Great Way to Tell Your Patrons About Holds

Allen County Public Library puts out the best videos for patron education. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel. This one explains the holds process beautifully. Works pretty much the same way here at the Library System of Lancaster County! No email notification... YET - but patrons do get a phone call or letter. LOVE the self service Hold Shelf. A lot of places do that now.

GoogleGoogleGoogleGoogle

Yes, I do love Google, but the purpose of the title is to direct you to http://www.googlegooglegooglegoogle.com/ You may find this helpful when you're doing extensive research and need to see 4 results at once. Plus, if you click the W, you can do a Wikipedia search and if you click the Green Arrow, you can type in any Website address. So you can use this really to see any 4 sites on one screen if you ever need it. If you're as sick as I am with multi-tasking, your mouth will also drool...
Thanks Tekzilla!

POWER Library is about to take a HIT!

This just in from the PA District Library Centers Listserv - are you ready Pennsylvania?! This is going to hurt a lot of people...

December 22, 2009

Dear Library Community:

I am writing to update you on the status of the POWER Library.

The contracts for the POWER Library databases will expire December 31, 2009. The Pennsylvania Department of Education issued an RFP for POWER Library Databases, and the proposals are currently being evaluated by agency staff. Our goal is to complete the selection process in time for the POWER Library continues into 2010 without interruption.

Because of the reduction to the Library Access line item in the 2009-2010 budget, the scope of the RFP was limited to the following categories:

• General full-text periodical database
• Newspaper index
• Business Reference
• Combination of the above databases

Within the current the economic conditions, we are hoping to continue to provide high quality databases of general interest to the public at large and to our K-12 students in particular. However, it is reasonable to expect most subject specific databases will no longer be available after December 31, 2009.

We have heard from all types of libraries about the importance and value of the scope of POWER Library offerings. We will seek to make additional databases available as options and opportunities present themselves.

Thank you for your input and your support of the POWER Library.

Susan Pannebaker

Susan Pannebaker Director
Bureau of Library Development
Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market St. Harrisburg, PA 17126-1745
Phone: 717-214-4047 Fax: 717-787-2117
spannebake@state.pa.us http://www.education.state.pa.us/

Social Media ROI: Socialnomics

Yep, still singing the same song here, BUT are you listening?

LSLC is on Facebook!

Library System of Lancaster County

Promote Your Page Too

FINALLY!! I've been waiting for the day when we would get a Facebook page together for the Library System. Well, it has finally happened. This was surprisingly more work and more difficult than I thought it would be to set up. I'm so grateful to my wonderful Library Trainers network out there that gave me great advice. Our Community Relation Coordinator, Mary Ann Heltshe-Steinhauer and myself put it together and she will be in charge of it. I'm also grateful for the wonderful video tutorials found at John Haydon's blog (you can subscribe to his video podcast there).

Go on, check it out and PLEASE become a fan. I'm anxiously awaiting our fan count to hit 25 so we can get a vanity URL and make life easier for linking.

Senator Brubaker Visits the Libraries

Watch PA State Senator Mike Brubaker's latest "A Conversation with Senator Brubaker" Cable Television show. You will need Windows Media Player to see the show.

In the half hour show he gets a tour of the Eastern Lancaster County Library from director, Donna Brice. We get to see the dynamic Heather Smith during story time also.

Next, he tours the Litiz Public Library with director, Susan Tennant. I like the smiles from the staff at the circ desk as they walk by. But the best is meeting the young 7 year old boy who is told by Senator Brubaker that he is the Senator's boss. The Senator says "Did you know that you're my boss?" and the boy answers "I am?". And the Senator states "...I work for you". He then pulls out his card and hands it to the boy telling him to give him a call when he needs him. The boy looks at the card and says "You're Senator Mike!". How adorable.

Then he interviews Library System Administrator, Susan Hauer who explains the difference between the System and the individual libraries.

Favorite quote from the Senator during the show... "Libraries are not an optional service, but an essential service".

I wasn't planning on watching the whole video, but it drew me in and left a warm feeling in my heart for the wonderful libraries we have here in Lancaster County. In these trying financial times, I think it is truly amazing how the System and the libraries are working together to keep the doors open and the programs coming despite drastic cuts.

Thanks Senator Brubaker for your support!

Did You Know 4.0

Library 101!!!!

It's here... (hey, who's that at 1:23m?) Well done David and Michael. You two really DO rock!!

The Fun Theory

Learn all about The Fun Theory here.

The Fun Theory

Learn all about The Fun Theory here.