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Summer Reading Question
by Kristin Hammond 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Hello Everyone, I'm just starting out as a Youth Librarian and taking over working on a summer program that has already been somewhat laid out. I am working on the summer reading guidelines for kids. I am wondering what you do for the 3rd grade and up kids. Do you count pages read or minutes read? I'm debating between the two, but wanted to get other's opinions. Do you allow audiobooks to count as reading time? Thanks so much, Kristin Hammond Young People's Librarian Comstock Township Library

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Cool resources for programs from NASA/STAR Net
by Lancaster, Catherine (MDE) 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Please join STAR_Net in celebrating national events and learn about free resources through upcoming webinars: Join NASA in Celebrating Earth Day! Host an Earth Day event to observe clouds using the GLOBE Observer app<https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app> on April 22, 2017. Participating libraries will receive a packet of Earth Day programming materials (on a first-come, first-served basis). Sign up for FREE resources here<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B7F628G>. Get ready with online training: "Celebrate Earth Day with NASA's GLOBE Observer" Webinar Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 3 pm EST/2 pm CST/1 pm MST/10 am HAST Join a NASA scientist and educators to learn about using NASA's GLOBE Observer<https://observer.globe.gov/> and the easy-to-use GLOBE Observer app<https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app> to offer citizen science programming at your library. Register here<https://spacescienceevent.webex.com/mw3100/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&s…> (password is "star") Apply for Eclipse Glasses and Receive an Eclipse Education Kit On August 21, 2017, a spectacular total eclipse of the Sun will be visible across the width of the continental U.S. for the first time since 1918. Every state will have at least 60% of the Sun covered by the Moon, and lucky people on a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina will see the stunning beauty of totality. STAR_Net's NASA@ My Library initiative with support from NASA, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Research Corporation, and Google, is distributing over 2 million solar viewing glasses and an Eclipse Education Kit to public libraries. Public libraries are invited to apply for solar viewing glasses and related educational materials! Find free resources and links to the application, FAQ, and application questions at http://www.starnetlibraries.org/2017eclipse/. If you have not already completed your application to receive eclipse glasses, please join us for the following webinar with any questions about the application process, and to learn more about what your library can already be doing to prepare for the August event. Eclipse Pre-Application Webinar Wednesday, March 13, 2017 at 3 pm EDT/2 pm CDT/1 pm MDT/9 am HAST Register Now!<https://spacescienceevent.webex.com/mw3100/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&s…> Keliann <<<<< >>>>> Keliann LaConte Professional Development Manager National Center for Interactive Learning Space Science Institute Boulder, Colorado 720-974-5835 www.nc4il.org<http://www.nc4il.org/> www.starnetlibraries.org<http://www.starnetlibraries.org/> Inspire - Explore - Discover The STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net)<http://www.starnetlibraries.org/> is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR_Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing "science-technology activities and resources" (STAR) and training to use those resources. Plus, engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of NASA exploration and discovery through new NASA@ My Library resources! STAR_Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute's (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association's Public Programs Office, Afterschool Alliance, Cornerstones of Science, Datum Advisors, Education Development Center, Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the Pacific Science Center. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. View our full webinar series at www.starnetlibraries.org/resources/webinars/<http://www.starnetlibraries.org/resources/webinars/>.

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Credit card fee responses
by Margaret Bentley 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

I have attached my compilation of responses regarding charging transaction fees back to patrons. It seems that libraries are about evenly split. Margaret Bentley Adult Services Librarian Shiawassee District Library--Owosso 502 W. Main Street Owosso, Michigan 48867 989-725-5134

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Computer/ Technology Classes
by Marion Beard 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

I am curious has to what type Technology classes are offered and how often they are offered at your library. Please respond to me at: mbeard(a)ntal.org Marion Beard Assistant Director Northfield Township Area Library 125 Barker Road Whitmore Lake, MI 48189 734.449.0066 x24

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Responses to
by Dave Ewick 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Below are the responses I received answering my question about eliminating overdue fines. Discussion on Removing Overdue Fines Colleagues, I read with interest the recent Slate article on eliminating overdue fines and wondered if any local libraries have taken this step? If you have, please respond to me off list. I will compile the responses I get and repost them. Here's the link to the article in case you missed it: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2017/02/librarians_are_realiz… While I'd like to take the plunge and eliminate fines, I'm worried about 1) sending a message to patrons that we don't need the revenue; 2) the actual loss of revenue it could cause; and 3) whether it would cause issues with our neighbors if we removed fines from residents but kept them for reciprocal borrowers and other non-residents. I welcome any thoughts on the issue, even if you haven't done it. Thanks, Dave Cromaine: We have never charged fines. It is highly unlikely we would. As our trustees have explained (and me, and our staff), the labor cost of counting nickels & dimes is absurd. Because we never have, it isn't a loss, although some patrons have told us that we should. These, I suspect, are patrons who either do not use us or who are OCD on returning on time. I have seen a fines budget of $90,000 per year (Bloomfield, I think?). And, as a relatively new (one year) member of SAS, you bet it causes our neighbor libraries problems. But those are their problems and not ours. We have not seen a big uptick in patrons driving out of their way to northeast Livingston County in order to return their materials at a library that does not charge fines. Having fine structures that differ by "class" of library cardholder? Ick, both in communications and the actual day-to-day attempt to deliver positive service. Highland: Thanks for raising the question. The article had caught my eye, too. Part of what was of interest is that cards are blocked for those with items "more than three weeks overdue." So, it's not that there's no consequences - in fact, I think the blocking of the card happens a little sooner in this scenario than our current time frame for billing for an item as assumed lost. Lost/damaged fines still apply. So, emphasis falls on materials recovery not on due date rules. Don't think we're ready to take the leap - concern for lost revenue - but I made sure my Board saw this article, with the line about empowering staff to use good judgement in waiving fines highlighted. Weigh lost revenue against good will, time spent in haggling over fines and negativity that generates and I'm honestly not sure how that would fall out. When Cromaine/Hartland (Highland's neighbor) joined the Shared Automated System I was initially worried because they are fine free and I didn't know how that would affect us. But at this point, without really digging into it, I can't see it's been a major problem. Independence: We did not eliminate fines but we did turn on the auto-renew feature on our ILS. It has reduced late materials, increased circulation, and made for happier patrons. We have a max of 2 renewals on most items. Some would say that the increased circulation is a false inflation of the stat but in my opinion, if the patron keeps an item past the due date we should be counting that as an additional circulation. We did have a campaign to educate patrons about the importance of holds when you need an item and how that prevents auto-renew. Auto-renew has reduced revenue somewhat but fine revenue has always been less than 1% of our budget anyway so we decided it was a positive feature for patrons without giving the impression that we don't need the money at all, as you said. I remember that Capital Area District Library used to be fine-free when I was working in Lansing about 11 years ago, but reinstated fines shortly thereafter...I'm not sure of the exact reasoning. I believe that while Lance Werner was their director he increased the fine rates in an effort to improve revenue but it backfired in that regard and resulted in patrons getting better about returning their materials on time which, as he said when he was telling me about it, is really the point of fines in the first place. If you want an accurate account you should really contact him about it. It will be interesting to hear what you find out. Gross Pointe: It is something we are thinking about in Grosse Pointe, although still in a very conceptual way at this point. I am eager to hear the results of your query from other TLN libraries! Flat Rock: Interesting read. I would not completely eliminate fines because the materials we have are for everyone to use and the fines are for several reasons, including patrons feeling more compelled to return the item they checked out. More importantly, patrons are at a disadvantage when item isn't returned at the due date. That being said, overdue fines can be waived or payment plans can be created for those who are unable to pay the full amount or if the patron doesn't have a "history" of overdue/lost fines. These are case by case scenarios, of course. Garden City: My initial thought was "what about the revenue?" But then I considered what a small percent of our revenue that is. In Garden City, as with the libraries in the article, overdue fees amount to only 1% of our revenue. I think that might be a fair exchange for the good will and positive PR. (I am less confident my Board would see it this way.) I do not think the public will see it as "we don't need the money". Especially if your staff have a consistent Message with which to respond. Something akin to "Fines were never about generating revenue." If I were to eliminate overdue fines, I would do so equally for all my users (resident or not). My question would then be, what about other library's materials borrowed here, or returned here? My users might be confused as to why they owe a fine for this book but not that when they are both late. On the other hand, should I be waiving fines on your library's materials as a standard procedure, just because the book passed through my library to the user? David L. Ewick, MLS, MS City Librarian Southfield Public Library 26300 Evergreen Southfield, Michigan 48076 248 796-4300 dewick(a)southfieldlibrary.org P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

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SEMLOL Spring Meeting, March 31st, 1-4pm
by SEMLOL Executive Board 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Good afternoon, Please join us for the SEMLOL Spring Meeting, which will take place on Friday, March 31st, 2017, from 1-4pm at Oakland University. The meeting program consists of three presentations that focus on the theme of Special Collections. "Rare Books Preservation on a Shoestring" Dominique Daniel and Emily Spunaugle, Oakland University Libraries "Collecting with a Plan" Alison Greenlee, Wayne State University Sarah Andrua, The Henry Ford "Access and Outreach at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs" Kristen Chinery and Meghan Courtney, Wayne State University Registration is available online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/special-collections-registration-32454295672 Registrations received before March 26th will secure the early bird rate of $15. Registration on or after March 26th is $20. Parking is free and light refreshments will be served. Please see the attached flyer for more details. We look forward to seeing everyone! Katrina Rouan :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: SEMLOL Executive Board, Chair Southeastern Michigan League of Libraries www.semlol.org

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Wanted: Microfilm Cabinet
by Darwin McGuire 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Hi, everybody. Before spending a significant amount of money on storage for a declining format, I'll ask the question-does anyone have a microfilm cabinet that they would consider parting with? Ideally, it would be a vertical cabinet with 9 drawers configured for 4" square boxes of 35 mm film rolls. If not, do you have a good source for such a cabinet at a reasonable price? I've checked ebay, Craigslist, Amazon, Demco, Gaylord, Brodart, Staples, etc. Any thoughts, comments and/or information would be appreciated. Thanks! Darwin McGuire Technical Services Manager Genesee District Library 4195 W. Pasadena Ave. Flint, MI 48504 Tel. 810-230-3329 FAX 810-732-1161

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FW: Britannica Listserv Announcement: Spotlight Webinar: Poetry!
by Biggs, Deb Renee (MDE) 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

________________________________________________________________________________________ Subject: Spotlight Webinar: Poetry! April is National Poetry Month! Please join us for this 30-minute webinar as we put a spotlight on Britannica resources that you can use in the classroom and the library with your students. We will also share some poetry-themed lesson plans and project ideas, using Britannica School. Sign up today! Certificates provided! Thu, Mar 16, 2017 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/7892514745322467586 D. R. Biggs, MA AMLS Library Consultant & Michigan eLibrary Coordinator Library of Michigan/Michigan Department of Education 702 W. Kalamazoo St. Lansing, MI 48915 Phone: 517-373-4466 http://mel.org<http://mel.org/> Like MeL on Facebook - http://facebook.com/mel.org

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Word Games on the River Event
by Steven Bowers 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

If you'd love to have a great time and would also like to support adult literacy, please consider attending the 33rd Annual Fundraiser for Pro Literacy Detroit. This year's theme for "Word Games on the River" sounds like a fun evening with friends, at the Detroit Yacht Club! More information in the attached flyer and at the link below. https://proliteracydetroit.org/event/ I can personally say that PLD does great work to changes lives, one learner at a time. It is my pleasure to support their efforts. Sincerely, -Steve Steven K. Bowers Executive Director Detroit Area Library Network ALA Councilor for the Michigan Library Association MLA Board of Directors, President Elect www.dalnet.org<http://www.dalnet.org/> "DALNET is a community of libraries working together to provide access to information for research, cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning opportunities."

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2 youth services surveys, 2 chances to win a prize!
by Lancaster, Catherine (MDE) 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

I have 2 surveys up this month, so to thank youth services staff for taking the time to complete them I'll do a drawing for each! See both surveys for details: The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is looking for the best of the best slogans for our 2019 theme Space. We are also looking for general themes for 2020. These suggestions should be thought provoking, exciting, and accessible to all libraries! Put on your thinking caps & share your suggestions by completing this form by Wednesday, March 8: https://goo.gl/forms/iRoXNmZd1O0RjNa82 By completing this survey ou will be entered to win a random drawing for a set of "Adventure Blocks," perfect for a SRC prize or a passive program this summer. Michigan Reads! is off to a wonderful start! Be sure to check out our #MiReads pictures from kick-off events up on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pg/libraryofmichigan/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10…> and share your own with us. After your events/programming is wrapped up, please be sure to fill out the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017MIReads for your chance to be entered in a drawing for a small set of picture books! This survey will close in mid-April. Thank you, Cathy Lancaster Youth Services Coordinator Statewide Library Services Library of Michigan 517-335-8129 517-373-5700 f LancasterC5(a)michigan.gov<mailto:LancasterC5@michigan.gov> www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan<http://www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan>

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