Public Libraries

Read about this possible solution Here. From the Tacoma Washington News Tribune.






To offset budget cuts, Tacoma Public Library branches in East, Central and South Tacoma may lose materials but gain literacy and career-training programs.


Administrators say this \"magnet library\" concept would help avoid closing branches. Four of the system\'s sleepiest libraries - King, Mottet, South Tacoma and Swan Creek - would devote more space and materials to themes such as literacy or computers and drop some of their collections aimed at the general public.

HREF=\"http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/thisday/local.
20000206-sbt-MWKA-C1-Science_.sto\">A Story on how a
science exhibit in St. Joseph County Public Library,
Indiana, was a huge hit with the kids.

This year, for the first time, all of the area\'s
higher-education institutions were exhibitors. They include
the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University South Bend,
Saint Mary\'s College, Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ivy Tech
State College, and the Purdue University School of
Technology at South Bend

Oregon Live has a
HREF=\"http://www.oregonlive.com:80/news/00/02/st020217.html\"
>story on how the government wants new libraries to be
built.
The 5 story structures are raising some concerns.

Library Director Ginnie Cooper finds herself in an
interesting position because the five county commissioners,
her bosses, have made it a priority for departments to
consider building mixed-use facilities. The idea is to
increase density in neighborhoods by putting county
facilities on the ground floor and housing or office space
above. A portion of the housing at each branch will have
carry cheaper rents for people in lower econom

A Story on a crack down on cell phone use in SC.

There\'s less talk in Lexington County\'s nine libraries these days, and officials are happy about it.
A two-month effort to curtail mobile telephone conversations among the bookshelves is working well, members of the County Library Board were told Tuesday.

Signs put up asking that such calls be made in hallways or outside are reducing the talk that annoys others users, library Executive Director Daniel MacNeill said.

\"I would say at this point this is all we need to do,\" he said.

A Story from Sacbee.com on a quiet first night of operations.

After months of planning and anticipation, the Central Library stayed open at night for the first time Wednesday.
It was, well, quiet as a library.

With the exception of nearly constant activity at eight Internet-access computers, patronage was sparse in almost every corner of the downtown library.

After a brief, post-work rush, there were few children on the children\'s floor, study carrels were mostly empty, photocopy rooms were dark and but a few eyes peered at periodicals.

A Story from MN on how to use the internet as a bookmobile.

Northern Wisconsin library system linking books, patrons.

Members don\'t need to make long drives or lots of long-distance calls in search of a book located in a distant library. Materials in Presque Isle, for example, can be accessed from a terminal in the Superior Public Library.

Through interlibrary loan, materials can be delivered to people\'s home libraries. Through the mail-a-book program, they can even be sent to patrons\' homes.

Read about this program Here. From the href=\"http://www.cleveland.com/news/\">Cleveland Live at cleveland.com.




The Mentor Public Library is offering help to students preparing for proficiency tests.




The project, called Access Plus: Partnership for Proficiency, is a joint effort with the Cleveland Area
Metropolitan Library System.

An interesting story from New Zealand. Read about it Here.
From the href=\"http://www.press.co.nz/\">The Press On-line.




The Invercargill City Council has proposed contracting out some of its services, including the public library.

Heartwarming News for the little library on the prarie, from MSNBC

A federal lawsuit involving the Wright County Library system and the estate of Laura Ingalls Wilder has gained national attention and support.

“We have been getting responses from all over the country,” said Carrie Cline, a librarian. “People have been e-mailing us, ‘What can I do to help.’”

Read about it Here.
From the href=\"http://www.newscoast.com/\">The Herald-Tribune News Coast.




Using the most basic of Internet tools, the Sarasota County Public Library\'s Online Book Club could be a trendsetter for libraries across the nation.

InsideDenver Has a very encouraging

Story Here on how library use is way UP.

From 1991 to 1998 -- a period when big chain bookstores and the Internet blossomed into potential threats to America\'s libraries -- state circulation of libray books and other items grew dramatically.

Get yout free video Here
\"
The new 38-minute videotape, Therapy in Action: The School-Age Child Who stutters, is getting rave reviews from speech-language pathologists, parents, teachers and physicians. The tape is an excellent resource and is certain to further the understanding of stuttering and what can be done to help the school-age child.\"

An Article from the href=\"http://www.pioneerplanet.com/\">Pioneer Planet. Link to it href=\"http://www.pioneerplanet.com/news/mtc_docs/018431.htm\"> Here.



Libraries branch out in cyberspace.




The mad dash for public library Internet terminals begins shortly after 2 p.m. on school days. St. Paul students, some as young as 6 or 7, scramble to snare one of the coveted computers that provide free online access at neighborhood branches.