Cool Tools

Libraries all over Vermont are experiencing the usual technology rush as library members come in with their new iPads, smart phones, Kindles and other e-readers to get staff help. Nancy Tusinski at the Springfield Town Library decided to hold tech talks to encourage people to gather (flyer from this workshop is posted below). The Library owns some equipment, and is happy to help with ebook downloads, audiofiles, and general questions.

Debra Tinkham and Gail LaVaude at the Bradford Public Library (www.bradfordvtlibrary.org)  have experimented with tech night themes. Pick a general topic like digital photography, make sure there are plenty of computers to go around, and dig in. Of course the public library doesn’t have a lock on technology;  look to the community to find savvy volunteers willing to share what they know. Programs are held the first Wednesday of the month at 6 PM. Other topics have included downloading audio and eBooks from Listen Up! Vermont, Google Voice and Google Talk, and switching from PC to Mac with an Apple laptop or iPad.

If your library has some insights on raising the staff comfort level and offering training, please add your comments.

Here is the flyer from Nancy Tusinski’s Tech Talk workshops:

View this document on Scribd

Be Prepared

The first thing is have an emergency plan. The second is to make sure it’s available when you need it. Bob Joly at the St Johnsbury Athenaeum carries his in his wallet.

The outline for the plan Bob uses comes from the State Archivists’ website. Here’s a brief description of the plan’s purpose from the Council of State Archivists site, below. CoSA also sells tyvek pockets to keep the plan dry.

The Pocket Response Plan (PReP) is intended to be customized for each institution and individual staff member. It is printed on both sides of a legal-size sheet of paper, then trimmed and folded to credit card size and stored in a Tyvek™ envelope that fits easily into a wallet.

On one side is an Emergency Communication Directory, with contact information for staff, first responders, emergency services, utilities, vendors and suppliers, disaster teams, and other essential individuals and agencies.

The other side contains an Emergency Response Checklist: an organized list of those actions that each individual should take in the first 24 to 72 hours following a disaster.

Bob adapted the back page to include a small incident report, where staff can jot things down during an emergency. He uploaded the Athenaeum plan to Google docs, so all staff have access and the entire plan is online. Bob notes that the plan is meant to be printed on legal size paper and then trimmed and folded to fit into the tyvek pocket.

A Mile of Pennies in Morrisville

The Friends of Morristown Centennial Library are working on A Mile of Pennies, a fundraiser first tried years ago by the Friends.

Patrons may have noticed red cans with Morristown Library Labels on them in local businesses. Look for the cans, and drop in your loose change so we can make a mile of pennies. The donations will go toward the library’s programs and services, especially the youth and children’s programs and activities.

(quoted from Morrisville’s Front Porch Forum)

Windham County Reads used the same idea as an old-fashioned bookmobile fundraiser. They targeted children in the elementary schools in the county. There’s something very charming about penny collections.