Volume 73, No. 3 Fall 2009 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
A Quarterly Publication of the ISSN 0194-388X Mississippi Library Association ©2009
EDITORIAL STAFF Contents FEATURES EDITOR President’s Page ...... 53 Tisha M. Zelner Jan Willis , President, Mississippi Library Association Cook Library The University of Southern Mississippi Bibliographic Authorship Study of The American Archivist , ...... 54 118 College Dr. #5053 2004-2008 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 Kristin Finch [email protected] 601-266-6170 Libraries: The Hubs of Our Communities ...... 58 Wayne Senville ASSISTANT EDITOR Promoting Reading in the Classroom ...... 64 Blair Booker Brenda Pritchett McMorrough Library Holmes Community College Eco-Friendly Libraries: Green for the New Century ...... 65 [email protected] Ann Branton, Vice President, Mississippi Library Association
COPY EDITOR 2009 MLA Annual Conference Preliminary Program ...... 67 Gabriel Morley Pike-Amite-Walthall Library System [email protected] IN EVERY ISSUE News Briefs ...... 74 ADVERTISING EDITOR People in the News ...... 78 Missy Murphey The University of Mississippi About Books ...... 79 [email protected] MLA Executive Board Meeting Minutes ...... 83
REPORTER On the cover: Shells by Adrienne McPhaul . This photograph was taken on Ship Island, off the Mississippi Tina Harry Gulf Coast. Photography is a hobby for McPhaul, an associate professor and information services librarian at The University of Mississippi the University of Southern Mississippi. She received her MLIS from the University of Alabama in 2003 and her [email protected] BA in English from the University of South Alabama in 2002.
BOOK REVIEW EDITOR Jennifer Brannock The University of Southern Mississippi [email protected]
MLA PUBLICITY Mississippi Libraries is a publication of the Mississippi Library Association (MLA). The articles, reports, and features here - COMMITTEE CHAIR in represent the viewpoints of their respective authors and are not necessarily the official opinions of the Association. Unavailable at press time Subscription Rates: $16.00 per year ($4.00 per issue); $24.00 per year outside of the U.S.; free to MLA members. Back issues are available from University Microfilms International. Advertising Rates: Rates are available upon request from the Advertising Editor. Advertising Deadlines: Spring: February 10; Summer: May 10; Fall: August 10; Winter: November 10 INDEXER Submissions: Manuscripts must be submitted in electronic format in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or ASCII text format. 1 Shirlene Stogner Documents can be sent as an attachment via e-mail or on a CD-ROM or a 3 ⁄2 inch disk via surface mail. Deadlines for submission: Spring: February 2; Summer: May 2; Fall: August 2; Winter: November 2. The University of Southern Mississippi In order to assure the widest possible audience for the work published in Mississippi Libraries , that work is added in elec - [email protected] tronic form to the Mississippi Library Association Web site and, by contractual agreement, to one or more EBSCO Publishing databases. Mississippi Libraries is also indexed in Library Literature and Information Sciences Abstracts. Dues must be paid by March 15 in order to receive the Spring issue of Mississippi Libraries . Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 53
Mississippi Library Association PO Box 13687 Jackson, MS 39236-3687 Office Hours: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. M, Tu, Th, F PRESIDENT’S PAGE E-mail: [email protected] Executive Secretary: Mary Julia Anderson MLA Web site: http://misslib.org Webmaster: Molly Signs McManus, [email protected] 1909 . An eventful year in our Mississippi Library Associa - MLA EXECUTIVE BOARD which to be a Mississippian. tion. Jan Willis Author Eudora Welty was For all the details on this President Director born on April 13. Holly wonderful opportunity, just Lee-Itawamba Library System Springs’ Ida B. Wells look inside this issue of Mis - [email protected] 662-841-9029 became one of the founders sissippi Libraries and then Ann Branton of the NAACP on February find updates on our MLA Vice President/President-elect Head of Bibliographic Services 12. And on Friday, October Web site at http://www. The University of Southern Mississippi 29, 1909 , one hundred misslib.org . [email protected] 601-266-4350 years ago, Mississippi A & Setting the tone for our Marsha A. Case M College librarian Whitman conference will be our Secretary Assistant Director for Technical Services Davis organized the Mississip - keynote speaker, Louise Jackson/Hinds Library System pi Library Association. Schaper. She is the director of [email protected] 662-429-4439 x120 A century later, as we cele - the award-winning Fayetteville Jan Willis Amanda Powers brate our centennial, MLA’s Public Library in Arkansas , Treasurer Reference Services Librarian mission to ensure access to information for 2005 recipient of the prestigious Library of Mitchell Memorial Library, Mississippi State University all Mississippians has not only endured, it the Year Award from Library Journal , as [email protected] 662-325-7677 has indeed prevailed, to borrow Mr. the library that “most profoundly demon - Jeff Slagell Faulkner’s memorable phrase . strates outstanding community service. ” Immediate Past President Director of Library Services As we see our usage grow and grow, we The Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) Robers-LaForge Library, Delta State University can celebrate our state’s long heritage of was also designated a LEED® Silver build - [email protected] 662-846-4441 service to Mississippians this October. ing in 2006 for its environmentally-friend - Sherry Laughlin MLA Vice President Ann Branton and her ly design and operation by the U.S. Green ALA Councilor team are creating an unforgettable confer - Building Council . Associate University Librarian University of Southern Mississippi Libraries ence to be held in Hattiesburg, October In 2007, FPL was named one of [email protected] 601-266-4270 21-23, 2009, which will celebrate our “America’s Landmark Green Libraries” by Deborah Lee association’s one hundredth anniversary. TravelSmart newsletter . Fayetteville’s citi - SELA Representative Join us for a once in a lifetime cente - zens have embraced their library. Circula - Coordinator of Library Instruction Mississippi State University Libraries nary celebration at the 2009 Mississippi tion at FPL has increased from 271,000 [email protected] 662-325-0810 Library Association Annual Conference in checkouts in 1997 to 1,013,630 in Mary Julia Anderson Hattiesburg, October 21 -23, 2009 , at the 2008 ! MLA Executive Secretary University of Southern Mississippi’s Thad Louise Schaper’s perspective on PO Box 13687 Jackson, MS 39236-3687 Cochran Center . Our centennial theme is libraries will resonate with every member Phone: 601-981-4586 Fax: 601-981-4501 E-mail: [email protected] “Eco-Friendly Libraries: Greener for a of our Mississippi Library Association: Shirlene Stogner New Century.” “Our vision is to be powerfully relevant Parliamentarian Branton and her conference planning and completely accessible. That’s a big Information Services Librarian The University of Southern Mississippi team at USM have done a truly outstand - vision in these tough economic times. But [email protected] ing job to create a one hundredth birthday we believe that serving our community and 601-266-6168 party that celebrates our accomplishments, empowering all its citizens through free 2009 SECTION CHAIRS Judith Hilkert focuses on the timely theme of environ - and public access to information is our ACRL Section Chair [email protected] mental sustainability in libraries, and looks core mission. If times are tough, then the Lynn F. Shurden forward to our continued success stories as library is needed even more.” Public Library Section Chair twenty-first century librarians. Join us for our entire conference , for [email protected] It will all happen in the beautiful and programs, workshops, and events that will Melissa Moak School Library Section Chair vibrant city of Hattiesburg, where you will inspire and inform you. Obtain continuing [email protected] find some of the South’s most unique education credits. Whether you’re from the Tracy Carr Seabold Special Libraries Section Chair libraries, culture, cooking, and shopping. public, academic, school , or special [email protected] You’ll discover why Hattiesburg has been libraries, you can network with other librar - Harriet Kuykendall called “America’s Best Small City.” ians from across our state, region , and the Trustees Section Chair [email protected] If you have new staff members, trustees, nation . For additional information and a list of committees or library supporters at your library , our We’ll see you in October in Hattiesburg and roundtables, see the Mississippi Library Associa - tion’s Web site at http://www.misslib.org/. centennial anniversary conference in Octo - for our centennial celebration! ber is the perfect time to introduce them to Page 54 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries Bibliographic Authorship Study of The American Archivist , 2004-2008
Kristin Finch characteristics of author name, gender, meaning that all submissions will be affiliation, and publication frequency were reviewed by subject experts before publica - Abstract evaluated . Specifically, this study is limited tion. This article examines descriptive to the journal The American Archivist and The journal accepts a variety of submis - authorship characteristics of the leading to issues published from 2004 to 2008. sion types, including research articles, archives journal The American Archivist Information was retrieved exclusively from case studies, perspectives, international from 2004 to 2008. The characteristics the online version of the journal, which the scene pieces, professional resources, studied are author name, gender, publica - publisher states is identical to the printed forum letters, and reviews. Each submis - tion frequency, and institutional affiliation. version. It is assumed that the issues stud - sion is sent out anonymously to two This study follows up on a similar study of ied contained accurate and complete reviewers who recommend that it be characteristics of The American Archivist author information. Only articles listed as revised, rejected, or accepted. Authors conducted in 2004 by Marta Jean “Research Article” or “Theodore Calvin may not know about publication decisions Hofacre and compares results of both Pease Award” were included. The study for up to three months. The total time for studies. The results of this study revealed seeks to answer four research questions: the publication cycle is about twelve that the number of articles published in months. R1 . Which authors published scholarly, recent issues increased slightly over time peer-reviewed articles in The Ameri - and that the institutional affiliations of the Literature Review can Archivist from 2004 to 2008? authors varied widely, with academic insti - A search of the literature was conducted tutions producing the majority of articles. R2 . What is the gender of these authors? using databases appropriate to the topic. Further, the trend in international interest The results demonstrated that a wide range R3 . What institutional affiliations/ profes - and article production in authorship and of bibliometric studies have been conduct - sional titles do these authors have? bibliometric studies is not reflected in the ed over recent decades, but that studies author affiliations present in this journal R4 . How many authors were published specifically focused on authorship charac - for the time period examined . more than once, and with what fre - teristics of a particular journal were much quency? less common. Within the studies that did Introduction examine authorship, the characteristics Bibliometric studies of the authorship Definitions studied generally included author name, characteristics of core journals within spe - Author : the writer of an article, or the first professional affiliations, gender, and fre - cific disciplines can provide useful infor - listed author in the case of co-written quency of publication. However, some of mation to assist in the collection manage - articles the authorship studies expanded beyond ment decisions of libraries and other infor - Author affiliation : both the institution affili - these basic characteristics. mation providers. Such information can ated with the author and the author’s In 1994, Richard J. Cox studied the indicate which journals publish the most professional title at the time of article The American Archivist to determine how important research within a given disci - publication according to the journal’s it fit within the field of archival research and pline and can therefore assist in determin - author descriptions. its impact in the field. He evaluated ing which journals are most relevant and Publication frequency : the number of research produced from 1970 to 199 2. necessary to members of a particular field times an author is published within a He concluded from the results of his study of study. journal during a given time period that the majority of studies conducted in This study examines authorship charac - Scholarly and peer-reviewed articles : arti - archival research do not focus on an histor - teristics of a leading archives journal pub - cles listed as “research articles” by the ical perspective. lished by the Society of American journal; omits articles such as editorials, Further evaluation of the The American Archivists. To determine changes in reviews, and conference proceedings Archivist was conducted in 2004 by Marta authorship characteristics over time, the Jean Hofacre in a study that examined Editorial Policy of The American descriptive authorship statistics of journal Archivist issues from 1993 to 2003 (97). The study Kristin Finch is a graduate student in the This journal is a leading publication of found that a total of one hundred sixty-one School of Library and Information Sci - information about the subject of archives. It “major” articles were published during the ence at the University of Southern Missis - is published twice yearly and has an iden - given time frame, with one hundred forty- sippi; e-mail: [email protected] . tical online version. It is a refereed journal, eight authors from twelve countries. Fur - Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 55 ther, the largest number of authors was tar Perpustakaan from 1994 to 2003. which evaluated the time period 1996- from the United States, with thirty-one The results showed that single author arti - 2000. Results of the newer study revealed states represented. As for the authors’ insti - cles were most common, that female increases in article number and article tutional affiliation, the largest number was authors were most prevalent, and “middle- length, changes in article type, and produced by the United States National level professionals” were the most frequent changes in the number of references per Archives and Records Administration. contributors (49). In a similar study, article (103). Author publication frequency revealed that Biawas, et al. examined journal character - Joel Sam published a study in the 86% of the authors in the study had only istics of the journal Economic Botany from African Journal of Library, Archives & published one article (99). 1994 to 2003 in 358 articles. Results Information Science which examined the As bibliometric studies progressed, revealed that single author and two - or Ghana Library Journal publication charac - authors such as Andrew Wertheimer three -author articles were the most preva - teristics from 2000 to 2006. The study argued that studies conducted in library lent, that most of the articles originated indicated that the journal’s authors were and information science tended to fall into from universities, and that article authors mostly from Ghana and that of the fifty-one opposing categories, either quantitative or came from forty-five different nations (23). authors who had articles published in the qualitative research and were generally In 2008, Bakri, et al. conducted a study journal during the six-year timeframe, mutually exclusive approaches. He con - that examined the characteristics and cita - 62.7% were male and 37.3% were ducted a study combining both quantitative tion patterns of the Malaysian Journal of female (58). and qualitative methods to determine the Library and Information Science from The research methodology of this study “goodness” of articles on library history 2001 to 2006. The results of this study most closely resembles that of Tiew and (267). Wertheimer evaluated four issues of were then compared to the results of an Hofacre, in that these also specifically the Journal of Library History , from 1967 earlier study conducted by Tiew in 2002 focus on authorship characteristics of a and 1977, and then from the newly named version, Libraries and Culture, from 1987 and 1997, to determine trends in seventeen different journal characteris - tics over the forty-year period (269). The results indicated that the majority of authors (73%) were male, and that the majority of authors were library and infor - mation science students or faculty. The author concluded that further study should be conducted to evaluate the level of “goodness” of a given author that can be ascertained from bibliometric studies (270). In 2008, authorship studies developed further when Jian Qin conducted a biblio - metric study on the writings of one prolific author, J.W. Lancaster, from 1972 to 2006, to determine the scope of his influ - ence (1). The study revealed that Lancast - er had an unusually high degree of cited - ness in citation databases during the given time period and that six of his works were cited with such frequency that they are considered “classics” in the library and information science field (9). Another trend discovered from the liter - ature published since 2006 is the increase in authorship studies by international authors, particularly authors in Malaysia and Africa. Tiew, Bakri et al., and Biawas et al. published studies in the Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Sci - ence . Tiew studied the authorship charac - teristics of the Malaysian LIS journal Seki - Page 56 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries particular journal for a given period of Table 2. Number of authors per academic institution represented. time. Academic Institution Number of Contributing Authors Methodology The University of Michigan 10 For this study, the information evaluated University of Toronto 6 includes author name, gender, affiliations, The University of California, Los Angeles 5 and publication frequency. Data were gath - ered directly from issues of The American The University of Illinois 3 Archivist from 2004 to 2008 as published University of Texas 2 in their official online version of their regu - Auburn University 2 lar print edition. All accumulated information was entered into an Excel spreadsheet to be level students from various universities. number of scholarly peer-reviewed articles compiled and analyzed, and to allow for The largest numbers (forty-two) were from has increased incrementally during the academic institutions , eleven were from manipulation of data into various cate - 2004 to 2008 time period, increasing private or corporate institutions, eight were gories and the creation of representative from nine articles in 2004 to fourteen arti - masters or doctoral students, four were charts or graphs. cles in 2008. As in the earlier authorship affiliated with a governmental office or study on The American Archivist by agency, and three were unknown. Results Hofacre, the number of articles with a sin - Among the academic institutions affili - gle author was consistently much higher R1 . Which authors published scholarly, ated with the contributing authors, The than articles with multiple authors. While peer-reviewed articles in The Ameri - University of Michigan had the highest the institutional affiliation of the contribut - can Archivist from 2004-2008? number of contributors (ten), followed by ing authors varied widely, a few universities the University of Toronto (six), The Univer - tended to have a higher number of con - R2 . What is the gender of these authors? sity of California, Los Angeles (five), The tributing authors, although this number University of Illinois (three), and both the The data accumulated and compiled for was increased by the inclusion of articles University of Texas (two), and Auburn Uni - the American Archivist journal from 2004 authored by several authors from the same versity (two ). The remaining institutions to 2008 revealed a total of fifty-two schol - institution . were affiliated with only publication each arly, peer-reviewed articles were published (Table 2) . The professional title of the authors also during this timeframe by sixty-eight differ - varied widely, but the largest number of ent contributing authors (Appendix, Table R4 . How many authors were published authors was from academic institutions, 1). As to the gender of the contributing more than once, and with what fre - including both university professors and authors, twenty-eight were male and forty quency? academic librarians. The least represented were female. category was the private and corporate sec - Two authors contributed four articles tor, which suggests that the journal might Table 1. Number of scholarly and six authors wrote two articles each. consider ways to attract more contributors peer-reviewed articles per The remaining forty-five authors con - outside the academic sphere to achieve a year. tributed one article each (Appendix, Table better balance of perspectives in the 3) . archival profession. Year Articles Published In considering the literature reviewed 2004 9 Discussion for this study in comparison to the author - ship characteristics revealed by it, the trend 2005 9 The results of this study indicate that the in international interest and article produc - 2006 9 Table 3. Publication frequency of tion in authorship and bibliometric studies 2007 11 authors with multiple article . is not reflected in the author affiliations 2008 14 Last Name First Name Frequency present in the time period examined. The recent literature reviewed on the topic of TOTAL 52 Duff Wendy 4 authorship in archival journals revealed a Yakel Elizabeth 4 strong presence of authors from other R3 . What institutional affiliations/profess- Cherry Joan 2 countries, particularly Malaysia and Africa. ional titles do these authors have? Cox Dwayne 2 Further research could be conducted to The authors were affiliated with a variety Limkilde Carrie 2 further explore the authorship studies con - ducted outside the United States to create of institutions, including academic (profes - Prom Christopher 2 sors), academic libraries, corporate, gov - a more informed and complete picture of Swain Ellen D. 2 ernment (any local, state , or federal the research interests and publications agency), and both master and doctoral Yeo Geoffrey 2 ongoing internationally. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 57
REFERENCES Bakri, Aryati and Peter Willet. “The “Malaysian Seminars in Professional Issues: Historical Libraries (2007). Joural of Library and Information Science” Research Methods in Archival and Library Patra, Swapan Kumar, Partha Bhattacharya and 2001-2006: A Bibliometric Study.” Malaysian Science.” University of Pittsburgh (2003). 25 Neera Verma. “Bibliometric Study of Literature Journal of Library and Information Science March 2009 . http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~rcos/ on Bibliometrics.” DESIDOC Bulletin of 13.1 (2008): 103-16. Library Lit & Inf Full Part7/Research.htm . Information Technology 26.1 (2006): 27-32. Text. H. W. Wilson., University of Southern “Editorial Policies.” The American Archivist Qin, Jian. “F.W. Lancaster: A Bibliometric Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS . 25 Mar. 2009 (2008). http://www.archivists.org/periodicals Analysis.” Library Trends 56.4 (2008): 1-9.
Appendix . All Author Names and Frequency of Publication Last Name First Name Frequency Last Name First Name Frequency Last Name First Name Frequency Duff Wendy 4 Hedstrom Margaret 1 Millar Laura 1 Alexander Ben 1 Hendry Julia 1 Moore Reagan W. 1 Blake Ben 1 Hodson Sara S. 1 Olson Judith 1 Blanco-Rivera Joel 1 Jimerson Randall 1 O’Sullivan Catherine 1 Blouin Francis X. 1 Johnson Elizabeth Snowden 1 Patzwald Gari-Ann 1 Bogomazova Ellie 1 Johnson Catherine A. 1 Prom Christopher 2 Braeden Ian Craig 1 Kim Jihyun 1 Ricci Steven 1 Cherry Joan 2 Krause Magia G. 1 Rieh Soo Young 1 Church John 1 Lampe Clifford 1 Roberts Peter J. 1 Chute Tamar 1 Lau Andrew 1 St. Jean Beth 1 Coombs Leonard A. 1 Lee Kyong Rae 1 Stark Bruce P. 1 Cox Richard J. 1 Lee Christopher A. 1 Swain Ellen D. 2 Cox Dwayne 2 Limkilde Carrie 2 Torres Deborah 1 Danielson Elena S. 1 Loe Nancy E. 1 Turrini Joseph 1 David James 1 Lu Yang 1 Tussing Nicholas J. 1 Davis Susan E. 1 MacNeil Heather 1 van Ballegooie Marlene 1 Dingwall Glenn 1 Malkmus Doris 1 Weideman Christine 1 Dorman Robert L. 1 Markey Karen 1 White Kelvin 1 Dryden Jean 1 Marshall Amy 1 Wildt Sister Carol Marie 1 Duff Wendy 4 McCrea Donna 1 Yaco Sonia 1 Galloway Patricia 1 McKemmish Sue 1 Yakel Elizabeth 4 Gilliland Ann 1 Meissner Dennis 1 Yeo Geoffrey 2 Greene Mark A. 1 Mifflin Jeffrey 1 Zhou Xiaomu 1 Page 58 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
This article was originally published in Planning Commissioners Journal , number 75, summer 2009, pages 12-18. For information about the Planning Commissioners Journal , visit their Web site at www.plannersweb.com . Libraries: The Hubs of Our Communities
Wayne Senville In a growing number of cities and that link them with their past, fill them with towns, there is one answer to all these pride, and reinforce their sense of belong - Introduction questions: the public library. ing.” 3 There has been a dramatic change in Keeping libraries in the center of town, the mission of a growing number of Anchors for Our Cities and Towns and having them reflect high standards of libraries across the country. No longer Dramatic new or renovated libraries design, is a challenge a growing number just static repositories of books and refer - have become cornerstones of downtown in of communities are successfully meeting. ence materials, libraries are increasingly dozens of cities, including Denver, San at the heart of our communities, provid - Antonio, Des Moines, Indianapolis, and Hudson’s Star Attraction ing a broad range of services and activi - Salt Lake City, to name a few. I stopped in Hudson, Ohio, this April as ties. They are also becoming important Noted architect and writer Witold part of my “Circle the USA” trip to learn “economic engines” of downtowns and Rybczynski offers an online slide show about its library. Hudson is a small city neighborhood districts. titled, “How Do You Build a Public Library (population 22,439), midway between in the Age of Google? ”1 His main point: Cleveland and Akron. It has elements of Is there a place in your community libraries are far from dead in today’s Inter - both a suburb and a small town. In the net age – in fact, they’re making a come - center of Hudson is its historic Main Street • where residents of all ages and incomes back as key anchors in our downtowns. business district, home to the city’s library. visit and enjoy spending their time? Indeed, they’re bringing us full circle to the Opened in 2005, the library is housed • where people go to hear interesting “end of the nineteenth century and the in a stately brick building, with functional speakers discuss new ideas, books, beginning of the twentieth, when cities but very attractively-designed interior travel, and a broad range of topics? such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, spaces. The heart of the library is its rotun - Detroit, and Chicago built ambitious pub - da, proof that the design of libraries today • where comprehensive databases are lic libraries.” can match that of the classic Carnegie available free of charge? It’s important to recognize, however, library buildings of a century ago. • where you can get help when applying that it’s not just big cities that benefit from for a job? libraries. In fact, smaller cities and towns may have even more to gain from a having • where you can stop by and take home a a thriving library , as they don’t have the book, CD, or DVD at virtually no cost? range of community gathering places that larger cities often have. That’s also a place Reporter Annie Stamper writes that, • that’s “owned” by everyone in the com - “No more just a place to find books, munity? today’s library is a place that extends far beyond its physical walls with the addition • and can be counted on, day after day, to of digital information and access. Particu - draw people downtown or to main larly in small towns, the library is often the street? hub of the community, providing a place The central rotunda inside the Hudson Library . for residents to meet, as well as to learn.” 2 Libraries, like city halls and post offices, New libraries tend to need considerably Wayne M. Senville is editor of the Planning Commissioners Journal . He holds a Masters in are key to strong communities. Ed McMa - more space than their earlier counterparts. City Planning from the University of Pennsyl - hon, a senior fellow at the Urban Land That’s the case in Hudson, where the new vania, and, during the 1980s, worked as a Institute, has pointed out that “public library building (at 50,000 square feet) is planner for the National Park Service and then buildings and spaces create identity and a much bigger than the old building (at the State of Vermont. Senville has also served sense of place. They give communities 17,000 square feet). on the Burlington, Vermont, Planning Com - something to remember and admire. The At first blush, this seems counter-intu - mission (1991-1999, and 2008-present) ; e- challenge facing public architecture is to itive. Why in today’s Internet and digital mail: [email protected] . provide every generation with structures age would libraries need to be larger? Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 59
More importantly, why do they seem in aspect of the Hudson Library: its location. even greater demand? It is part of an expansion of Hudson’s Main I asked assistant director Margie Smith Street district. what draws people to the Hudson library. Indeed, you could say the library is “It’s become the cultural, entertainment, Main Street’s star attraction. As Hudson and social hub of Hudson,” she replied. city planner Mark Richardson told me, “The library programs a lot of readings, “You can’t just rely on retail in downtown there are musical performances every expansion, you need an activity center like week, and we also have meeting rooms.” a library.” “The library,” Richardson con - Add in over fifty public computer termi - tinued, “fulfills its role as the anchor by nals, access to state and local databases, creating opportunities for multi-stop trips and a collection of more than seven thou - downtown.” View of the Seattle Public Library: “Living Room” by sand DVDs, plus a coffee shop to hang out The Main Street extension (called First Padriac, www.flickr.com/photos/padraics_travels/ in, and an outdoor patio. You can even & Main) consists of a mix of retail, office, 2179049925. Licensed, Creative Commons. borrow laptops from the library, and use and housing. The city has architectural them anywhere in the building or on the design standards for the area. As Richard - businesses report increases in spending patio. What’s more, the Hudson library son notes, “the idea was for it to be a nat - associated with Library visitors.” As a doesn’t close till 9 p .m., Monday through ural extension, not a replication, of Main result, “the increased number of Library Thursday, and is open a total of sixty-nine Street.” The streets are laid out in a grid, visitors contributes to Downtown vitality hours each week, making it even more connecting with the old village. and vibrancy, making Downtown a more accessible . From Richardson’s perspective as a attractive residential and commercial mar - The library is funded primarily through planner, having the library downtown is ket.” 5 a property tax levy (raising $1.4 million), also cost-effective. As he explains, “the with just over $1 million more from the library’s location downtown has helped State of Ohio. The library also makes facilitate numerous partnerships and col - extensive use of volunteers, including laborations with the merchants; the public, “tech wizards” who help out in the com - private, and parochial schools; and the puter center. City of Hudson because they are all locat - The residents of Hudson have decided ed in close proximity ... these collabora - that the library is a key service they want tions have allowed the library to stretch its for their community. The numbers attest to tax dollars and, at the same time, more this, as there are more than 23,000 regis - effectively serve the needs of Hudson.” tered library users, who checked out Seattle Public Library” by Rodefeld, www.flickr. 736,000 items last year. The library count - The Economic Benefits of Libraries com/photos/rodefeld/1622522316 . Licensed, ed more than 700,000 visits, an average As is the case in Hudson, libraries can Creative Commons. of well over 2,000 every day it was open. bring substantial benefits to downtowns For planners, however, I want to touch and main street districts. Planning consult - As Brian Murphy of the Seattle-based on what may be the most interesting ant Robert Gibbs has observed that “a typ - Berk & Associates, which prepared the ical public library draws 500 to 1,500 economic assessment, told me, “the people a day, that’s close to the draw of library has become an important part of a small department store.” Public buildings network of attractions in Seattle.” In part, like libraries, he notes, “add to the authen - this is because of the library’s dramatic ticity of a town … they make it less of a design. Its location close to downtown res - shopping center and more of a town cen - idential neighborhoods and the city’s retail ter.” 4 core is also a big plus, he added. Seattle is another city that has gained Perhaps more surprising is another substantial economic benefits from its new major draw that Murphy pointed to, the downtown library, opened in 2004. An Seattle Public Library’s extensive economic assessment prepared for the city genealogical resources, which attract visi - found that “the Library is associated with tors from a wide area. Indeed, the library $16 million in net new spending in Seattle has more than 40,000 items in its collec - in its first year of operations – equal to $80 tion, and three full-time genealogy refer - Mark Richardson in front of the Hudson Library . million for five years,” and that “nearby ence librarians to provide assistance. Page 60 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
The library’s beautiful new building is community and economic benefits” they located within walking distance of the town bring. center (less than half-a-mile away) and next From a national perspective, why to a co-op market and senior housing. The shouldn’t libraries be more highly valued? new building was made possible in part In 2006, the most recent year for which from a generous donor, but also through data is available, there were some 1.4 bil - extensive fund-raising in the Putney com - lion visits to the nation’s 9,208 public munity. libraries. 7 The importance of libraries like Put - To put library visits in perspective, con - ney’s to village and town centers was sider that in 2007 the attendance at major underscored in a public forum sponsored league baseball games was eighty-one mil - Librarian Stephen Coronella, Putney Public by the Windham Regional Commission lion and NFL football, twenty-two million – Library . (the WRC’s service area includes Putney, add in NCAA men’s and women’s basket - Brattleboro, and twenty-five other small ball (forty-three million) and football (forty- “A Harbor You Can Sail Into” towns in southeastern Vermont). As nine million) and the total is less than 15 Those are the words that Stephen Kendall Gifford, a planner with the WRC, percent the number of visits to public Coronella used to describe the role of the told me, it “opened up perceptions of what libraries. 8 Putney Public Library. For Coronella, who libraries have to offer.” Yet libraries may well be the single most is the librarian in this small Vermont town One by-product of the forum was the important civic institution in America (population 2,600), a good library works a formation of a task force to develop recom - today. As scholar Vartan Gregorian has lot like a harbor. It provides a place where mendations for strengthening local noted, “Across America we are coming to people can dock themselves for a while, libraries within the region. The task force’s realize the library’s unsurpassed impor - socialize with others, and feel some com - report, The New Heart of the Old Village tance as a civic institution … In our demo - fort and security. Center: The Role of the Library in Com - cratic society, the library stands for hope, When I met with Coronella, he munity Development , includes a series of for learning, for progress, for literacy, for explained that over the years libraries have recommendations centered on three goals: self-improvement and for civic engage - become more multi-faceted. They’re no to achieve universal access to library serv - ment. The library is a symbol of opportu - longer just places to read and take out ices; to assure adequate funding for nity, citizenship, equality, freedom of books (though that’s still a key function). libraries; and to use libraries to strengthen speech and freedom of thought, and Increasingly, libraries are providing a village centers. hence, is a symbol for democracy itself. It broader range of services, from access to Susan McMahon, another planner with is a critical component in the free research databases, to loaning videos and the WRC, has been struck by how often exchange of information, which is at the CDs, to providing Internet access, to offer - people have mentioned the value of their heart of our democracy.” 9 ing space for lectures and public meetings. libraries “as community places, where you The Putney Public Library attracts one can see your neighbors,” and by the The Hub of Moab hundred or more people on a daily basis, importance that seniors, in particular, place Twenty-two hundred miles west of Put - and forty or fifty more often show up for on having a library nearby. ney, Vermont, is the small city of Moab, evening programs. You’ll find people of all One problem facing local libraries in Utah. Their new library, opened in 2006, ages, incomes, and backgrounds using the Vermont – and many other states – is the is just two blocks off Main Street in the Putney library. Its seven public access lack of state financial support. 6 This puts heart of the city’s compact downtown. computers are very popular, and offer a the burden on cities and towns to provide Moab is located in a remote, but spec - valuable service in this rural community funding from their municipal budget. Not tacularly beautiful, corner of Utah, and is where residential broadband service is lim - surprisingly, this can be a major hurdle, home to Arches National Park, a thriving ited. especially in communities with limited resources. While private organizations like the Freeman Foundation (in Vermont) and the Gates Foundation (nationwide) have stepped up to provide financial support, this is not a long-term solution. Recogniz - ing this, the Windham Regional Commis - sion task force report points out the impor - tance of educating legislators, community leaders, and residents about libraries’ fund - Putney Public Library . ing needs “in the context of all the positive Grand County Public Library exterior . Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 61
recreational industry, and residents who Libraries Mix It Up love the outdoors. 10 But it is also home to a “Among private sector developers of fine new county library, at 15,000 square malls, commercial corridors, mixed-use feet, triple the size of its former location. developments and joint-use facilities, libraries are gaining recognition for other qualities – their ability to attract tremen - dous foot traffic, provide long-term tenan - cy, and complement neighboring retail and cultural destinations.” That’s from a recent report, Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Des Plaines Public Library interior . Development , prepared by the Urban 11 Grand County Public Library interior . Library Council. important part of being a “full service” As the report continues, “Library build - community, something that suburbs are The library itself is a delightful place. ings are versatile. They fit in a wide mix of increasingly focusing on as they seek to When I stepped inside, it was a beehive of public and private sector developments. create a high quality of life for residents. activity, with people of all ages engrossed Library leaders and private developers Another interesting point that Friedman in reading and, yes, in using the Internet. across the country are beginning to notice makes is the importance of libraries in mid - In fact, Internet use has been booming. distinct advantages to incorporating public dle-income communities like Des Plaines. When I followed up with library director libraries into mixed use, retail and residen - “People can’t always afford Barnes & Carrie Valdes this May, she told me that tial areas.” Noble or Borders,” he notes, but many the number of online sessions last year You can now find libraries not just in middle-income individuals are highly edu - exceeded 93,000, up from 75,000 in malls, but as part of residential develop - cated, “so the library becomes a critical 2007. The library building is also wireless. ments, and other mixed-use projects. public service for them.” In part, the growth in Internet use owes to In the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, In St. Paul, Minnesota, the 31,000- the fact that anything faster than dial-up the new library – which opened in August square foot Rondo Community Outreach service is very costly in Moab. Valdes also 2000 – is located next to a stop on one of library is on the ground floor of a new believes that the economic downturn has the METRA commuter rail lines. It is the building that includes three floors of led to increased use, especially as more central element of a 6.2-acre redevelop - mixed-income housing, plus a floor of people are looking to access online job ment that also includes 30,000 square feet parking immediately above the library search services. of retail, a 180-unit condominium, and a (serving the apartments) and underground The Grand County Public Library is parking garage. This mix of complementa - parking below (for library patrons). part of a small complex of public build - ry uses has created a hub of activity in the The project grew out of a desire by the 12 ings, making it even more convenient for heart of this suburban city of 58,000. city and neighborhood to redevelop what area residents. Right next door are the In putting together the project, the had been the site of an adult entertainment municipal offices, in a recently rehabbed library served as the traffic anchor, “much theater – a focal point of community anger former elementary school building. like a large retailer would” explained – demolished after the city acquired the The Library Board saw the need to pur - Stephen Friedman of S.B. Friedman & property. The idea of a mixed-use building chase the property the library is now locat - Co. His firm, which specializes in advising emerged from a conjunction of interests: ed on several years ago. It wanted to “lock communities on public/private partner - the city’s goal of providing more affordable in” a downtown site for use when the time ships, worked with the City of Des Plaines housing and the fact that the existing came for expansion (important since there on the redevelopment. Having a high qual - neighborhood public library had outgrown are few large parcels available close to ity library, Friedman adds, is also an its building. 13 downtown). Valdes believes that keeping According to Alice Neve, Supervisor of the library downtown was critically impor - the Rondo Area Libraries, having the tant. As she put it, “everything that hap - library in the same building as the housing pens in Moab, happens downtown.” provided some significant economies of Owing to its welcoming environment, scale, allowing for more space than if the expanded size (allowing for the addition of library had been built as a stand-alone a dedicated children’s room), and the state building. Families living in the apartments of the economy, library use has surged – above, Neve notes, are also (not surpris - from an annual average of about 90,000 ingly) frequent visitors to the library. visits before the new building opened to 150,000 last year. It has become, says Des Plaines Public Library, on right, and adjacent A Home for All of the Community Valdes, “a true community center.” housing on the left . Libraries provide something increasing - Page 62 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
ly scarce in our cities and towns, what though these private spaces are typically There’s been a “sea change” in the Brattleboro, Vermont, library director Jerry made available for community meetings in past five to ten years in the role libraries are Carbone described to me as “neutral pub - a spirit of good will. playing in communities, says Sari Feld - lic space.” This message was reinforced in a con - man, director of the Cuyahoga County Carbone explained that Brattleboro’s versation I had with David Lankes, director Public Library, which operates twenty-eight Brooks Memorial Library, in the heart of of the Information Institute at Syracuse branches in Cleveland, Ohio’s suburbs. downtown, makes its community room University. As Lankes observed, libraries Feldman, who is also president-elect of the available at no charge to local organiza - are in a pivotal role because “there are very Public Library Association, told me that tions three evenings every week. The fact few civic organizations left today” that can “libraries have become vibrant centers of that it is public space, Carbone notes, provide a space accessible to everyone in community interaction,” with librarians makes it a more comfortable meeting the community. working more closely with community place for some than a church basement or But for Lankes, the role of today’s groups and businesses. In Cuyahoga a business office meeting room – even library goes beyond providing community County, notes Feldman, “the library does space. Libraries, he argues, should also be extensive focus groups, polling, and mar - Internet Access actively seeking ways of “enriching and ket research” to better learn what the com - One of the essentials of being enhancing” issues people are most inter - munity wants. informed today is having Internet ested in. Libraries have been especially proving access. That’s still a problem in many To cite one example, Lankes told me their worth during the current recession. rural areas and for low-income house - how in several cities, librarians have devel - holds. Public libraries are a critically oped training sessions – open to all – cov - In the Neighborhood important resource in terms of broad - ering the basics of setting up a new busi - While this article has focused on the ening the availability of this access. ness and putting together a business plan. positive impact that libraries can have A nationwide survey conducted last Along the same lines, some libraries are on downtowns, let’s not forget the pow - year by the Florida State University’s teaming up with local community develop - erful benefits that libraries can bring to Information Institute focused on the ment agencies to provide job counseling neighborhoods. Take a look at an Internet and libraries. Two of the most centers. This level of engagement goes excellent short report prepared by the striking findings: 72.5 percent of well beyond the “traditional” role of just Urban Library Council, The Engaged libraries reported that they are the only providing books about how to set up a Library: Chicago Stories of Communi - 14 provider of free public computer and business or find a job. ty Building .1 It tells of the importance Internet access in their community, Another valuable role that libraries play Chicago has placed on strengthening while 98.9 percent of public libraries is in integrating immigrants and other new - neighborhood libraries: indicated that they offer Internet comers into our communities. As national “Libraries are uniquely positioned to access. 1 Moreover, according to the columnist Neil Peirce reports: “In immi - contribute to the local economy. They Institute of Museum & Library Service, grant-heavy suburbs of Washington, D.C., are local employers. More often than in 2006 a total of 196,000 Internet many public libraries have recast them - not, libraries bring foot traffic to the computers were available in America’s selves as welcome centers. Some check - neighborhood commercial district. … public libraries (3.4 per 5,000 peo - out desks have signs in Korean, Chinese, The Chicago Public Library has built ple). 2 Spanish and Vietnamese. A recent immi - forty new branch buildings in the last Another sign of the times: the rapid grant from the Dominican Republic said: ‘I eleven years. Many of these buildings increase in the number of libraries come to the library almost every day. And have gone into areas previously avoid - offering wireless access – an increase two days a week I follow the conversation ed … Often, CPL has used its capital from 54 to 66 percent of libraries in classes. We have the opportunity not only investments to buy sites that have been just the past year. 3 Wireless access is of to improve our English but to get new neighborhood eyesores. Liquor stores value not just to residents, but to friends from all over the world.’ ” 15 or abandoned buildings are torn down tourists and business travelers when At the other end of the country, Seattle’s to be replaced with public libraries, they visit a community. Kent Kammerer points out that “Seniors changing the streetscape completely. now flood the libraries for many reasons For this strategy to be successful, 1 Public Libraries and the Internet 2008: Study including taking computer classes and library administration and planners Results and Findings ; currently available online attending special programs. Young people have to tap into community knowledge at: www.ii.fsu.edu/projectFiles/plinternet/ find willing, friendly help at the library ... and listen to community requests.” 2008/03_Executive_Summary_p_1-6.pdf . and yes, though, the library wasn’t 2 Public Libraries Survey Fiscal Year 2006 (Institute for Museum & Library Services, Dec. designed to be a hygiene center or daytime 1 The Engaged Library is available through the 2008), p. 5. shelter, some homeless people find the ULC Web site: www.urbanlibraries.org/files/ 3 Id. Public Libraries and the Internet … library the most welcoming place to spend ULC_PFSC_Engaged_0206.pdf. their days.” 16 Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 63
As Feldman explains, “we’re clearly the numbers of new users. This is happening place where people are coming for job because libraries are providing programs, information, for preparing online job appli - meeting space, computer access, and cations, and for basic financial literacy … resources that are responding to a broader and we provide them support in doing array of community needs. this.” Moreover, when libraries are located in MARK downtown, village, or neighborhood cen - Summing Up ters, there’s also a special synergy at work. The twenty-first century library has Libraries generate increased business for YOUR arrived. Its mission goes far beyond loan - local merchants, while those shopping or ing out books and providing reference working downtown visit the library as part CALENDAR materials. In fact, in a growing number of of their day. cities and towns, the library has become Libraries and community – they’re real - the hub of the community, drawing large ly inseparable. –––––––––– REFERENCES
1 Available online at: www.slate.com/id/ 7 Public Libraries Survey, Fiscal Year 2006 2184927/. (Institute of Museum & Library Services, Dec. 2 In an article in the June 2006 Champlain Busi - 2008), pp. 4-6. MLA ness Journal, “Libraries Anchor Small Com - 8 Sports attendance data from The 2009 Statis - munities.” tical Abstract (U.S. Bureau of the Census), 2009 3 Quoted by journalist Phil Langdon in “Public Tables 1204/1205. Unfortunately, the Statisti - Buildings Should Set the Standard” ( PCJ #41 , cal Abstract does not include attendance for all Winter 2001); available to order & download sports, but you get the picture. Annual at: www.plannersweb.com/wfiles/w206.html. 9 Vartan Gregorian, “Libraries as Acts of Civic 4 From “Public Buildings Keep Town Centers Renewal” (speech given in Kansas City, Mis - Conference Alive” ( PCJ #49 , Winter 2003); available to souri, July 4, 2002; available online at: www. order & download at: www.plannersweb.com/ carnegie.org/sub/pubs/gregorianspeech.html. wfiles/w144.html. 10 See also my report from Moab (part of my 5 The Seattle Public Library Central Library: Crossing America on Route 50 trip) at: Economic Benefits Assessment (prepared for www.rte50.com/2007/07/two-moabs.html. “Eco-Friendly the City of Seattle Office of Economic Develop - 11 Prepared by the Urban Library Council (Jan. ment and The Seattle Public Library Founda - 2007); currently available online at: Libraries: tion by Berk & Associates, July 2005); avail - www.urbanlibraries.org/files/making_cities_ able at: www.spl.org/pdfs/SPLCentral_ stronger.pdf. Library_Economic_Impacts.pdf. See also Eco - 12 The City of Des Plaines even offers a video tour Green for the nomic Benefits and Impacts from Public of the library, accessible from their home page: Libraries in the State of Florida, a report pre - www.desplaines.org/. New Century” pared in 2000 by the Florida State University 13 For more on the Rondo library: www.stpaul. Information Use Management and Policy Insti - lib.mn.us/locations/rondo_about.html . tute ; available at: http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld 14 To learn about other creative ways in which /Research_Office/final-report.pdf . libraries can engage with their community, see 6 Nationally, 82 percent of public libraries’ rev - the Project for Public Spaces’ “Libraries That enue comes from local sources, 9 percent from Matter,” at: www.pps.org/info/newsletter/ states, 1 percent from the federal government, april2007/libraries_that_matter; and Making and 9 percent from other sources, such as Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions October library fees, donations, and grants. See Public to Local Economic Development (Urban Libraries Survey Fiscal Year 2006 (Institute of Libraries Council, 2007); available at: 21-23, 2009 Museum & Library Services, Dec. 2008), p. www.urbanlibraries .org/files/making_cities_ 6. Only one state , Ohio , provides substantial stronger.pdf. financial support to its libraries, with a dedicat - 15 “Libraries and New Americans: The Indispen - ed 2.22% of all tax revenue from the state’s sable Link” (April 13, 2008, for The Washing - General Revenue Fund going to public ton Post Writers Group); available at: The University libraries. Perhaps this explains why Ohio has www.postwritersgroup.com/archives/peir higher levels of library use per capita than any 080413.htm . of Southern Mississippi other state. For more on the issue of funding, 16 Kent Kammerer, “A new librarian faces tough Hattiesburg, MS see “What’s the State of Your Library ” (posted economic times ,” on Crosscut.com (May 19, on July 15, 2009 on our PlannersWeb.com 2009); http://crosscut.com/2009/05/19/ site). seattle-city-hall/19003/. Page 64 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
Promoting Reading in the Classroom
Brenda Pritchett ing teams is another way to promote pare and contrast a book and the cor - involvement. responding movie. Students can With the competition between tech - 7. Star Book Rating decide which they like the best and nology and activities outside the home, Students rate books they have read why. teachers need to find innovative ways to using one to five stars to represent 13. Book Club Grouping encourage their students to make time for interest level . Post the ratings so stu - Students form fan clubs for their reading. Here are twenty fun ways to pro - dents can see the ratings a book has favorite book series or author. The stu - mote reading in the classroom: received. dents can make flags , T-shirts , or other 8. Book Matching materials to promote their club. 1. Book Stacking Students complete a Reading Interest 14. Book Swapping Stack books on tables in your class - Inventory and then the teacher or Periodically, let students bring in room. Having books in plain view will school librarian is challenged to find a paperback books that they have read incite curiosity and encourage stu - book that matches a student’s inter - and trade with one another. dents to pick one up during free time. ests. 15. Day of Discovery 2. Book Bragging 9. Good Book Fishing On “discovery day,” invite students to Let students talk to the class about a Students write a short summary of a share something with the class that book that they have just finished read - book and place both book and sum - they learned from a book . This is a ing. If a peer has read a good book, mary in the reading, or “fishing ,” good time to promote non-fiction and then other students will be more likely area . Classmates then “fish” for a biographical books. For more focus, to read it . good book and the challenge is to see teachers can choose a common topic 3. Book Debating which book is chosen , or “caught ,” for everyone’s reading . Students form debate teams to argue first by a classmate. 16. Poetry Writing why a book they have selected should 10. Characters Talking After reviewing the mechanics of writ - be chosen “Book of the Month .” A Students dress up like a favorite char - ing poetry, have students pen their vote can be taken afterwards. acter from a book they have read and own poems. Publish in a booklet for 4. Book Twisting stand at designated places in the room the class and school library. After reading a book, ask students to or library , while classmates move 17. Yackity-Yacking write a new ending or add a sequel to around the room as if visiting a muse - Bring in newspapers and discuss cur - the story. um. Book characters “come to life” rent events. Point out the difference 5. Book Blogging and tell their stories when a person between opinion and facts in the Create a blog where students may arrives at their spot. Biographies work media. Let students identify whether write their opinions about books they well in this venue. (Prewriting the articles in the news are informative or have read , or simply write on large character’s speech allows students to persuasive . Discuss whether percep - paper and post opinions on a bulletin practice identifying important details tion is reality . board. and summarizing). 18. Circus of Facts Performance 6. Book Racing 11. Book Buzzing Using a 2-ring or 3-ring circus theme, Students track the number of pages Students sit in small groups , select an students use their artwork to portray they have read in a designated period element from their books, and begin two or three facts or events from a of time, such as one month. The to share and compare. For example book. amount of time spent reading could after a student describes one of his or 19 . Top Ten Listing also be noted. Highest achievers for her book characters, he says, “I buzz Students list ten top reasons why or number of pages and number of min - off to __ _ ( insert name of another why not to read a book. Set up as a utes could be awarded, with special member of the group). ” Each student countdown to the number one and recognition for any records set. Form - continues until all have had a turn , most important reason. and then another element is chosen. 20 . Book Breaking 12. Movie Viewing Take a book break and provide ten Brenda Pritchett is a reading literacy consultant. The cinema has recently made minutes of quiet time for silent reading She maintains a Web site at www.brenda movies from popular novels for chil - in class every day. pritchett.com; e-mail: [email protected] . dren and young adults. Students com - Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 65
Eco-Friendly Libraries: Green for the New Century
Ann Branton, MLA Vice President ing Council as a LEED® Silver building for mer Coca -Cola bottling plant, where our its environmentally-friendly design and own Greg Johnson , blues archivist at the Environmental sustainability during operation. In 2007, FPL was named one University of Mississippi , will entertain us these financially challenging days has of America’s Landmark Green Libraries by by performing traditional Irish music . come to mean planning an economically TravelSmart newsletter . I am very inspired Librarians, exhibitors and friends – I hope affordable conference while providing by the success of Schaper’s leadership in you will all plan to attend this once and quality programming for all librarians environmental sustainability and think she only happy event. attending the 2009 Mississippi Library will be an inspiration to us all on this very Association Annual Conference . We have timely topic. Day Two Highlights a strong program lineup , with several The conference Thursday morning begins bright and national speakers from as far away as Alas - will begin on early with a crowd pleaser, “Breakfast with ka, California, New Mexico, Texas , and Wednesday with a Rick Bragg, ” co-sponsored by Two Year New York , as well as many close to home . morning workshop, College Roundtable (2YCRT) and the As the conference will be held entirely on “Developing History Public Library Section (PLS) . Later Ken the campus of the University of Southern Scrapbooks: Pre - Waldman, poet, storyteller , and fiddler , Mississippi, all programs, events, ban - serving Our Libraries joins us all the way from Alaska to present quets , and meetings will be held in the Memories, ” given by a wonderful two-hour program titled “Fun Thad Cochran Center. The campus will be consultant Tracie with Poetry” and sponsored by the Young at its autumn peak , temperate and beauti - Thompson; Thomp - Louise Schaper People Services Roundtable (YPSRT) . ful , and walking is encouraged . Ample son will assist librari - Other morning programs will appeal to reserved parking will be made available to ans to preserve the past and plan for the academic, special, or public librarians. conference attendees . years ahead by safekeeping the histories of After the two luncheon banquets spon - their libraries in scrapbooks. At noon on sored by ACRL-Mississippi Chapter and Day One Highlights Wednesday, the Black Caucus Round - YPSRT, more programs are scheduled for On Wednesday , October 21 , 2009 , the table, hosting the Virgia Brocks-Shedd the afternoon. These include a screening First General Session will be addressed by Scholarship luncheon , will feature author of the documentary film, The Hollywood keynote speaker Louise Schaper, director Peggy Brooks-Bertram from the University Librarian: A Look at Librarians through of the Fayetteville Public Library in at Buffalo, State University of New York, Film, with discussion to follow . Arkansas, whose topic is “Green Libraries: who will be talking about a new book she Smaller Footprint for Bigger Impact .” has co-authored , Go Tell Michelle: Day Three High - Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) was the African American Women Write to the lights recipient of the prestigious Library of the First Lady ; the book is a collection of let - On Friday morn - Year Award in 2005 which is given by ters from African American women to ing, along with a Library Journal each year. According to Michelle Obama . Later in the day, the variety of program - Thomson Gale publishing company, the annual Afternoon Tea with Authors, spon - ming and user group Library of the Year Award honors the sored by Friends of Mississippi Libraries, meetings , the Techni - library that most profoundly demonstrates will host several regional authors who will cal Services Round - outstanding community service. Fayet - talk about their writing interests and pub - table (TSRT) will host teville Public Library was also designated lishing experiences – a traditional program speaker Brad Eden, Ken Waldman in 2006 by the United States Green Build - we all look forward to . The day will end author and librarian with the MLA President’s Reception at the at University of California, Santa Barbara, USM Museum of Art and the opening of who will speak on “Technical Service Ann Branton is 2009 MLA Annual Confer - the Artists in Mississippi Libraries exhibit . Futures: What Are They? ” The conference ence chairperson and head of bibliographic th services at the University of Southern Missis - The best is yet to come at the 100 will close with the annual awards banquet , sippi Libraries; e-mail: ann.branton@ Anniversary “Birthday ” Bash at the Bot - where we will recognize our MLA usm.edu . tling Company restaurant, located in a for - leadership and their accomplishments in Page 66 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
professional librarianship and in library from the National Network of Libraries of Reception and the service. Medicine. opening of the Artists in Mississippi Librar- Focus on Young Adult Library The Green Theme ies exhibit, I hope to Services In addition to the keynote speech, a fair see you there before Special attention has been given this number of programs will support this going to the 100th year to provide programming for librarians year’s theme, “Eco-Friendly Libraries: Anniversary Bash. who serve young adults in school and pub - Green for a New Century, ” Featured Look for me at the lic libraries . Starting with a MAGNOLIA speaker for the ACRL-Mississippi Chapter hospitality booth hav - training session Wednesday morning, luncheon on Thursday is Fred Stoss, the ing a bag of hot pop - Fred Stoss seven substantive programs with continu - associate librarian for biological and envi - corn or at the silent ing education unit (CEU) credits are ronmental sciences and mathematics at the auction table bidding on something to sup - scheduled specifically for this service State University of New York University at port our two scholarships . In addition, be group during the three days. Topics Buffalo. Stoss has a wealth of experience sure to stop by each of the exhibitor ’s include “What’s New in Teen Literature ” promoting environmental sustainability booths to say , “What’s new?” We are very and “Teen Services 101,” presented on and will speak on “Sustainable and Green grateful to all of the vendors who work with Wednesday and Thursday respectively by @ Your Library .” We will also have a us in good times and lean times , diligently ALA Young Adult Library Services Associ - screening of the documentary film, Kilo - serving our libraries in Mississippi. With - ation (YALSA ) speaker Angie Manfredi , watt Ours: A Plan to Re-energize Ameri - out them , the conference would not hap - and a Thursday presentation on the ALA ca , with a discussion to follow. Greg John - pen , so please express your appreciation “Great Stories CLUB ” by Lainie Castle, son, of the University of Mississippi, will to them during the conference . For more ALA Public Programs representative. Jan present “Greening our Libraries, ” which detailed information about hotels, registra - McGee from West Monroe (Louisiana) should be of interest to those committed to tion , or the conference program, go to the High School will speak at two programs, implementing eco-friendly ideas in your MLA Web site at www.misslib.org . The “Books that Bite! ” and “Web-vertise Your libraries. preliminary program and registration form Library ,” both on Friday morning and I know I am looking forward to the sev - are also in this issue of Mississippi sponsored by the School Library Section. eral social gatherings and banquets Libraries . For other information , phone planned in addition to many of these pro - MLA Vice President Ann Branton at 601- From the USM-SLIS grams . Beginning with the President’s 266-4350. The University of Southern Mississippi School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) is sponsoring a number of pro - grams this year , beginning on Wednesday with “Online Reference Sources ” by SLIS faculty Jenny Bossaler and Catharine Bomhold . Teresa Welsh, another SLIS faculty member, will discuss “Special Libraries and Collections ” on Thursday. Later Thursday afternoon, SLIS will host an alumni mixer at the renovated Power House restaurant right in the middle of campus . Be sure to stop in and see friends and former classmates . SLIS will also co-host a Friday morning break- fast with the Special Library Section , fea - turing guest speaker Sheila Snow-Croft Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 67
Mississippi Library Association 100th Year 1909-2009
MLA Annual Conference Thad Cochran Center Hattiesburg, Mississippi October 21-23, 2009 Page 68 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries 2009 Mississippi Library Association Annual Conference
“Eco-Friendly Libraries: Green for the New Century ”
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM (Sessions and schedules are subject to change)
Tuesday, October 20
3:00- 6:00 Registration at Courtyard by Marriott hotel
Wednesday, October 21
8:00- 5:00 Registration
9:00-10:00 MLA Executive Board Meeting
9:00-10:00 MAGNOLIA Training: World Book for K-12
9:00-11:00 The Hollywood Librarian , film screening
9:00-11:00 Developing History Scrapbooks : Preserving Our Libraries’ Memories Tracie Thompson, Consultant for Creative Moments Sponsored by MLA Anniversary Scrapbook Committee (Advanced registration required. Limit 30)
10:00-11:00 Online Reference Sources : What’s Out There Now? Jenny Bossaler and Catharine Bomhold, School of Library and Information Science, University of Southern Mississippi
10:00-11:00 O Donor, Where Art Thou? Greg Johnson, Blues Archivist, University of Mississippi and Elaine Owens, Photograph and Sound Archivist, Mississippi Department of Archives and History Sponsored by Special Collections Roundtable
10:00-11:30 Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries : What the Statistics Tell Us Barbara Martin and Yunfei Du, University of North Texas College of Information IMLS Laura Bush Foundation Funded by LSTA Grant and MLC
11:00 Exhibits Opening
11:30 Box Lunches with Exhibitors (Advanced registration required ) Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 69
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Wednesday, October 21 (continued)
Noon-1:30 Virgia Brocks-Shedd Scholarship Luncheon (Advanced registration required) Go, Tell Michelle : African American Women Write to the First Lady Peggy Brooks-Bertram , African American Studies , University at Buffalo, SUNY Sponsored by Black Caucus Roundtable Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
1:30-2:30 First General Session Green Libraries: Smaller Footprint for Bigger Impact Louise Schaper, Director, Fayetteville Public Library, Arkansas Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
2:30-3:30 Poster Sessions: Session 1 of 3
3:00-5:00 Afternoon Tea with Authors (Advanced registration requested ) Sponsored by Friends of Mississippi Libraries
3:00-5:00 The Hollywood Librarian , film screening
3:00-4:30 What’s New in Teen Literature Angie Manfredi Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) American Library Association Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
3:00-4:30 American Library Association Strategic Planning Meeting
5:00-6:00 MLA President’s Reception (Advanced registration requested) Opening of Artists in Mississippi Libraries Exhibit Location: University of Southern Mississippi Museum of Art
6:30-8:00 MLA’s 100th Anniversary Bash (Advanced registration required) Location: The Bottling Company
Thursday, October 22
8:00-5:00 Registration
8:00-9:00 Breakfast with Rick Bragg (Advanced registration required) Co-sponsored by 2YCRT and Public Libraries Section Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
9:00-5:00 Exhibits Opening
9:00-10:00 Coffee with Exhibitors
9:00-10:00 Poster Sessions: Session 2 of 3
9:00-10:00 The Waller Photography Collection : Preserving Local History Laura Capell, Digital Archivist, University of Southern Mississippi Page 70 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Thursday, October 22 (continued)
9:00-10:00 LIRT Teaching Twofer : Twice as Nice as a Single Presentation with Two Great Speakers! Teaching BI Online Using Wimba Mary Beth Applin, Instructional Services Coordinator, University of Southern Mississippi Integrating Information Literacy into an Upper Division Writing-Intensive Course Ellen K. Wilson, Instructional Technology/Reference Librarian, University of South Alabama
9:00-11:00 Census Data at Your Fingertips : Training Session on American FactFinder Cliff Holley, Director of the Census Bureau’s State Data Center Sponsored by Government Documents Roundtable
9:00-11:00 Fun With Poetry Ken Waldman, Poet, Storyteller, and Fiddler Sponsored by Young People’s Services Roundtable (YPSRT) Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
10:00-11:00 Greening Our Libraries Greg Johnson, Blues Archivist, University of Mississippi
10:00-11:00 PALMS Business Meeting and Program Tom Henderson, College Librarian, Millsaps College
11:00-12:30 Box Lunches with the Exhibitors (Advanced registration required)
Noon -1:30 ACRL-Mississippi Chapter Luncheon (Advanced registration required) Sustainable and Green @ Your Library Frederick Stoss, Associate Librarian, University at Buffalo , SUNY Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
Noon -1:30 Young People’s Services Roundtable Luncheon (Advanced registration required) We Do Make a Difference! Paul Griffin, Young Adult Author, Great Stories Program Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
1:30-2:30 Teen Services 101 Angie Manfredi Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of ALA
1:30-2:30 Bringing Great Stories CLUB to Mississippi Lainie Castle, ALA Public Programs Office Sponsored by Young People’s Services Roundtable (YPSRT) Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
1:30-3:30 Special Libraries and Collections : Relevance, Programs, and Services Teresa Welsh, School of Library and Information Science, University of Southern Mississippi
3:00-4:00 Ice Cream Social in the Exhibits
3:00-4:00 Poster Sessions: Session 3 of 3
3:00-4:30 Librarianship 101 and 201 Alumni Reunion (Registration required) Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 71
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Thursday, October 22 (continued)
3:00-5:00 The Hollywood Librarian , film screening
3:30-4:30 Center for the Study of the Life and Work of William Carey, D.D. (1761-1834 ) Bennie R. Crockett and Myron C. Noonkester, William Carey University Sponsored by Beta Phi Mu, Beta Psi Chapter
3:30-4:30 New Members Roundtable Planning Meeting
3:30-4:30 MLA Conference 2010 Planning Meeting
3:30-5:00 Focus on SLIS and the ALA Committee on Accreditation School of Library and Information Science, University of Southern Mississippi
4:00-5:00 Mississippi SirsiDynix Users ’ Group Stephen Patton, Electronic Services Librarian, Delta State University
5:00-6:00 USM-SLIS Alumni and Friends Mixer (Advanced registration required) Sponsored by School of Library and Information Science, University of Southern Mississippi Location: Power House restaurant, USM Hattiesburg Campus
6:00-8:00 Mississippi Authors Awards Dinner (Advanced registration required) Sponsored by Mississippi Authors Awards Committee
Friday, October 23
8:00-11:00 Registration
8:00-9:00 MLA Past Presidents Breakfast (Restricted to Past Presidents of MLA )
8:00-11:30 Breakfast with Sheila Snow-Croft (Advanced registration required) Sheila Snow-Croft, National Network of Libraries of Medicine Co-sponsored by Special Libraries Section and School of Library and Information Science at the University of Southern Mississippi
9:00-10:00 Kilowatt Ours , film screening and discussion Greg Johnson, Blue Archivist, University of Mississippi
9:00-10:00 Books With Bite! Jan McGee, West Monroe (Louisiana) High School Sponsored by School Libraries Section Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
9:00-10:00 Mississippi University Library Directors’ Council
9:00-11:00 Publicity Basics @ the Library Ned Browning, Mississippi State University Extension Service Sponsored by Friends of Mississippi Libraries Page 72 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Friday, October 23 (continued)
9:00-11:00 You’re Not Going to Believe This: A Program for Library Trustees James R. Sherard Sponsored by Mississippi Library Commission
10:00-11:00 Web-vertise Your Library Jan McGee, West Monroe (Louisiana) High School Sponsored by School Libraries Section Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
10:00-11:00 Technical Service Futures : What Are They? Brad Eden, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communica - tion, University of California Santa Barbara Sponsored by Technical Services Roundtable (TSRT) Funded by LSTA Grant from the MLC
10:00-11:00 Lyrasis Member Meeting
11:00- Noon Mississippi Polaris Users ’ Group Meeting
11:00- Noon MAGNOLIA Steering Committee Meeting
11:00- Noon Society of Mississippi Archivists Meeting
11:00- Noon Mississippi Autographics Users ’ Group Meeting
Noon-1:30 MLA Awards Luncheon (Advanced registration required) Sponsored by Awards Committee Join MLA!
Fill out and return the membership form located on the inside back cover of this issue and be a part of the continuing promotion of libraries throughout Mississippi. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 73 Page 74 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries News Briefs Tina Harry, Editor
New Mississippi State University their job searching activities here in Wayne Libraries Collection Highlights Mis - County as well,” stated library director sissippi Author Patsy Brewer. “We are happy to be able to An exceptionally rare copy of Eudora provide yet another free service to the citi - Welty’s first book, A Curtain of Green , zens of Wayne County. The library has has been added to a collection-in-progress been going through the process of being at Mississippi State University Libraries. accepted during the last three months and Mississippi State University English now we are ready to help the public search professor and editor of The Mississippi for any available jobs during this tough Quarterly Dr. Noel Polk is currently work - economic time.” ing with Mitchell Memorial Library’s Spe - The E-WIN Access Point at the Way - cial Collections department to create the Mississippi State University Libraries’ Dr. Lynne nesboro-Wayne County Library will pro - Mueller (left) accepts Welty’s A Curtain of Green Noel Polk Collection, which will feature from Dr. Noel Polk, to be added to his collection at vide the following four areas of expertise. books, papers, and memorabilia on Mis - Mitchell Memorial Library. Photo by Jim Tomlin - • Job seeker services : provides infor - sissippi authors. In May, Dr. Polk, both a son, MSU Libraries . Welty and Faulkner scholar, donated to the mation on job search training and edu - Collection a rare copy of Mississippi – Submitted by: Angela M. Patton, library cation, job hunting tips, resumes, veter - author Eudora Welty’s first collection of assistant, Mississippi State University an services, equal opportunity, job fairs, short stories, A Curtain of Green . This Libraries Job Corps, job industry data , and 1941 edition, with an introduction by federal bonding information to the job seeker author Katherine Anne Porter, is unique in Waynesboro-Wayne County Library that it is signed by both Welty and Porter. Selected as E-WIN Job Center • Employer services: provides “I have spent the better part of four Access Point employers with information on register - decades looking at Welty first editions,” The Waynesboro-Wayne County ing a business, employee job training, Polk said, “and this is the only copy of A Library has been accepted as an E-WIN job placement services, wage report - Curtain of Green that I have ever seen Job Center Access Point by the Mississip - ing, tax filing, employer information signed by Welty and Porter.” pi Department of Employment Security. change request, and tax credit pro - “The double autograph makes this On June 10, 2009, the employees of the grams book extremely valuable,” said Dr. Lynne library completed two hours of training • Unemployment services: provides Mueller, coordinator for MSU Libraries’ conducted by Mississippi Department of customers with information on benefit Mississippiana and Rare Books division. Employment Security employment repre - eligibility, weekly claims, overpay - “With the Libraries’ Welty Collection, Dr. sentative Nellie Satcher. The purpose of ments, claim filing information, and Polk’s collection will greatly increase the the E-WIN Access Point is to establish an appeal information University’s researchable holdings on alternative and convenient site for job major Mississippi authors.” searchers to perform a job search without • Labor market information: provides In April, MSU Libraries announced the visiting a local WIN Job Center. The customers and employer’s information acquisition of another premiere Eudora library will also serve as a location where about various publications that are pro - Welty Collection, donated to MSU by unemployed workers can report their job duced, Hurricane Katrina’s impact on Hunter Cole, a Jackson, Mississippi, histo - hunting activities. Local businesses own - the job industry, occupational projec - rian and former associate director of the ers can post job openings in Wayne Coun - tions and wages, workforce information University Press of Mississippi. ty from the library’s customized E-WIN database, and data maps For more information on the Noel Polk Web page. and Eudora Welty Collections at Mississip - “This is a great asset for area residents The Mississippi Department of pi State University Libraries, please visit to be able to search for , not only jobs in Employment Security (MDES) oversees http://library.msstate.edu/specialcollect our area, but also state and federal jobs the Workforce Investment Network (WIN) ions/index.asp or contact the special col - that are available , without having to travel system in Mississippi in partnership with lections department at 662-325-7679. to the E-WIN Job Center in Laurel or Hat - the State Workforce Investment Board and tiesburg. The E-WIN job site has the capa - the four local workforce areas. WIN in Tina Harry is associate professor/catalog and bilities to search Mississippi newspaper Mississippi creates a unique, locally assistant automation librarian at the University classified job listings. Also individuals who designed and managed system that, of Mississippi; e-mail: [email protected]. are drawing unemployment can report through a network of WIN Job Centers, Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 75
provides customer choice and convenient (Natchez), Willie Morris (Yazoo City), and breaking ceremonies for the Waveland access to services and program informa - Richard Wright (Natchez). Public Library. County officials are also tion for both the business customer seek - Friends of Mississippi Libraries, Inc. is considering a project to rebuild the ing qualified workers and the job seeker a statewide organization of over 125 chap - Pearlington Public Library and a totally and dislocated worker. ters and individuals that serve as advocates new library facility for residents of East WIN Job Center Access Points provide for library issues on the local, state, and Hancock County, Fenton , and Diamond - a comprehensive array of services for both national levels; encourages the enhance - head. job seekers and businesses, including ment of local library services; and pro - Internet access and recruitment. motes reading and the enjoyment of books Bay St. Louis For more information, contact the Way - by all Mississippians. To remedy wind and water damage nesboro-Wayne County Library at 601- caused by Katrina, repairs have begun on 735-2268 or by e -mail at wlib@wwcls. the flagship headquarters building in Bay lib.ms.us . St. Louis. Although the building may not – Submitted by Patsy C. Brewer, library appear to be significantly damaged from director , Waynesboro-Wayne County the outside, damage to the roof, windows, Library sheetrock, insulation, exterior walls , and doors will require extensive renovations Friends of Libraries U.S.A. Literary and or replacement. The Library Board of Landmark Designation for Eudora Trustees has contracted with Flagstar Con - Welty struction of Brandon, Mississippi to com - On June 22, 2009, as part of the plete the repairs in both the public and Left to Right: Mary Alice White, niece of Eudora Eudora Welty Centennial Celebration, the Welty; Sharman Smith, executive director, Missis - administrative areas of the Bay St. Louis Eudora Welty Library of the Jackson-Hinds sippi Library Commission; Dr. Leslie McLemore, space. Library director Patty Furr is hoping Library System was placed on the Friends acting mayor, City of Jackson; Amy Douglas that the library will be ready to reopen in of Libraries U.S.A. Literary Landmark Flournoy, president, Friends of Mississippi November , just in time for the library’s Register. Recognizing Eudora Welty’s role Libraries; Margaret Barrett-Simon, city council - annual Tree Gala celebration. woman, Jackson; Dr. George Barnes, chairman, in Mississippi’s literary heritage, support Jackson-Hinds Library System Board of Trustees; “While we know it is difficult for our for public libraries, and her importance to Carolyn McCallum, executive director, Jackson- Bay St. Louis customers to wait another all Mississippians – the Friends of Missis - Hinds Library System; Rosalyn Sylvester, vice chair - few months while the repairs are taking sippi Libraries, the Jackson Friends of the man, Jackson -Hinds Library System Board of place,” said Furr. “We believe that the new Library, and the Mississippi Library Com - Trustees. Photo by Steve Rachel . library space will be worth the wait. New mission joined together to support this – Submitted by Margaret Murray, senior heating and air conditioning units have nomination. consultant , Development Services Divi - already been installed, and the repairs that Mrs. Amy Lou Douglas Flournoy of sion , Mississippi Library Commission will begin shortly will put the library back Byram and president of the Friends of Mis - into tip-top condition.” In addition to the sissippi Libraries stated that “Eudora Welty Hancock Libraries Reaching for hurricane-related repairs, Furr is hoping to is uniquely Jackson, but she is also of the New Heights update many of the interior furnishings world. When one mentions Jackson, peo - Almost four years after the devastation thanks to private donations from library ple think of “Miss Eudora.” She loved of Hurricane Katrina, the Hancock County supporters. “We have some funds for the books, enjoyed reading, supported Library System is poised to begin an excit - project, but we welcome help from anyone libraries , and left us a rich legacy of her ing new era of rebuilding and revitalization who would like to help us replace some of writings and spirit that will last the times .” as the library system strives to reach new our fourteen-year-old furnishings.” Beginning in 1986, The Friends of heights in service to the communities of While the renovation and repairs are Libraries U. S. A. have honored more than the western Mississippi Gulf Coast. completed to the Bay St. Louis Library, one hundred historic homes, libraries , and Thanks to the cooperation of local city and customers can still find many of the same museum collections, scenes and inspira - county officials, the Library Board of services are available in the temporary tions of writers, poets, journalists, social Trustees , and an energetic new library library in the double-wide trailer next to the commentators and others who have played director, Patty Furr, a wave of construction library building. “We know the public a prominent role in creating America’s lit - projects are set to begin that will repair two misses having their spacious, comfortable erary heritage. There are nine Literary of the library system’s branches and main library,” Furr said, “and the staff is Landmarks in Mississippi , including replace two other libraries that were eager to provide the full range of library William Faulkner (Oxford), Tennessee destroyed by the storm surge of Katrina. services in the newly renovated space. We Williams (Clarksdale and Columbus), Jef - The next few months will see the begin - can’t wait to give the newly repaired Bay ferson Davis (Biloxi), Stephen Ambrose ning of the repairs to the Bay St. Louis and St. Louis Library to the public as a won - (Bay St. Louis), William Johnson Kiln library branches and the ground- derfully timed Christmas present.” Page 76 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
for the same equipment in the Bay St. tion has been invaluable in providing a full- Louis Meeting Room, and it will be service library for the residents.” installed and in place as soon as the build - ing is reopened in November. Pearlington County officials are also considering Waveland restoring library services in a permanent Thanks to the leadership of officials facility for Pearlington residents, and a new from the City of Waveland and the Han - facility for the residents of Diamondhead, cock Library Board of Trustees, the new Fenton and East Hancock County. Bob Garrett, left, Hancock County Library Waveland Public Library is set to debut on System technical services department, and the corner of Coleman and Central Programming Jason Bans, HCLS automation manager, pack books to begin the Hurricane Repair Avenues sometime in late 2010 or early Along with the building and revitaliza - Project at the Bay St. Louis-Hancock 2011. Groundbreaking for the new 8,000 tion of the system’s facilities, a new County Library. Photo by Mary Perkins . square foot building took place on the site emphasis on library programming will on July 31 , 2009, at 10:00 a.m., and begin in the fall. Two new series are construction is estimated to take twelve to planned to appeal to a wide range of library eighteen months. The new building will patrons including working parents and feature special areas for both children and those unable to attend the library’s tradi - teens, a ten-foot deep front porch with tional day-time events. The first series , space for rocking chairs and a porte- starting in September , is “Top Tips for cochere in the back of the building for pas - Tough Times,” and features practical tips senger drop-offs. on how to save money and keep more of “We are also very excited about open - the paycheck that families earn. Some of ing the new Waveland Public Library in the the topics offered will include “Depression Joel Johnston, Hancock County Library service fall of 2010,” continued Furr. “The fur - Era Secrets for Cooking Low-cost Deli - maintenance technician, stacks boxes of books being packed by library staff to begin the Hurricane nishings and décor will be very reminis - cious Meals, “ “ Savvy Shopping Secrets Katrina Repair Project at the Bay St. Louis-Hancock cent of the former space and reflect the for Buying More and Paying Less ,“ “Dec - County Library. Photo by Mary Perkins . coastal lifestyle that Waveland residents orating on a Dime by Recycling Items from have always loved. When we are closer to Estate Sales and Thrift Stores, “ and “Find - Kiln the opening of the new space, we will be ing a Home You Can Love without Bank - The Kiln Library is also scheduled to looking for donors to help us replace the rupting Your Budget.” More information undergo the final repairs needed to bring wonderful beach-themed artwork that about these and other programs in this the building up to its pre-Katrina condition. made the Waveland Library such a delight timely series, which will be offered in the Several of the exterior doors will be to its users. This building will be a wonder - evenings starting in September, is available repaired or replaced, ceiling repairs will be ful place for current users and new resi - from the library. completed , and the library meeting room dents alike to enjoy.” The Waveland Public A second series planned for 2010 will will be repainted. Thanks to a grant to the Library is now located in a temporary trail - feature local artists sharing their particular Library Foundation of Hancock County er as part of the Gulf Coast Libraries area of expertise with beginners who are from the Leo Seal Family Foundation, new Recovery Project through a grant from the interested in learning a new craft or skill. multimedia equipment will soon be added Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, adminis - The programs, which will be called , “You to the Kiln meeting room. The new equip - tered by the Southeastern Library Network Know, I’ve Always Wanted to Do That!” ment will provide Internet access and (SOLINET), which has recently been will feature close-up demonstrations and graphic displays from DVDs and computer renamed LYRASIS. The temporary facility hands-on instruction in many different presentations. Furr comments, “This new is a full-service library that holds approxi - kinds of arts and crafts. Some topics that equipment has been selected for its ease of mately 5,000 items, including adult and are being considered for the series include use even by those who are not as tech- large print fiction and non-fiction books, pottery, print-making, ceramics, working savvy as they would like to be. We thank movies on DVD, books on CD, and a vari - with stained glass, water color painting, the Leo Seal Family Foundation for bring - ety of children’s books. Library Board sculpture, photography , and even some ing our Kiln Library up to twenty-first cen - Chair Toni Larroux is grateful for the sup - cooking techniques like making home- tury standards. Their support of technolo - port from the Gates Foundation. “We can’t made pasta and crafting sushi from gy projects in our libraries has already thank this organization enough for helping scratch. More information about these been so beneficial to Hancock County res - us restore library services and allowed us classes, which will be held in the Bay St. idents, and this meeting room project to have the latest technology in our tempo - Louis-Hancock County Library beginning again will help us provide the latest tech - rary facilities. The library is such an impor - in January, will be available in December nology to our communities.” The Seal tant part of the rebuilding efforts there, and and again shortly after Christmas. Foundation has also provided the funding the support provided by the Gates Founda - The library system currently hosts its Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 77 monthly Authors & Characters @ Your will be working each day to push the proj - dren attending the event were entered in a Library each month and the Kiln Public ects to completion as quickly as possible drawing for two gift cards to a local book - Library hosts the Second Friday Book because they are so important to the com - store donated by an area business . Club each month as well. These programs munities they serve.” “We were so thrilled to have a great offer those who are available to attend pro - Countywide public library services are crowd for the opening of our beautiful new grams during the day with a forum to learn provided with funding from the Hancock facility,” said Director Mary Louise Bre - about current books and discuss them in a County Board of Supervisors and the land . “The community has been cam - group setting. Cities of Bay St. Louis and Waveland. The paigning for this new facility for a while Even though the library system is still library’s Web page can be found at and it is finally complete.” largely in temporary quarters, over three www.hancocklibraries.info . After over seven years of planning and thousand people a month visit the various – Submitted by Mary M. Perkins, public securing funding, the new facility quietly locations, and those figures will likely affairs/development officer , Hancock opened its doors to the public on May 26 . increase as the new library spaces become County Library System In the first month alone, the library saw an available. Thanks to a gift from the Gates increase in library visits of over 300% . Cir - Foundation, a final, large technology grant Ellisville Public Library Opens New culation soared as well, jumping from over will become available shortly that will ben - Facility 400 items in May to over 1,600 items in efit just the Katrina libraries in New On July 9, 2009, the Friends of the June . The new facility provides room for Orleans and on the Gulf Coast and some Ellisville Public Library and the Jones programs . The library already hosted the of the libraries affected by Hurricane Rita , County Economic Development Authority Summer Reading program . A weekly Tod - as well. Furr is excited about this final Kat - hosted the grand opening of the new dler Time is scheduled to being in August. rina grant, “The Gates organization has Ellisville Public Library facility . Attended by “Community response to the new facil - asked us to evaluate our existing technolo - over 150 people, the event drew state and ity has been great,” said Assistant Director gy to see what needs to be replaced, and local officials as well as local residents . Carolyn Russell . “We received an Institute what new systems might benefit our cus - Three grants made up the majority of the of Museum and Library Services Library tomers the most as we bring the libraries funding needed for the new facility . Sena - Services and Technology Act grant from that were lost in Katrina back. I will be pro - tor Thad Cochran sponsored a $250,000 the Mississippi Library Commission to posing a new PC reservation system with line item grant through Housing and develop a children’s collection.” The chil - automated printing services that will allow Urban Development . A $275,000 grant dren in the community have responded patrons to reserve a computer at the library came from the United States Department with circulation jumping by 800 items in ahead of time from home, as well as an of Agriculture Rural Development Authori - one month alone . The new facility boasts automated system for Internet printing. We ty . A $300,000 Public Library Capital eight public access computers courtesy of also hope to get children’s computers with Improvement Grant from the Mississippi a Gates grant as well. preloaded educational games for children Legislature was administered by the Mis - “I am just so thankful the new library is from the age of pre-schoolers up through sissippi Library Commission . The City of finally completed,” said Breland . “It has the upper elementary school grades. We Ellisville and Jones County Board of been a long wait but the beautiful new want everyone to be able to find the tech - Supervisors provided money to match facility and the community response prove nology that they need here at the library. It grants as well as pay for other needs that it was worth it.” is one of our most important missions.” arose during construction. – Submitted by Jill Nicholson, children’s With all of the new building projects The Friends provided refreshments, bal - librarian/programming coordinator, and plans to revitalize library services, loons and bookmarks for the event . Chil - Laurel-Jones County Library there will be many exciting developments ahead for each of the libraries that make up the Hancock County system. As each of the library branches begin to come back online, corresponding services like library programming, more computers for patrons and technology classes at libraries will begin to be offered again. The return of each of the Hancock libraries will likely give those who are considering a return to the Coast just one more good reason to come back home. Furr comments, “We consider these libraries to be part of the economic engine that will help spur new Front row, left to right: Bobby Shows, Frank Williams, James Holifield, Pat Holifield, Julie Laird, Tim Wal - growth and encourage former coastal resi - drup, Carolyn Mason, Michelle Rogers; Back row: Andy Dial, Gary Staples, Win Ellington, Doug Landrum, dents to come home to Hancock County. I Jeannette Walker, Paulette Entrekin, Mary Louise Breland . Page 78 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries People in the News Tina Harry, Editor
Sarah C. Campbell , of Jackson, English at Texas Lutheran University in Mary Travis , former employee of the received a 2009 Theodor Seuss Geisel 1995 and her MLIS at the University of Jackson Hinds Library System, has Honor Certificate for her book, Wolfsnail: Arizona in 2008. Between earning her accepted the position of public services A Backyard Predator (Boyds Mills Press, degrees, she worked as a teacher, academ - clerk at the Waynesboro-Wayne County 2008), at the American Library Associa - ic advisor , and curriculum writer. Library. Mary will handle overdue patron tion’s annual conference in July. accounts, assist in the computer lab , and Campbell wrote the text of the critically- — N — provide other public services. acclaimed non-fiction picture book that — N — details a day-in-the-life of an unusual pred - Stephanie McKnight joined the Uni - ator. Campbell and her husband, Richard, versity of Mississippi Libraries as a senior Alyssa Wilson joined the University took the photographs that illustrate the library assistant in the Modern Political of Mississippi Libraries as a senior library story. Campbell is a member of the Missis - Archives in August 2009. She recently assistant in August 2009. She earned her sippi Arts Commission’s artist roster in two graduated from UM with a BA degree in BA in fine art from the University of Mis - categories: writer and photographer. history. sissippi and her MA in history, with a con - A writer by profession, Sarah Campbell centration in museum studies , from the joined the Mississippi Library Association — N — University of Missouri-Saint Louis. because she shares the MLA goal of strengthening Mississippi libraries. The Campbells have three sons and are avid users of school, public, and institutional libraries. Campbell’s next book, Growing Pat - terns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature , will be published by Boyds Mills Press in spring 2010.
Sarah and Richard Campbell with Joan Atkinson (center), chair of the ALA’s Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Committee. Photo by Graeme Campbell .
— N — Rachel Can - nady is Mississippi State University Libraries’ new assis - tant professor and education reference librarian. Cannady received her BA in Rachel Cannady
Tina Harry is associate professor and catalog and assistant automation librarian at the Univer - sity of Mississippi; e-mail: [email protected]. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 79
About Books Jennifer Brannock, Editor
FICTION of language were numerous, glaring, and playing with the rhythm of words and distracting . Characterization and plot are speech, as evidenced in “Neighborhood Cheek, Steven. Cane and Able: A both a little weak and confusing . Groceries ,” “Partyline ,” and “Country Liv - Novel . Raleigh, NC : Lulu Press , 2008. This book is an optional purchase even ing.” 398 pp. $23.49 (paperback) for large, regional collections . Libraries While Neely-Dorsey received her col - and readers with an interest in Mississippi lege education in the Northeast (shown in In Cane and Able , the titular characters historical fiction will be somewhat disap - her lighthearted frustrations with northern are a Mississippi farm boy, Justin Cane pointed with the lack of real historical con - expressions in “Boston”), it is obvious and farmhand Able Johnson . This general text . from “Mississippi Morning” and “If Mis - fiction work is Cheek’s first novel . sissippi’s In You” that she deeply loves the The story takes place in the summer of Jamie Elston South, especially her native Mississippi . 1959 in the Mississippi Delta, with three Assistant Director for Public Services As she expresses in “Mississippi Through different threads: the coming-of-age story Hancock County Library System and Through ,” “…I breathe Mississippi . I of Justin learning to drive on a road trip move Mississippi . I think Mississippi . I feel with his father’s black farmhand Able; the — N — Mississippi . I am, simply, Mississippi perilous story of Able’s sister, Jeanna, who through and through.” This little book of becomes entangled with a well-known Neely-Dorsey, Patricia . Reflections of poems is recommended for all Mississippi Delta gangster; and the sad story of anoth - a Mississippi Magnolia: A Life in Poems . libraries, and will move the reader closer to er farmhand , Pete Dodd, taking the train to Jonesboro, AR: GrantHouse Publishers, understanding just what a “Mississippi see his son who is buried in Detroit. 2007 . 90 pp. $15.00 (paperback) Magnolia” girl is . Justin and Able dropped Pete off at the train station; then began a roundabout tour In Reflections of a Mississippi Magno - Rick Torgerson of the Delta on their return to the farm . lia: A Life in Poems, Patricia Neely- Cataloger During the trip, Able teaches Justin the Dorsey has written, in poetic form, a kind Delta State University rudiments of driving while they experience of primer on southern life, manners, and some adventures that would have raised customs . Her collection of seventy-two — N — the eyebrows of Able’s employer, Mr. short poems is divided into seven sections : Cane. Southern Life, Country Living, Childhood North, Darden . Fresh Frozen . Jackson, Before Jeanna can come up with the Memories, Family History, Getting Person - MS: Ponder House Press, 2008. 344 pp. money to go to New Orleans for a job, she al, Intimacies, and Summing Things Up. $26.95 (hardcover ) meets up with a gangster – Big Doug . Her This is not the angst-ridden poetry of a treatment at Big Doug’s hands and her tortured soul; instead, “Loving Me” and Fresh Frozen is the author’s third mys - harrowing adventures are the most excit - “Happy (With the Nappy)” reveal a tery set in Jackson, Mississippi. Readers ing passages in the book. woman who is happy, secure, and com - will be taken behind the medical scenes of Pete, on his trip to Detroit on the train, fortable with herself . Free of strict meter , the Van Deman Reproductive Center, a tells his story of how he came to work for but usually rhyming , Neely-Dorsey’s poet - lucrative facility that provides advanced Mr. Cane . When he returns to Mississippi , ry captures images of nature, people, rural technology in the process of frozen he helps Cane, Able, and several law activities, social gatherings, and, of embryos. The four main characters – Wes - enforcement officers in hot pursuit of crim - course, all kinds of food . “Hog Killing ley and Carrie Sarbeck, Cheryl Choice , inals. Time” depicts the tasks performed in and Allyn Saxton – all are individuals who This first novel is very much in need of preparing a hog for eating ; “Country Doc - desperately want to have children and are better copyediting . The typos and misuse tor” paints a loving , respectful portrait of turning to the reproductive center for help . the poet’s father in his profession; and Unfortunately, their desperation collides in Jennifer Brannock is associate professor and “Right to Vote” is a gentle reminder of the a plot filled with murder, deceit, and even special collections librarian at the University great difficulties that have been overcome , the larceny of frozen embryos. of Southern Mississippi; e-mail: jennifer. so that black people could vote in elec - North does an excellent job of detailing brannock @usm.edu. tions . It is clear Neely-Dorsey also enjoys the precise work behind human reproduc - Page 80 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries tive technology. Readers may find them - — N — has made over two hundred quilts, and is selves comparing the book to today’s recognized as a master quilter and teacher. media attractions such as the Octomom, NONFICTION Martha Skelton: Master Quilter of Mis - Jon and Kate Plus 8, and other celebrities sissippi is appropriate for readers interest - who are seeking assistance from fertility Johnson, Elizabeth . Martha Skelton: ed in arts and crafts in Mississippi, and will clinics. The jargon is easy to read and , Master Quilter of Mississippi . Jackson: appeal particularly to those interested in since it is loaded with intrigue and informa - University Press of Mississippi, 2008 . quilting. Johnson’s narrative is clean and tion about this medical process , it will be a 208 pp . $28.00 ( hardcover ) straightforward and the photographs of page turner for readers. In some areas of Martha Skelton’s quilts are stunning. This the book , however, certain characters were Quilters throughout Mississippi have book is recommended for public libraries futile and could have been deleted easily, long been familiar with Martha Skelton, a and academic libraries in Mississippi. while others could have appeared more master quilter who has shared her love of frequently with a stronger voice. The book the craft with others throughout the state. Laura Capell is recommended for public libraries with In Martha Skelton: Master Quilter of Mis - Digital Archivist an audience interested in medical thrillers. sissippi , author Elizabeth Johnson pro - University of Southern Mississippi vides a detailed narrative of the life and Shugana Williams work of Mississippi’s renowned quilt artist. — N — Librarian Johnson, the author of numerous Katrina Research Center , University of books on quilting and a long-time acquain - Kaye, Anthony E. Joining Places: Slave Southern Mississippi tance of Skelton, consulted oral histories Neighborhoods in the Old South. Chapel and scrapbooks to tell Martha’s story. She Hill: The University of North Carolina — N — also lets the quilts “do the talking,” using Press, 2007. 365 pp . $22.95 ( paper - them to illustrate significant events and back ) Shirley, Philip. Oh Don’t You Cry for places, as well as other sources of inspira - Me . Lookout Mountain, TN: Jefferson tion in Martha’s life . This fine first monograph by Anthony E. Press, 2008. The narrative is accompanied by ninety Kaye describes a little known facet of slave 200 pp. $19.95 (hardcover) full color photographs by J.D. Schwalm of life – that slaves transformed plantation life the Clarion-Ledger . The photos capture into slave neighborhoods with unique slave Set in Mississippi and Alabama, these the beauty and detail of Skelton’s quilts, cultures . These neighborhoods allowed stories explore the world-weary, sadder illustrating her skillful use of color and slaves to date , practice religion , marry aspects of life. Acts of drinking, revenge, design. The photographs are arranged (albeit marriages not recognized by law ), loving, raw sex, resignation, and violence chronologically, so readers can follow work for pay outside their plantation , and are interspersed with the drag of getting Skelton’s development as a quilter from have a sense of community. through life day by day. Some stories are her childhood through the present. The focus of this book is Mississippi – as short as four pages; others are more Martha Skelton was born in 1919 and in the regions of both Vicksburg and involved. The time span covered by each grew up in Oklahoma surrounded by quil - Natchez . The time period spans from the story ranges from a few minutes to several ters. She enjoyed a variety of needlework antebellum period through the early days months, but each is a precise description as a child, and pieced her first quilt as a of Reconstruction. The author touts his of a life – some told in first person, others teenager. After she graduated college, book as the first such source to use vast in third person. Each is concise and ele - Martha worked in a library and earned her testimony by ex-slaves and pensions files gant, but ultimately a downer. An over - library degree . She and her husband later of former soldiers in the Union Army. whelming sense of futility, with an under - moved to Vicksburg. Martha continued to Other sources used by the author current of menace , pervades each tale. At quilt while raising a family, and she also include Works Progress Administration the end of it all, the title is precisely what worked for over ten years as a school records, plantation journals, newspapers, you should be doing for these people – librarian. county court cases, travelers’ diaries , and crying for them, because a lot of them real - After her children left home, Skelton the records of the Southern Claims Com - ly need it. became increasingly active in Mississippi’s mission. This book is recommended for public quilting community. She taught numerous One weakness of the book is that Kaye and university libraries, and possibly high classes throughout Mississippi, and her – an assistant professor of American histo - school libraries with Advanced Placement work was displayed in venues around the ry at Pennsylvania State University – does - English classes. The book is intended for state and the nation. She has also been n’t provide detailed evidence that slave mature readers. active in state quilting organizations, and neighborhoods existed in all of the south - she helped set up the quilting program at ern slave states; although , Kaye does pro - Susan T. Byra the Mississippi State Fair. She has won vide cursory evidence that slave neighbor - Retired Director numerous awards, and twice participated hoods did exist in North Carolina and Vir - East Mississippi Regional Library in the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival. She ginia. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 81
The fact that Kaye makes the case keyed to the specific techniques and writ - one of his greatest lifelong challenges .” about slaves and neighborhoods in Missis - ing strategies exemplified by each intervie - (p.25) sippi is his book’s greatest strength . Until wee’s personal observations . These liter - The book’s many excellent illustrations now, this story had not been told. Kaye’s ary calisthenics could easily serve as provide an overview of Barthé’s work and book appears to be a truly unique contri - assignments in a creative writing class or a comparison with the work of the artists bution to the body of literature about this just as aptly as a means for jump-starting who influenced him . Vendryes includes chapter of history – and hopefully , Kaye’s the seasoned novelist who needs to write images of lesser known sculptures Boy subject matter will be re-examined in future his way out of a specific difficulty. with Broom and Marathon Runner , as scholarly endeavors. The novice, the professional , or the stu - well as of his better known works Black - This book is recommended for aca - dent scholar who desires fresh insight into berry Woman and The Awakening of demic and public libraries. how working writers sustain their writing Africa . It is sad that Vendryes has had to lives and how they make their books could put “location unknown” as a note on so Peter R. Dean all benefit from Novel Ideas . This publica - many of these illustrations indicating that Information Services Librarian tion would be a worthwhile addition to any the works so noted may only exist as pho - University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf collection (academic, public, or private) tographs today. Coast whose readership is interested in that Although Barthé was known primarily peculiar balance of craft and magic which as a sculptor, Vendryes has taken pains to — N — produces a novel . include examples of his work in pastels (Portrait on Harold Jackman ) and paint Shoup, Barbara and Margaret Love- Teresa Neaves (Untitled (St. Sebastian )). Vendryes docu - Denman. Novel Ideas: Contemporary Librarian ments Barthé’s internal struggles as he Authors Share the Creative Process . Mitchell, McNutt & Sams Law Firm moved to Jamaica and tried to establish Athens: The University of Georgia Press, himself as a painter, and his ultimate real - 2009. 2nd ed . 334 pp. $22.95 (paper - — N — ization that painting would never form a back) significant part of his oeuvre , noting that in Vendryes, Margaret Rose . Barthé a one of his paintings , “A self-portrait hides Frequently books which purport to Life in Sculpture . Jackson : University behind The Sad Clown … Bright colors teach or inspire creative writing lapse into Press of Mississippi , 2008. 229 pp. veil the despair lying right on the surface” restrictive pedagogy or mystical flights of $40 .00 ( hardcover) (p.158) . Barthé’s subsequent illness in fancy and end up fulfilling neither premise Jamaica, “A series of disturbing episodes nor promise . Fortunately, Novel Ideas by James Richmond Barthé was born on would eventually bring life at Iolaus to a Barbara Shoup and Margaret-Love Den - January 28, 1901 , in Bay St. Louis, Mis - halt … Barthé was taking tranquilizers for man does neither . This second edition of a sissippi, to Richmond Barthé and chronic insomnia …” (p. 164), and the well-received text first published nearly a Clemente Raboteau . His early education changing political climate of the island , decade ago is clean, crisp, informative, was in Bay St. Louis . From there , he ultimately prompted his return to the Unit - and welcoming . It is a well-made book moved with the Ponds family to New ed States . Moving to Pasadena, California, with a superb cover design, and the con - Orleans to take a position as a houseboy . in the 1970s, Barthé spent his last days as tent does not disappoint. His talent for drawing and painting was a celebrated artist whose social circles The deceptively simple construction recognized in New Orleans, and he was included celebrities and “California’s intel - frames question-and-answer interviews encouraged by the local church and reli - ligentsia.” with twenty novelists by an introductory gious community to study at the Art Insti - It is clear that Vendryes brings a consid - how-to and a concluding set of writing tute of Chicago , where he began his life as erable amount of scholarship to this well- exercises . The authors, both novelists and a sculptor . written and interesting book . She has teachers of creative writing, speak with Margaret Rose Vendryes narrates a meticulously footnoted her work and has authority and experience . Their seventy- compelling biography of Barthé, an artist drawn upon a wide range of sources for page explication of the writing process who is largely underappreciated today. She her content . Her resources include formal covers imagining the novel, identifying the reveals his enigmatic character: a person archives , such as those at the Amistad elements of fiction, seeing it all through, in constant conflict with himself – as a Research Center at Tulane University in and revising one’s work . The writers’ inter - Creole, an African American, and a closet - New Orleans and the Schomburg Center views comprise the bulk of the text , and ed homosexual--and whose inner turmoil for Research in Black Culture, as well as each one stands alone as an interesting led to bouts of mental illness and confine - the correspondence collected over the vignette . Taken together , they provide a ment . Although he saw his work as non- years by Barthé’s family and friends . The nicely illustrative, never didactic , guide to racial “He [Barthé] walked a fine line result is a highly readable account of the novel making. between solidarity with African America life and work of one of the great sculptors The concluding sixteen pages of exer - and his wish for inclusion in the dominant of the twentieth century, a book that will be cises are designed for browsing and are European American art arena . This was a welcome addition to the collections of Page 82 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
public, academic , and art research In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Mem - Linda Ginn libraries. oir would be a good addition to any gener - Catalog Librarian al collection. Adult readers who like to read University of Southern Mississippi Sheila Cork accounts of conduct of life will be interest - Librarian ed, as well as those who want to know New Orleans Museum of Art more about the challenges faced by lep - rosy patients. — N —
White, Neil. In the Sanctuary of Out - casts :AMemoir . New York: William Mor - row, 2009. 336 pp. $25.99 (hardcover) 2009
Neil White’s first book is his account of the year he spent in the federal penitentiary ML Advertising at Carville, Louisiana. Convicted of bank fraud in 1993, White arrived at Carville Information unaware that the facility was also the home of about 130 leprosy patients. Proud of his success in publishing and journalism in Ad Sizes: Oxford and the Gulf Coast, and not entire - ly convinced that kiting checks was so Full Page ...... 7 1/2"W x 10"H wrong, White was both embarrassed that 1/2 Page Horizontal ...... 7 1/2"W x 5"H he had let down his family and employees and also determined to make the best of 2/3 Page Vertical ...... 4 3/4"W x 10"H his sentence . He decided to continue 1/3 Page Horizontal ...... 7 1/2"W x 3 1/3"H being a journalist and began to interview 1/3 Page Block ...... 5"W x 5 3/4"H his fellow prisoners and the patients he gradually got to know. 1/3 Page Vertical ...... 2 3/8"W x 10"H During the year at Carville, White con - 1/6 Page Horizontal ...... 5"W x 2 3/4"H fronted some vanities behind his drive for 1/6 Page Vertical ...... 2 3/8"W x 5"H success, including his desire to be the head of a publishing empire. From some of the leprosy patients, he learned to live with simplicity and humility , to care less for Advertising Rates: the opinions of others, to welcome people ...... SINGLE ISSUE RATES :...... CONTRACT RATES : in. A key lesson for White was to under - stand he could not remake himself...... (A ll 4 Issues) Instead, he could accept himself for the Full Page ...... $175.00 ...... $650.00 person he was, and he could make choic - 2/3 Page ...... 140.00 ...... 525.00 es to put his strengths to work to accom - plish new purposes. 1/2 Page ...... 100.00 ...... 375.00 The title is intriguing. It is easy to think 1/3 Page ...... 75.00 ...... 275.00 of outcasts as representing leprosy patients 1/6 Page ...... 40.00 ...... 150.00 as well as inmates. Sanctuary is more enig - matic, but was aptly chosen. A sanctuary is often a place of refuge or protection. In a For more information about advertising sense , Carville is that to the patients (who in Mississippi Libraries, contact: now live there by choice). But sanctuary Missy Murphey also connotes holiness or a sense of the Mississippi Libraries, Advertising Editor sacred. I think this is what White experi - J.D. Williams Library • The University of Mississippi enced at Carville, especially in his friend - University, Mississippi 38677 ships with two leprosy patients, Ella and 662-915-6627 • [email protected] Harry, as they welcomed him into their lives . Mississippi Libraries Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Page 83
MLA Executive Board Meeting Minutes
May 20, 2009 • 10:30 a.m. Frances Coleman, Sharman Smith, Dee ALA Councilor’s Report : Sherry Laughlin Mississippi Library Commission Tatum, and Jan Willis , as well as MLC Board of presented a resolution honoring Judith F. Krug Jackson, MS Commissioners Russell Burns, Celia Fisher, (1940-2009) for her life and legacy as an inde - Pamela Pridgen , and Glenda Segars . They met fatigable champion of libraries and librarianship President Jan Willis called the meeting to order with Representative Gregg Harper , along with and a steadfast advocate for First Amendment at 10:30 a.m. the assistants of the other members of Missis - rights for all people . Slagell made the motion sippi’s Congressional delegation . that MLA should pass this resolution . Amanda Secretary Marsha Case called the roll. Powers seconded the motion . Motion passed. LSTA funding, E-Rate, and the federal stimulus Executive Board members present : package were among the topics discussed . Section Reports President : Jan Willis Legislative Day 2010 will be tied into the ALA ACRL-Mississippi Chapter Report: Judy Vice President: Ann Branton annual conference. Hilkert stated that Fred Stoss’ topic will be Immediate Past President : Jeff Slagell “Green Library ICE @ your library: Informa - Treasurer : Amanda Clay Powers Advocacy Day in February was well received at tion, Communication, Education .” Stoss is Secretary : Marsha Case the Mississippi State Capitol where MLA repre - from the University at Buffalo. ALA Councilor : Sherry Laughlin sentatives delivered slices of pie to the members Parliamentarian : Shirlene Stogner of the legislature. Roundtable Reports MLA Executive Secretary : Mary Julia Anderson Black Caucus Roundtable Report: Pat (ex officio member) Treasurer’s Report : Amanda Powers Rodgers reported that the BCRT luncheon will opened a discussion about using electronic have two speakers : Barbara A. Seals Nevergold Others present : banking for the regular monthly bills . It was dis - and Peggy Brooks-Bertram, compilers and edi - Judy Hilkert, ACRL section chair cussed whether there was a more efficient, pro - tors of G o, Tell Michelle . Jacqueline Quinn, Black Caucus Roundtable gressive way of handling the banking . The mail chair doesn’t work very well with having to send Technical Services Roundtable Report: Pat Rodgers, Black Caucus Roundtable vice checks to various people . Electronic banking Ann Branton reported that the spring meeting chair should allow for better monitoring . She will held in May went well and had more than fifty Sybyl Robinson look into it further. in attendance.
Approval of Minutes Vice President’s Report : Ann Branton said Committee Reports The minutes from October 21, 2008, Decem - plans for the 2009 MLA Annual Conference to Election Committee Report: Shirlene ber 11, 2008 (2008 final meeting), and be held in Hattiesburg , October 2 1-23, 2009, Stogner presented the slate of nominees to be December 11, 2008 ( 20 09 first meeting) were are going well . The theme this year is “Eco- ratified for the 2010 elections: read . One correction was made in the Decem - Friendly Libraries : Greener for a New Century.” ber 11, 2008 ( 20 09 first meeting) to insert Ann, Jeff Slagell, and Sherry Laughlin will Vice President/President-elect Shedd after Brock in Fiscal Management work on a proclamation for the one hundredth Carolyn McCallum report . Jeff Slagell moved that all three sets of anniversary of MLA to be presented by the Mis - Jennifer Smith minutes be accepted with the correction as sissippi Legislature . Branton and Laughlin are Secretary noted above . Sherry Laughlin seconded the working on the program grant . The keynote Ruth Ann Gibson motion . Motion passed. speaker is Louise Schaper, director of the Fayet - Judith Hilkert teville Public Library, Arkansas , which received Treasurer Executive Board Reports LEED Silver status in 2006 . The one hun - Molly Signs McManus President’s Report : Jan Willis began his dredth anniversary birthday bash will feature Maggie Moran report with the discussion that Randy Sherard Celtic dancers with Greg Johnson . There will has asked to not chair the Trustee section this be a $20 cover for beer, wine, and heavy hors Jeff Slagell made the motion to accept the slate year and asked if anyone knew of a possible d’oeuvres . Laughlin reported that rooms have of nominees and Amanda Powers seconded . replacement. been put on hold at several hotels in the Hat - Motion passed. tiesburg area – Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, A report was given that National Library Leg - Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Holiday Inn . Jeff Stogner also presented the results of the 2009 islative Day was held in Washington, D.C. May Slagell stated that he would be working on the election to be ratified: 11-12, 2009 . Representing Mississippi were Past Presidents’ Award. Page 84 Vol. 73, No. 3, Fall 2009 Mississippi Libraries
Vice President/President-elect More discussion followed concerning who had 10. Monitor and respond to federal activities Jennifer Smith access to the bank account and who might have affecting libraries. Secretary access if electronic banking is chosen . Final Ruth Ann Gibson suggestions were that the treasurer and presi - Sherry Laughlin made the motion to accept the Treasurer dent have complete access while the bookkeep - goals as presented and Jeff Slagell seconded . Molly Signs McManus er, president-elect, and executive secretary have Motion passed. viewing capability if and when electronic bank - Jeff Slagell made the motion to ratify the win - ing is implemented. Linda Milner Fund: Jan Willis presented ners as presented . Amanda Powers seconded information concerning the establishment of a the motion . Motion passed. New Business charitable account for Linda Milner, assistant Legislative Goals: The following ten legisla - director of the Mid-Mississippi Regional Library , National Library Week Committee tive goals were presented: who was seriously injured in an automobile Report: Alice Shands was not in attendance, accident . This account will be known as the but submitted a written report . Seventy-six 1. Secure continued and increased funding Linda Milner Fund and will be located at libraries ordered 26,885 bookmarks and 848 for MAGNOLIA, which provides to all Mis - Regions Bank . The set-up fee will be $50 . posters for NLW . A press packet was distributed sissippians access to electronic information Richard Greene, director of the Mid-Mississippi and news releases were sent to all daily papers databases through publicly supported Regional Library System, along with Milner will in the state . Shands also suggested finding a libraries. have authority to access the funds . Amanda way to insure multi-type library participation . 2. Secure full funding for the Mississippi Powers made the motion that MLA support the Another idea was to expand the committee into Library Commission’s operational budget, creation of this fund and pay the $50 set-up a year-round marketing/public relations/ including staffing. cost . Sherry Laughlin seconded the motion . publicity committee. 3. Obtain increased funding for the Personnel Motion passed. Incentive Grants Program (PIGP). Raise Old Business legislative awareness of the role of the National Library Legislative Day: Jan Budget Proposal: The 2009 budget propos - PIGP in supporting public library services . Willis also asked that the National Legislative al was presented at the December meeting , but PIGP is as important to public libraries as Day registrations and hotel be paid by MLA and wasn’t approved due to a lack of a quorum . MAEP is to public schools. then be reimbursed by MLC . Sherry Laughlin The following recommendations were present - 4. Broaden legislative understanding of the made the motion and Ann Branton seconded ed to the MLA Executive Board for considera - importance of the Health/Life Insurance the motion . Motion passed. tion: Program for public library employees and the need for continued full funding as pre - The next MLA Executive Board meeting will be 1. Approve an increase in salary for the Exec - miums and participation increase. on Friday, August 14, 2009 at 10:30 a.m . The utive Secretary of 3% to $15.45 per hour. 5. Support projects and funding involving K- October meeting will be held during the annu - 2. Increase bookkeeper’s salary to $3,708 per 12 schools, community colleges, and uni - al conference . The December meeting has year , which is a 3% increase. versity libraries. been scheduled for Friday, December 11 at 3. Investigate possible increases for advertising 6. Obtain bond funding for capital improve - 10:30 a.m. in Mississippi Libraries and on the MLA ments in public libraries. Web site . 7. Increase public awareness of the role of all With no further announcements, Sherry Laugh - 4. Invest Virgia Brocks-Shedd Scholarship types of libraries in the educational, infor - lin made the motion to adjourn with Amanda funds. mational and economic development of Powers seconding . The meeting adjourned at 5. Hire Ann Richmond as bookkeeper to the state. 11: 33 a.m. replace Missy Lee who is retiring. 8. Raise awareness of the need for profession - 6. Transition to electronic banking and Execu - al librarians and qualified staff in libraries. Respectfully submitted, tive Board to decide who has access to 9. Identify and monitor any legislative initia - Marsha Case , MLA secretary account. tives that pertain to or impact the delivery 7. Approve the 2009 budget proposal. of library services to Mississippians, includ - Minutes approved at MLA Board meeting ing issues related to funding, library gover - August 14 , 2009. Amanda Powers made the motion to approve nance, intellectual freedom, access to the seven recommendations as presented . Jeff information, and confidentiality in the use Slagell seconded the motion . Motion passed. of library materials. B. SECTIONS MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY Enter “FREE” for one section membership ASSOCIATION (Enter $6.00 for Additional Sections) Academic (ACRL) $______MEMBERSHIP FORM Public $______School $______Membership Year January-December 2009 Special $______New Membership Renewal २ २ Trustee $______B. SECTIONS SUBTOTAL $______Name ______Mailing address ______C. ROUNDTABLES ______Join one or more roundtables for opportunities in professional City______State ___ Zip______growth $3.00 EACH . 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Dues must be paid by March 15 in order to receive the Spring issue of Mississippi Libraries and for annual election of officers. MLA may at times http://www.misslib.org/ supply its membership list to professional organizations or library vendors. 601.981.4586 • Fax 601.981.4501 २ Check the box if you do not want your name included. (Revised 12/08) Mississippi Library Association NON-PROFIT P.O. Box 13687 ORGANIZATION Jackson, Mississippi 39236-3687 U. S. POSTAGE P A I D PERMIT NO. 312 HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI