinese Story Time (Pine Hills Branch)

The Art of E-Newsletters

Well-regarded librarian Mary Ellen Bates recently published The Art of E-Newsletters: Ideas to Effectively Create and Market Electronic Newsletters, a 14-page PDF.

Events Calendar for August 13-18, 2007

Monday, August 13

• Bookmobile - Westview Senior Center (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Avila Retirement Community (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Daughters of Sarah (Bookmobile)
• Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)

Tuesday, August 14

• Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Summer Craft Time (Main Library)
• Make a Mobile (North Albany Branch)
• Delaware Dogs Program (Delaware Branch)

Wednesday, August 15

• Pre-School Storytime (North Albany Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Delaware Branch)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Open Computer Lab (North Albany Branch)
• Intro. to Word--Part 2 (Main Library)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)
• Silent Film Spectacular (Main Library)

Thursday, August 16

• Bookmobile - Center for Disability Services (Bookmobile)
• Hip Dips with Honest Weight Food Coop (Delaware Branch)
• Get a Clue: Who Makes the Best Chips? (Pine Hills Branch)
• Elvis Movie Madness! (Main Library)
• Elvis Movie Madness! (Main Library)
• Elvis Movie Madness! (Main Library)

Friday, August 17

• Bookmobile - First Lutheran Literacy Camp (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• End of Summer Reading Party (Main Library)
• Connecting with America (Pine Hills Branch)
• Garage Bands in the Garage (Main Library)

Saturday, August 18

• Board Games (Main Library)

A List Without Libraries

The Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies' list of Top 100 Tools for Learning - culled from top-10 charts created by e-learning experts - names a wide array of tech tools that professors have come to love. Among the items that made the cut are Web browsers, e-mail clients, RSS feeders, blogging programs, and, of course, Microsoft*s evergreen PowerPoint presentation software.

But online library resources, which would seem like a good fit for e-learners, are notably absent from the master list. What gives?

"It's not as if the responding experts ignored information-retrieval tools," writes Steven Bell at ACRLog. "Both Google and Google Scholar are on the top-100 list. And it's not as if these experts wouldn*t know something about library databases."

[MORE]

[The List]

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT - TUESDAY - 7 AUGUST 07

The "Midtown Neighborhood Watch," a partnership by the Albany Police Department, the University at Albany, the College of Saint Rose, the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association and the Beverwyck Neighborhood Association, and University Auxiliary Services is sponsoring a "National Night Out" event on Tuesday, August 7th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in front of Waterbury Hall on Alumni Quadrangle near the corner of Western Avenue and Partridge Street.

Along with thousands of communities nationwide on August 7th, this National Night Out event is designed to heighten crime awareness, generate support for local anticrime efforts and strengthen police-community partnerships such as the Midtown Neighborhood Watch.

Free food and beverages along with safety information and other giveaways will be provided. All are welcome!

Events Calendar for August 6-11 2007

Monday, August 6

• APL Design Review Committee (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Atria Shaker (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Atria Crossgates (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Harriman Campus (Bookmobile)
• Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)

Tuesday, August 7

• Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Crack the Code (North Albany Branch)
• Summer Craft Time (Main Library)
• Delaware Dogs Program (Delaware Branch)
• Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! (Delaware Branch)
• Bookmobile - National Night Out Event (Bookmobile)

Wednesday, August 8

• Bookmobile - New Covenant C.S. Music Camp (Bookmobile)
• Pre-School Storytime (North Albany Branch)
• Your Own Fruit Smoothie Storytime with the Honest Weight Food Coop (Delaware Branch)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - Crestwood Plaza (Bookmobile)
• Intro. to Internet Searching (North Albany Branch)
• Intro. to Word--Part 1 (Main Library)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)

Thursday, August 9

• Reading Program’s Almost over Bagel Party (Delaware Branch)
• Dance Dance Revolution (North Albany Branch)
• What’s the Scoop? (Pine Hills Branch)
• Visit from Albany Mounted & K9 Police (Delaware Branch)
• Teen Night (Main Library)

Friday, August 10

• Bookmobile - Ida Yarborough (Bookmobile)
• Open Computer Lab (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - South Mall Towers (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Connecting with America (Pine Hills Branch)

Saturday, August 11

• Monopoly Tournament (Main Library)
• Chinese Story Time (Pine Hills Branch)

A Librarian Is...

From INFOcus July 2007.

Events Calendar for July 30-August 4, 2007

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Monday, July 30

• Library Design Review Committee (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Westview Senior Center (Bookmobile)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Bookmobile - Avila Retirement Community (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Daughters of Sarah (Bookmobile)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Howe Branch)
• Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)

Tuesday, July 31

• Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Open Computer Lab (Howe Branch)
• Open Computer Lab (Howe Branch)
• The Flute and the Clarinet (Main Library)
• Paper Airplane Fun (North Albany Branch)
• Summer Craft Time (Main Library)
• Delaware Dogs (Delaware Branch)

Wednesday, August 1

• Pre-School Storytime (North Albany Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Delaware Branch)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Intro. to Internet (North Albany Branch)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)

Thursday, August 2

• Get a Clue about Beekeeping (Delaware Branch)
• 4th Annual Monopoly Tournament (Pine Hills Branch)

Friday, August 3

• Bookmobile - First Lutheran Literacy Camp (Bookmobile)
• Open Computer Lab (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Connecting with America (Pine Hills Branch)

Saturday, August 4

• Bookmobile - African American Family Day (Bookmobile)
• Board Games (Main Library)

Podcasts from SLA 2007

Here are podcasts of a few sessions from the SLA 2007 Annual Conference. Speakers and facilitators volunteered to have their remarks recorded. While questions were not included in the recording, you will hear the answers to queries from the audience.

Please note that the sound quality varies from one recording to another. In some cases, sound quality varies within a recording.

Print presentations have been included if provided.

Win a SPARKY Award and $1000!

Contest details.

"The Internet gives new meaning to the notion that, by sharing ideas, we build a better understanding of the world around us. If you use YouTube or Wikipedia, exchange gaming tips on the Internet, or have a blog, you probably well understand the value of sharing information, ideas, and knowledge.

Sharing can also be a vital tool in helping to address complex problems that challenge society - like disease, hunger, global warming, and economic disparity. The sharing of ideas gives us ways to discover, collaborate, and create in unprecedented ways.

The SPARC Discovery Awards challenges you to illustrate in a short video presentation what you see as the value of sharing information. Use your imagination to suggest what good comes from bringing down barriers to the free exchange of information."


Spread the Word!

If Public Libraries Didn't Exist, Could You Start One Today?

An interesting article from Freakonomics.

Events Calendar for July 23-29, 2007

Monday, July 23

• Bookmobile - Atria Shaker (Bookmobile)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Bookmobile - Atria Crossgates (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Harriman Campus (Bookmobile)
• Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)
• Free Jewelry Program (Delaware Branch)

Tuesday, July 24

• Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Open Computer Lab (Howe Branch)
• Make a Wood and Wire Sculpture (North Albany Branch)
• Summer Craft Time (Main Library)
• Delaware Dogs (Delaware Branch)

Wednesday, July 25

• Bookmobile - New Covenant C.S. Music Camp (Bookmobile)
• Pre-School Storytime (North Albany Branch)
• Open Computer Lab (North Albany Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Howe Branch)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Crestwood Plaza (Bookmobile)
• Intro. to E-mail (Main Library)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)

Thursday, July 26

• Teen Night (Main Library)

Friday, July 27

• Bookmobile - Ida Yarborough (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - South Mall Towers (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Connecting with America (Pine Hills Branch)
• Tehuti Films Presents : Love Jones (Howe Branch)

Saturday, July 28

• Board Games (Main Library)

Be prepared

"What would happen in your neighborhood if there were a prolonged power outage, or some similar disaster or disruption of services? Are we prepared to deal with food or water shortages, or make sure our elderly and vulnerable neighbors are looked after?

A workshop entitled 'Extreme Events, Community Conversation on Preparedness: What About You?' will be held Monday, August 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the SUNY School of Public Health, One University Place in Rensselaer. The event is free of charge, but advance registration is required at www.ualbanycphp.org, or by calling (518) 402-0336.

Keynote speaker is Geroges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association. There will be workshops on Disaster Mental Health Preparedness, the Role of Faith-Based Communities, and Outreach to Vulnerable Communities. "This seminar will discuss the importance of having a strong local community-based preparedness system. The goal is to assist leaders to determine the degree of preparedness within their communities."

Garage Bands in the Garage

At the Main branch, 161 Washington Ave., Albany. Friday, July 20, 6 pm with Guiltless Cult and Scientific Maps.

Catalog Those Books in Your Home Library

What is LibraryThing?

"You can enter what you're reading or your whole library—it's an easy, library-quality catalog. LibraryThing also connects you with people who read the same things."

I use it myself, so far at the free level. You can enter 200 books for free, or as many as you like for $10 (year) or $25 (life).

Librarians 'suffer most stress'

"Fighting fires may sound taxing, chasing criminals demanding, but a new study says that working in a library is the most stressful job of all. This is a British study suggesting that their jobs are "unchallenging, repetitive". As a librarian myself, albeit in the United States, I thought the more likely cause of librarian stress would have been a constantly changing technological environment.

Events Calendar for July 16-22, 2007

Monday, July 16

• Computer Camp (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Westview Senior Center (Bookmobile)
• Bookmobile - Avila Retirement Community (Bookmobile)
• Family Music Performance (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Daughters of Sarah (Bookmobile)
• Skateboarding Program (Pine Hills Branch)

Tuesday, July 17

• Bookmobile - St. Catherine of Siena Summer Camp (Bookmobile)
• Computer Camp (Main Library)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Book Review: Tin Horns and Calico (Main Library)
• Storyteller Special (Main Library)
• Science Investigations. (North Albany Branch)
• Summer Craft Time (Main Library)
• Delaware Dogs (Delaware Branch)

Wednesday, July 18

• Computer Camp (Main Library)
• Pre-School Storytime (North Albany Branch)
• Open Computer Lab (North Albany Branch)
• Pre School Story Time: With the Honest Wieght Co Op (Delaware Branch)
• Toddler Storytime (Pine Hills Branch)
• Pre-School Storytime (Main Library)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (Pine Hills Branch)
• It's Magic! (Main Library)

Thursday, July 19

• Computer Camp (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - Center for Disability Services (Bookmobile)
• Writers Group (Main Library)
• Lapsit Storytime (Main Library)
• Dance, Dance, Revolution (North Albany Branch)
• Get a Clue (Pine Hills Branch)
• Masks of Another Culture with the Tang Museum (Delaware Branch)

Friday, July 20

• Computer Camp (Main Library)
• Bookmobile - First Lutheran Literacy Camp (Bookmobile)
• Open Computer Lab (Delaware Branch)
• Bookmobile - New Scotland Neighborhood (Bookmobile)
• Garage Bands in the Garage (Main Library)
• Harry Potter Release Party (Pine Hills Branch)

Saturday, July 21

• Monopoly Tournament (Main Library)

Cool Williamsburgh Librarians

For New-Look Librarians, Head to Brooklyn. New York Sun, July 5, 2007.

Internet Safety: NetSafe

I came across a set of three bookmarks designed to remind people to be safe on the Internet- Dealing with Cyberbullies: Tips for Kids; Safe Blogging: Tips for Teens; and Social Networking: Tips for Parents. The bookmarks are sponsored by the Illinois Library Association, MySpace, and the American Library Association. One can either download them or - for $8 per 100 sets, plus postage - order them here.

There are also helpful articles and links to other pages.