February 28, 2014 Edited by:Stephanie Taylor

Participants had a great time making picture frames at Clay Public Library’s January Craft Program.

Clay Crafts

American Girls At APLS

The January 15th APLS Administrators’ Meeting was filled with great speakers and information. After APLS Director Rebecca Mitchell (above) welcomed the attendees, Assistant Director Kelyn Ralya briefed the audience about the current LSTA grant cycle. Consultant Jim Smith announced that we are gearing up for the 2nd year of STAPLE, and information about the application process will be coming out shortly. We heard from the three ARSL scholarship winners about their experience attending the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference last year. Baldwin County Cooperative Library Director Liz Reed, Thomasville Public Library Director Gina Wilson, and Demopolis Public Library Director Morgan Grimes Allen all had great things to say about the conference and encouraged librarians who have never attended to apply for the scholarship. APLS Consultant Alex Perry (below) gave a presentation on the importance of library advocacy and discussed the Declaration for the Right to Libraries campaign. Finally, Encyclopedia Britannica Representative Jennifer Keating demonstrated their new web interface on AVL.

Mrs. Lolly Turner presented a Samantha-themed American Girls Program at Magnolia Springs Public Library.

On January 25th, author Robert Inman visited Pelham Public Library for a meet and greet and to sign copies of his new book, The Governor’s Lady. Novelist, screenwriter, and playwright, Inman is a native of Elba where he began his writing career in junior high school with his hometown weekly newspaper. He left a 31-year career in journalism in 1996 to devote more time to creative writing.

Author Visit

Have You Met...Collinsville Public Library

Collinsville Public Library Director Jennifer Wilkins (below) believes that everyone that comes to the library should receive excellent customer service, regardless of his or her age, race, or background. Her philosophy is that everyone in the community owns a piece of the library, and she wants to make them all feel as welcome as possible. Jennifer is a huge advocate for the library. She brings the library with her everywhere she goes. Whether she’s at the grocery store, church, or civic meetings, Jennifer has something to share about the library to constantly remind the community that it is there for them.

One of the biggest achievements Jennifer has made is moving the library from a broken down gas station with less than 2,000 square feet to a beautifully renovated historical building in the heart of downtown with 6,000 square feet of space. It was not an easy task. Jennifer was constantly writing grants, communicating with politicians, and convincing local officials to make the effort happen.

Collinsville Public Library is host to many wonderful programs for children, teens, adults, and families. One of Jennifer’s recent favorites occurred last summer when they dug into music with an all ladies dulcimer band. The children in attendance were spellbound at the beauty of the traditional Appalachian sound. The library also hosts many fundraisers each year, including an Annual Quilt Walk, to pull their own financial weight as much as possible. Jennifer credits staff members Linda Traffanstedt (below left) and Margaret Goldthreat (below right), stating that they each wear many hats to enable the library to reach their full potential in serving the diverse community.

Career Databases on AVL

APLS hosted an Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Employment Resources Workshop on February 10th. Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) Director Ron Leonard welcomed the audience, stressing the importance of AVL and its ability to enhance the quality of life for Alabama residents. With International Paper closing in Lawrence County this year, thousands of people will be without jobs and in real need of career assistance. Because of this situation, EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest have generously made career help resources available on AVL until the end of March.

Mr. Leonard encouraged everyone to share the importance of AVL with friends, family, acquaintances, and community members so that they in turn will be more likely to share it with legislators. Representatives from both EBSCO and Gale spoke about the AVL resources available to help job seekers. To access these databases while they’re available, click on the AVL link from APLS’s Resource and Research webpage: http://goo.gl/juILXIThe employment resources are at the top of the AVL site. They will be available throughout the end of March.

Ron Leonard, NAAL Director

Pamela Erickson, EBSCO Training Specialist

Julie Pepera, Gale Senior Training and Implementation Specialist

David Ziembiec, Director of Business Solutions at Cengage Learning

The Orange Beach Public Library and the Orange Beach Senior Activity Center presented a performance by award-winning classical guitarist Peter Fletcher on January 23rd. The concert was part of a nationwide tour, under the auspices of Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, to promote his new CD, to be released this fall by Centaur Records. Fletcher performed selections from his new CD, an all Edvard Grieg album in which he himself wrote the guitar transcriptions. CDs were available for purchase at the concert.

Orange Beach Guitar Concert

Daphne Public Library’s 2014 Annual History Series presented by Dr. James M. Morris will focus on utopia and dystopia, centering on America as Utopia. Utopian and dystopian concepts and communities will be examined by the presentation of historical writings through contemporary literature, various attempts to achieve a utopian community, and the leaders and members of such communities.

Dr. Morris is a public speaker, author, library board member, and Professor Emeritus of Christopher Newport University. He was the speaker for the history series last year and drew audiences of over 150. Four sessions will be held, and there will be question and answer periods following the main event. Printed bibliographies for further reading and exploration will be available at each event.

Daphne History Series

Downton Abbey in Alabaster

The trivia winners and door prize winner show off their goodies.

On January 6th, dedicated Downton Abbey fans skipped a certain National Championship football game to test their knowledge of the British period piece drama at the Albert L. Scott Library in Alabaster. This was the first time the Downton Abbey Tea and Trivia program was offered at the library, but it will not be the last. While enjoying tea and light refreshments, patrons battled it out to see who knew the most about the Granthams, the Crawleys, and the wide array of downstairs servants. The top winners were able to take home several Downton Abbey-themed prizes. A door prize was also awarded. The library plans to offer this trivia game program again in the future and possibly other Downton Abbey inspired programs.

The Book NookDealing With Disaster

The National Weather Service has designated the week of March 17-21, 2014, as “National Flood Safety Awareness Week”. It is intended to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save life and property.

According to the National Weather Service, each year more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other severe weather-related hazard. The Centers for Disease Control report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. The next highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near flood waters.

Why do people take these risks? The main reason is they underestimate the force of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Just six inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes only two feet of rushing water to carry away most vehicles. Too many people continue to drive around the barriers warning that the road is flooded. The Weather Service urges people, whether driving or walking, to turn around if they come to a flooded road.

As part of Flood Safety Awareness Week, the Weather Service is promoting its campaign: “Turn Around and Don’t Drown”. For more information about the week and the campaign, go to: http://goo.gl/uwzads

Title: Ocean Food Chains (Protecting Food Chains)Author: Heidi MooreReading Level: Grade 4-7ISBN: 9781432938598Reviewed by: Angela DewberryLibrary: Millbrook Public LibraryReview: This book has a great picture on the front cover and will capture attention immediately. It has interesting pictures and is loaded with good facts on the environment. Young people will appreciate knowing what eats what in the wild of the ocean. This would be a great book to use for school reports or just for general information gathering.

Title: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Defiance, Volume 3Author: Chris MowryReading Level: Ages 9-12ISBN: 9781599617237Reviewed by: Kelly CardenasLibrary: Pell City Public LibraryReview: This is a graphic adaptation for the movie prequel which sheds light on the beginning of the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons.