Membership Coupons

The free membership coupons that were delivered to area residents are a huge hit! Many smiling new customers are presenting their coupons at the circulation desk and announcing, " I have been meaning to come and get a library card but this free coupon finally bought me in!"

Beleive it or not!!

I received a call last week from a bookclub participant wanting someone to go and pick her up for the program that evening. She couldn't understand that it wasn't a service we provided. She also wanted names and phone numbers of other participants to see if they would pick her up and take her home. I suggested possibly asking one of her neighbours or taking a cab.

Should we provide that sort of service for fee and increase revenues?? Food for thought!!

Where was my Christmas spirit????

Christmas Prep

Christmas this year for me this year is preparing and clearing up records, files and counting down the days. Future plans are getting all my paperwork signed, sealed and delivered, moving on, harassing my nephews and winter hibernation. I will miss you and you and you, etc and the little customers who allowed me to hold their hands. After I am gone and my ears start to burn, I will know that someone is whispering sweet nothings such as "Where the h___ did Chris hide it" and I'm not telling ha ha ha.
Willow

Winter is here!!!!

There's nothing like a little snow to start your day.

Three groups of students from Ernest Morrow Junior High came for a presentation and a tour of the branch. It was part of their literacy class. For many it was their first introduction to the library.

Chris' Retirement

Thank goodness Chris is retiring. She has been busy cleaning up the branch before she leaves us!!
She has reorganized and made new file folders for the reference desk drawer! She is cleaned out and replaced her own personal file drawer including making cue cards for technology classes!! She is rewriting the procedures for her current job responsibilities!! Chris is also busy tidying up the "I" drive (we are a messy bunch)!!! The supplies are ordered well in advance we stocked up into the New Year!!!! (we have LOTS of toilet paper)
Maybe she can come back in June/08 and retire again this time next year - just to make sure the branch stays organized.
We're gonna miss her!

Woof ! Woof!! at the library

Story Pals has been an incredible experience for me and the children participating in the program. Two little girls registered for the program had no idea that they would be reading to dogs and were reluctant the first night. After a while I saw a hand from one of the girls reaching out to Joey the basset hound. Another participant in the program is an autistic child who can't wait to come to the library. His mom told us that hours before he's to leave for the library he keeps asking "Is it time yet?"
Woof!!Woof!!

Dining at the Keg Steakhouse

Did you know that reading library books to the children at your Day Home can reap you a gift certificate to the Keg? Our lucky library lady reads 60 library books to her children per week! At the monthly meeting of the Calgary Day Home Providers they were so impressed with her efforts that they rewarded her with a trip to the Keg! Yeah! (or should I say Yum!)

Looking for Friends in all the right places

Last week I noticed an elderly Asian lady standing by herself away from the Reference Desk, I caught her eye and asked if she needed any help. She came up to the desk and after speaking with her & trying to understand her I found out she was Japanese; she wanted help in finding a friend of hers. The last contact with her friend was a letter with a return address from Lethbridge four years ago. After checking Canada 411 online using the name connected with the return address, I found an address/phone number within Alberta surrounding areas listed in Edmonton. She believed the information was what she needed and wanted to pay me for helping her as she did not have a library card. I told that I could set up a card for her but she said that she didn't know how long she was going to be living. I told she was more than welcome to come in anytime; she thanked me and said that she was going send a prayer up there for me. I told her that I appreciated her offer and she left the library. Willow

Fun Library Quotes

People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.- Logan Pearsall Smith

Book lovers never go to bed alone.- Unknown

Research means that you don't know, but are willing to find out.- Charles F. Kettering

Book lovers will understand me, and they will know too that part of the pleasure of a library lies in its very existence
Jan Morris. Quoted in Heart of the Community: The Libraries We Love.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. ~Cicero

A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them. ~Lemony Snicket

Librarian is a service occupation. Gas station attendant of the mind. ~Richard Powers

A Most Rewarding Exchange

We meet a lot of great people at the library but some are particularly special. A month ago a lady came into the library and requested a library card for her son who has Muscular Dystrophy. She said her son was 16 and about to enter grade 9. He has visual problems and therefore has a lot of difficulty reading. Also he is confined to a wheelchair. This young man had never had a Calgary Public Library card.
I provided her with a regular library card and told her about the services that we offer. Also, I gave her and application form for a special needs card as well. Once she had her card I was able to show her our LPE section and our selection of book cd’s She was very happy when I told her that the CNIB store in Bridgeland sold all sorts of items designed for visually impaired people. Special knives, rulers, guides, telephones, playing cards, various types of magnifying lens and special readers much like a projector under which you place a book or document to be read. She was happy to be able to take home some materials when she left that day. It was really a pleasure to be able to give her this information. This was a very rewarding and meaningful experience for me to be able to help this customer.

Bye Bye to the Lazy Days of Summer

Customers are asking about the upcoming fall programs!!! Sure sign that summer is on its way out!! A couple of schools have resumed classes and are asking about tours.
Today we had to say goodbye to Jess. I will miss her smiling face and wish her the best in her studies.

Dog Days of Summer

The customers complaints this summer have been called "The Computer Wars".

The comments among the long lineups for public computer access are;

- timers should be one hour only;

- you should have quick access computers - 15 minute maximum for the people who JUST want to check their email;

- these kids should not be allowed to come in here and play games for two hours per day all summer long;

- and (my favorite) is this ALL the public computers you have?

DVD Avalanche!

So many DVDs!! After August long weekend, the DVD shelving truck was 8 rows full (4 on the top, 4 on the bottom)! And they kept coming! According to Collections staff, July's circ stats showed over 70% ofForest Lawn's children's collection was circulating, and over 60% of Forest Lawn's adult collection was circulating. Its not all in our heads. We really do have a lot of DVDs coming and going.

Do you think we'll put the local Blockbusters out of business?

Beleive it or Not!!

A customer came to the desk Saturday afternoon wanting to buy a whole entire book truck of Vietnamese books which were just withdrawn today. A total of 212 books. I even offered to help load them into his car. Wow!!!!

Harry Potter

It never happened!!! No stampede at the library for the new release!! It must be the lazy, hazy days of summer determining Harry Potter's fate. It took till 11 o'clock for 3 New and Notables to be signed out.

A customer came in on Tuesday morning and wanted to look at the truck full of withdrawn Vietnamese books. With the “two for one” sale, she bought $25.60 worth. She also was eyeing the second truck, but decided to come back at a later date.

Hot, Hot Zone

Forest Lawn customers give new meaning to the library "Hot Zone". One customer was observed parked in our handicapped stall on a recent Sunday afternoon. He had a very long extension cord which was plugged into the library exterior wall outlet so he could received power to his laptop. He was sitting in the backseat of his vehicle and typing away and making great use of our "Hot Zone" on a hot summer Sunday!

Little Sticker Girl

Recently a customer came up to the front desk with her young daughter - perhaps 4 years old. The little girl had been to the library before and knew that we offer young children colourful stickers just before they leave the library. Children love this and many will ask for a sticker before we have a chance to offer one. Well, as I was helping her mother the little girl politely asked if she could have a sticker. I told her that she certainly could have a sticker right after I helped her mother. After perhaps 10 seconds the little girl for a sticker again and again I responded that in just a couple of minutes I would come to the end of the counter and let her pick a sticker. The little girl was so excited she immediately ran to the end of the counter lifted her arms above her shoulders, and placed both of her little hands up on the counter and held them there, like a little typist - wrists up, fingers down. She didn't move and she didn't say anything. She just kept both of her arms up and waited for her stickers. As I served her mother I kept glancing over at the little girl. After about 1 or 2 minutes she still had not moved - nor did she say anything - she just waited. Have you ever held your arms out in front of you - above your shoulders? Try it. You'll last about 1 minute. She was so sweet and patient and I laughed as I watched her waiting so politely that I told her mother I had better give her a sticker early as we still had a few minutes of tasks ahead and I didn't want her little daughter to hold her arms out the entire time. I held out the page of stickers and offered the little girl one sticker for each hand. She deserved it after all that hard work. She carefully picked her two stickers and I placed them on the backs of her hands. For the next few minutes while waiting for her mother, the little girl waited quietly - holding her hands out before her and smiling as she admired her two new stickers.

Oh the wonders of the library!

Since the time I was young, libraries have been a source of great wonderment for me. All of those books, all of that potential, so many things to know and see, so many hours spent drifting among the stacks, discovering disciplines, ideas, new worlds.

These days, it is a real pleasure to help the little ones with the big eyes and ever-expanding imaginations. I see a bit of my child self in them - the balancing act necessary to manoeuvere a pile of books half their heights, the slightly crazed light in their eyes when they hear that they can take 99 items, the marvel written on their little faces when they find a cool new read or DVD.
I think my biological clock ticks a little faster each time one of those cute polite kids shares their literary excitement. Luckily there are the hold shelf theives to slow it down again!

One night a couple came in with their 3 children (approx. 3-7 years old). I went up to the children and asked if they wanted a sticker. Yes, they did! As I was putting one on the oldest boy I said " You can have another sticker since you have two hands, you should have two stickers". The little boy said "Yes I do and I have two feets too."

Summer Sleuth

It was a bright summer day and school had just been let out for the summer. Detective Jessica was on duty at the Flawn branch - she was curious (but then detectives are always curious). "Why are these kids hanging out in the library on the first real sunny day of summer vacation?"

It didn't take her long to notice two boys lingering by the hold shelf. "Weren't these the boys who are always placing holds on DVD's?" thought Jessica. (detectives always think a lot)

Later, the boys decided to sign out their library items. Luckily, Det. Jessica was on desk!! (detectives are always everywhere) When Jessica scanned their first DVD she got a message "Item on Hold for ......." YIKES, Det. Jessica knew a library crime was in progress!! She scanned two more DVD's and got the same message. Had these boys removed the DVD's from the hold shelf, removed the hold slips and tried to sign the DVD's out?? YES! Det. Jessica knew it was true (detectives always know) .

But wait, Det. Jessica shift was over - what should she do? She whirled into action, she hung onto the DVD's, restored the holds to their proper place and enlisted the help of Carol and Bev to have a chat with our young men about the proper library behavior!

WHEW - Our hero, Detective Jessica and its only the first day of summer.

School Outreach

After completing my part of the school outreach we can expect many, many kids to come in and participate in the Summer Reading Adventure. Pretty well everyone at the school plans on coming in . Expect lots of very enthusiastic children!!

Reader's Advisory Round Robin

At our last staff meeting, I asked the staff to bring one of their favourite/new children's books and share it with the group. Here were our staff picks:

From the shelves of the picture books:

A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound / by John Irving
Michael's Golden Rules / by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan
The Paper Bag Princess / by Robert Munsch
When You Were Small / by Sara O'Leary
The Big Bad Wolf and Me / by Delphine Perret
Hero Cat / by Eileen Spinelli
Ghost Train / by Paul Yee


From way over in the J fiction:

The Enormous Crocodile / by Roald Dahl
Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer / by JT Petty


And don't forget those crazy non-fiction books:

Phineas Gage / by John Fleischman
Legends of the Elders / by John W. Friesen


As you can see, we have great taste!

Happy Paperback Reader

"Thankyou, thankyou for your stocking Christian paperbacks! I have looked for them at the this branch but have never been able to find them and have had to go to Village Square to pick them up. Now I can get them at my home library." Quote from another happy customer!

2 happy guys

Two Spanish speaking men came in and asked for ESL books to improve their English. I took them to the ESL area and continued helping them. One of them was having a hard time explaining what he wanted. He asked if I spoke French andI replied that I did. He told me exactly what he wanted, and before long there were 2 happy guys leaving the library with everything they wanted and more....

Families Matter

It's so nice to see the same families socializing year after year in the program. Every time I have gone to do storytime I get to hear about their older children attending school and get to meet the new addition to their family.

The Secret Library Room Part 1

Last summer when I was visiting my parents in Ontario, I was saddened to see a vacant lot where the Trenton Public Library once stood. The quaint, red-bricked octagon housed the first library collection I had ever known. They must've had a huge yardsale to get rid of all those books. The abandoned site was surely slated for some new development with its propitious nearness to the Trent River, Fraser Park, and of course the local Tim Horton's. And by local, I mean THAT block. Trenton must have the most Tim Horton's per capita nationwide. The site seemed small without the strange little building. There had obviously never been a basement. So the Librarians couldn't have lived in the basement, I suppose. They must have had their own residence like the nuns and priests. It appeared as though the building had been scooped off the lot by a back hoe or perhaps it was folded up and taken away as some lawn chair seeking a sunnier patch of grass. Only small debris offered clues to its demolition; broken pieces of its red brick littered the scant lot. What I remember most about that doughty structure was the secret room. STAY TUNED FOR MORE OF THE SECRET ROOM...what crazy suspense!

Library Memories

I remember going to the Crescent Heights Public Libary with dad, mom and my big sister. I would take out books, including The Black Stallion series and a series about wild, twin, baby, animals. Mom would read to me in the morning, after dad had left for work and before I had to get ready for school.
Note: I like listening to book CDs while driving. Forest File's "Paperbag Princess" asked me if listening to book CDs made me sleepy. My answer is: mom read to me in the morning, therefore, listening to book CDs does not lull me to sleep, unlike other children who were read to before going to sleep at night.

Love those Cyberseniors

At my last Cyberseniors class in April the participants presented me a dozen orange roses in a glass vase! The accompanying card said "Many thanks for all your help-great course!". Sometimes we don't realize the impact we have on other peoples lives! (p.s.-they smell nice too!)

Sheepish Customer

"Just when you think your right - so right - your Wrong!" a customer said to me as he handed me a CR book that he was sure had been returned before he went on an eleven day trip to France and England. "How much is my fine?" he asked. I explained that since we were both looking for the item, no fine had been calculated to his account. He then cheerfully made a $5 donation to the library!

Customer Service - A Thankless job

Yesterday I was working the desk when a young boy approached me and asked for a DVD of The Wizard of Oz. I searched the catalogue and found that the only thing we had in the branch was a copy of The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. I told him as much and took him out to the kid's DVD area to show him. I found the DVD and handed it to him.

He looked at the cover for a moment, pointed to the image of Miss Piggy and asked "What is THAT?"

"That is a muppet," I calmly explained.

"What's a muppet?" he asked.

Well. I honestly didn't know how to answer that question. I grew up at a time when muppets were self-explanatory. I weakly replied, "Uhhh, well, you know.....a muppet."

He eyed me suspiciously and said "OK, I guess I'll try it." Then he turned, DVD in hand, and walked away, without a word of thanks.

I predict that he is going to love that movie, and he'll be sorry that he doubted the entertainment value of muppets.

Outreach Fun

At a recent Literacy Night outreach program at Radisson Park School hosted by the Calgary Learning Centre I saw a number of parents, children and teachers that use Forest Lawn Branch.

It was great to see them outside of the library setting and the comments were amusing;
"What are YOU doing away from the library?" and "It's great that your here!"

Bev's Business

WARNING

Beware of personal injury during storytime. While leading a hearty rendition of "Head and Shoulders" at an outreach visit, I accidentally poked myself in the eye (the dangerous part was "eyes, ears, mouth, and nose"). At least it served as a good warning to the children.

Kid Roof

On Saturday, during my break, I found a kid up on the roof of the library. After pretending for a few minutes that he did not know what was going on, his friend ratted him out and told me the kid's full name. He came down shortly thereafter (illustration of event drawn during staff meeting).

Postcards from the Louvre

A long-standing Forest Lawn Library customer attending a CyberSeniors series of technology courses was so impressed with her ability to finally use computers that she wanted to show her appreciation to the Library. She had received a series of postcards from a friend who was vacationing in Paris. The twelve coloured postcards depicted a different piece of classical artwork from the Louvre. They had been framed professionally, and the customer felt that they did not suit the humble decor of her home, but hoped that Forest Lawn Library could give them a home.
It did not take us long to hang up the postcards in a prominent place close to our adult non-fiction collection. Now everyone can enjoy them!

Roving Reference rewards

A few weeks ago, I was walking around the branch and noticed a young girl standing in the J fiction stacks. She was staring up at the books, looking a bit bewildered, so I approached her and asked if I could help. She asked me for a recommendation on "something fun to read." I spent approximately ten minutes browsing the shelves with her talking about books. She was a very enthusiastic reader and a big fan of Roald Dahl. She left the library that day with a stack of great books - including some Roald Dahl and Judy Blume. She was very excited and told her Mom that I was "the nice lady who helped her find books." During our interaction, she also made a book recommendation to me. So I am now reading Amber Brown is not a Crayon by Paula Danziger. She promised to come back and see me so that we can compare notes on the books we have read.

She really made my day because she was so engaging and enthusiastic about literature. I look forward to seeing her again. This little girl was a great example of how roving reference can be a rewarding experience for both the customer and staff member.

Blog Unveiling at Forest Lawn

We will be unveiling our new blog at our monthly staff meeting on March 26, 2007. Fireworks are optional. Snacks are not. See you there!