Free Online Access to ConsumerReports.org Through the Library! November 10, 2009

Before you make your next big (or little) purchase, why not check out the product reviews and ratings on ConsumerReports.org? Now you can do that online for free through the Library’s web site at www.spl.org.

 To find ConsumerReports.org, go to www.spl.org and click on “Databases & Web Sites.”  Next, click on “Consumer Reports & Information” and then click on ”Consumer Reports.”

If you are trying to access ConsumerReports.org from a computer outside the Library, you will need to enter your Library card numbers and personal identification number (PIN) when prompted, and then press the Login button.

This is just one more way that the Seattle Public Library is helping its patrons during tough economic times. Be sure to take a look at the many other consumer resources available on the Consumer Reports and Information database.

Art, Family, Playgrounds and Greenlake Library November 8, 2009

“On a typical Sunday outing we’ll take our bikes and scooters down to the lake, have breakfast, play at the playground, go to the library and go home,” Greenlake patron Rebecca Albiani told us over morning coffee.  The library serves an important role in both her family and professional life. Her eldest son, 8, “is an avid reader; it would bankrupt us to keep him in books by purchasing them,” she said. His current reading list: Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians, Septimus Heap books,  and 39 Clues. The youngest son, 6, “memorizes books so he needs a constant flow of simple stories as he learns to read.”

In professional life, Rebecca “gives talks for general audiences at the Frye Art Museum.” For the past ten years she’s lectured on everything from ancient Egypt to Pop Art. “I couldn’t do that without the library. Every month I have a new topic. 95 percent of my research materials come from the public library,” she said. Wouldn’t the UW Art Library be a stronger resource, we wondered, but Rebecca said the public library’s catalogue is usually ample. “The public library has THE book on the Index of American Design, for instance, which is the New Deal program I’ll be lecturing on in December. I could get a UW library card but it’s so much more convenient to walk to my public library [Greenlake Walkscore: 89] where I know people who work there and I don’t have to worry about parking.”

“The library is a crucial leveling factor. Plus it is simply a wonderful community gathering place” she told us. “When I think about the proposed library budget I worry about Saturday hours and Sunday closures in particular. On Sunday I see people on computers or sitting in the magazine section—that’s where my husband goes. There are always a lot of families reading to kids or kids coloring. At the playground I often hear moms saying, “Shall we go to the library now?”

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Please support Library hours in the 2010 budget.

The Seattle Public Library: A World Class Site — in More Ways Than One! November 7, 2009

Thanks to a grant from the Friends, the Seattle Public Library expanded its web site earlier this year to include more information for its patrons who speak Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, and to add information in Somali and Amharic.  To reach these new web pages, go the Library web site and see the Audiences column on the right hand side of the page.  The Library staff compared the number of Web pages that these audiences used from March 2008 – October 2008 versus March 2009 – October 2009, and were delighted to see significant increases in usage as follows:

Spanish:  2,003 to 9,761 web pages used

Chinese:  3,041 to 10,114 web pages used

Vietnamese:  1,038 to 8,168 web pages used

Russian:  1,364 to 8,632 web pages used

The Friends are able to make grants like these from donations, revenues from the FriendShop, and proceeds from the Book Sale, so we’d like to share these thanks with all of you who support the Friends and the Seattle Public Library:

Gracias a los Amigos de la Biblioteca Pública de Seattle por proporcionar los fondos para el sitio Web de la biblioteca en idioma español (Thank you to the Friends of The Seattle Public Library for providing the funds for the Library’s Spanish language Web site).

衷心感谢Friends of The Seattle Public Library为扩建图书馆中文网页提供经费。 (Thank you to the Friends of The Seattle Public Library for providing the funds for the Library’s Chinese language Web site).

 Xin cám ơn Thân Hữu của Thư Viện Công Cộng Seattle đã cung cấp ngân quỹ cho trang Web tiếng Việt của Thư Viện (Thank you to the Friends of The Seattle Public Library for providing the funds for the Library’s Vietnamese language Web site).

Благодарим Общество друзей Публичной Библиотеки Сиэтла за предоставление финансовых средств для веб-сайта Библиотеки на русском языке (Thank you to the Friends of The Seattle Public Library for providing the funds for the Library’s Russian language Web site).

Mahadsanid Saaxiibta Maktabada Dadweynaha ee Seattle bixinta kharashka lagu soo saaray horudhacan Maktabada (Thank you to the Friends of The Seattle Public Library for providing the funds for this introduction to the Library in the Somali language).

ለሲያትል የህዝብ ቤተ መጻፍት ጓደኞች ለዚህ የቤተ መጻህፍት ማስታወቂያ እርዳታ ገንዘብ ስላቀረቡ ምስጋናችንን እናቀርባለን። (Thank you to the Friends of The Seattle Public Library for providing the funds for this introduction to the Library in the Amharic language).

Separating “truth from fiction and signal from noise” at our libraries October 23, 2009

October is National Information Literacy Awareness Month. President Obama outlined the meaning of Information Literacy in his recent proclamation, “Rather than merely possessing data, we must also learn the skills necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation. This new type of literacy also requires competency with communication technologies, including computers and mobile devices that can help in our day-to-day decision making.” He sheds  light on the important ways library staff  contribute to helping us interpret this abundance of information. He acknowledges,  “We now live in a world where anyone can publish an opinion or perspective, whether true or not, and have that opinion amplified within the information marketplace,” and cites libraries and universities as places  ”that can help separate truth from fiction and signal from noise.”

Many people who responded thoughtfully to the question about library relevance in this digital age in our library value survey commented on the role librarians play in helping us find relevant information among all the misleading sources. Others talked about how they look to libraries to provide connections to technology.

Virginia Lore, a Delridge branch patron wrote, “I think libraries are more relevant than ever. The more resources we have at our disposal, the more urgently we need people to help us sort through those resources and find what is most relevant to us. Without the library, I think I’d often be overwhelmed by everything out there.”

Greenlake patron Abe Wenning wrote,  ”As more and more information is put onto the internet, it becomes increasingly important to have librarians available to help people sort through it and find relevant and accurate information. While libraries may have to adapt, they will always remain relevant and integral to a democratic community.”

Jessica says, “Access to technology will continue to be an issue as will keeping the public up to date on current technology options. Reference librarians will continue to play a vital role in connecting visitors to new and old ways of accessing knowledge and to the books/websites/search engines themselves.”

For Charles in Fremont, libraries not only connect us with technology and help us discern sources, he writes, ”Public libraries are the only informational gatekeepers that can be trusted to keep access open to the public in perpetuity.”

Please help us keep the gateway doors open in our neighborhoods by supporting the 2010 Library budget.

Our libraries provide many computer literacy classes and offer ESL supported computer learning. In August 09 email and live chat format information services at the library were up 38% over the previous year. Like one of our survey respondents said,  “And handy as Google is, if I really want to find the answer to a question, I ask a librarian. He or she might not know the answer, but they always know how to find it!”

Remembering Wilmot Library August 29, 2009

Do you remember the Wilmot Library? In 1948, Wallingford resident Alice Wilmot Dennis offered a house at 4422 Meridian Avenue N to Seattle for a library. Dennis was a former teacher and the daughter of Green Lake pioneer Lemuel Alan Wilmot. The gift stipulated that it be used as a library for at least 30 years and be named for her late sister, Florence Wilmot Metcalf. Seattle Mayor William F. Devin and State Senator W. Ward Denison dedicated the Wilmot Memorial Library on September 9, 1949

Susan Scott of Secret Garden Bookshop sends us this remembrance:

“When I was quite young, in the mid-1950s, I spent a great deal of time with my grandparents, who lived just three doors down from the Wilmot Memorial Library -a precursor to today’s Wallingford Branch. It was then housed in a bungalow, with, as I recall, the adult collection in the living room, children’s books in the dining room, and mysteries and westerns back in what had been the kitchen.

My grandparents were voracious readers, so my grandad was a regular visitor, checking out tall stacks of books each time, which he always deliberately kept a day or two past their due date; he thought the library could use the money. In those days, long before computers, you checked out a book by writing your library card number on the narrow card in the book’s fly-leaf pocket, handing it to the librarian, then receiving a rubber-stamped date-due card in return.

My grandad had grown impatient with this system, particularly since he checked out so many books at one time, and had eventually badgered the good librarians into keeping his card under glass at the big front desk. He just collected the cards and handed them over to the obliging ladies of Wilmot. If they thought he was a pain in the neck, they were too nice to say so.

At a very tender age – those were simpler times – I was allowed to visit the library alone, since it was so nearby. And when it was time to check my books out, I’d been instructed to explain that my grandad’s card was “there” under the glass – I could barely reach high enough to point – and I was allowed to use it. This worked well unless there was a new employee, who had not yet been introduced to the eccentric borrower down the block, let alone his very young granddaughter. Then the whole story had to be explained all over again and a co-worker fetched to corroborate, before I’d be allowed to leave with my books.

I took to looking straight to the desk when I walked in, to see if I needed to gird my 4-year-old self to break in another rookie on this visit.

Eventually, I asked one of the library ladies if I couldn’t have my own card. “Well, you could,” she said, “but you’d have to be able to write your name.” Well, that was no problem, I quickly explained – I’d been able to write my name for ages. She looked at me skeptically, but took out the form, it was duly filled out, and on my next visit to my grandparents, I skipped happily down the street to pick up my newly minted Seattle Public Library card. As it was handed over, the librarian told me I was the youngest person in town to have one!

Naturally, I was very proud at the time, and as the years have gone by, of course there has always been a library card in my wallet. My first job was at the Northeast Branch, not so very many years later. And now, as a bookseller, I haven’t strayed too far from these bibliographic beginnings. But my favorite part of the story is the flexibility of all the parties involved – most especially the library staff. Our much faster paced, more standardized and regulated world today rarely affords an opportunity for this kind of institutional improvisation. But when it does, I always say the same thing: This is the way the world should work.”

Read more about Wilmot Library at History Link

Book Loving Dads – Tell Us About Yours! June 16, 2009

This Sunday, June 21^st, is Father’s Day.  Having a father who loves books can sometimes make shopping for Father’s Day easier, but sometimes not.  Collector Dads might have a very specific title in mind or just know it when they see it.  Dads turning to books to enrich their everyday experiences might, depending on the topic, have an overwhelming number of titles to choose from or one or two.  How to find the right book for Dad?  Maybe you’ve got a great story for us?  Read on for tips and share a story in the comments.

If you are shopping for the Dad looking to learn more about any and all subject matter, try the old fashioned method of asking a librarian.  If you can’t get to a branch to ask in person, The Seattle Public Library has got options for you.  Email your questions to SPL librarians, phone the SPL Quick Information Center at 206-386-4636 or contact live chat help online in English and Spanish(24/7, 365 days a year).  What you get is personal service from a person whose job it is to know books, maybe even better than Dad.

Collector Dads will be happy to wait one more week for their gift if you promise to take them to the mini book sale the Friends are planning.  There will be a mini-book sale held in conjunction with the Best of the Northwest event at Magnuson Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28.  The Friends will have a booth at the event.  Admission is free.   And of course you could always renew Dad’s Friends membership, or buy him a new one, for the BIG Booksale coming up on September 25 – 27th.

And of course, for the Dad who has all the books he needs (is there such a Dad?) head on down to the FriendShop at Central where the Friends have all manner of book related merchandise. With all of these choices you can assure yourself and your Dad that it’s not just a gift for Father’s Day, it’s a gift to The Seattle Public Library itself.  Telling others about Library services helps The Library spread the word about its fantastic services.  The Friends use the proceeds from the BookSale and FriendShop to give grants to The Seattle Public Library and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

Tell us about your book loving Dad, it’s a tribute he’ll appreciate.  Happy, happy Father’s Day!

Bloggers and the library budget May 5, 2009

When local media reported The Seattle Public Library’s budget woes, bloggers responded.  In a short note, the American Library Association blog reported the losses in Seattle and gave readers the history of local library closures.

Neighborhood blogs across the city posted the news about potential local library impact and let neighbors know how to help.

Friends members who were actively involved in response to the budget blogged about their involvement.  Check out  The Writers Daily Grind and Libraries, Comics, and Me to get a sense of their experience.

In the entry, libraries and librarians in today’s world, bloggers at tutor.com note that Comments by readers of a Seattle Times article reporting on the mayor’s announcement came out strongly in support of the library.

But other bloggers simply talked about the value of the library. Examiner.com told readers: ” …we should all make an effort to read – for the brain as much as for the soul… [if you're] feeling the crunch of the Great Recession, visit your local library. Better yet, since most Seattle neighborhoods have their own, you can walk! This is sustainable living at it’s best.”

Meanwhile, rave reviews of Central library continued to pour in on Yelp. A vistor from Oakland writes:  “Any student/citizen of Seattle is very lucky to have this in their city. It is beautiful and I’m sure it makes people LOVE to read and visit often. This is brains and beauty all in one!”

Please stay tuned to local blogs for current library news and views. The decision to close our libraries for one week in August may be irreversible in 2009, but deliberations on the troublesome anticipated budget shortfalls for 2010 are already beginning and your library support will  be needed throughout the process.

Earth Day Everyday with the Friends and The Seattle Public Library April 23, 2009

Yesterday, April 22nd, was Earth Day. But what can you do the rest of the year to stay green? Did you know you’re helping the earth when you use The Seattle Public Library? How’s that? Sightline Daily’s “Save The Library, Save The Planet” article mentions the book Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet which gives good cause to feel good about being a library patron. According to the book’s author Eric Sorenson, “one typical library prevents 250 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year just from the paper it doesn’t use.”

The Friends of The Seattle Public Library are happy to add some vibrant green to your life. The Friends has been helping Library patrons carry their books for years, but last year the Friends decided it was time to switch from plastic bags to a low cost, reusable bag. All branches and the FriendShop are selling the lovely bag pictured above for $1.00. Made of recycled plastic bottles and imprinted with the Friends of The Seattle Public Library logo, this large yet lightweight tote can carry a load. Fill it up with books and go!

Other recycled items are a plenty at the FriendShop. Come and find recycled Golden Book purses, book journals, typewriter key charms and more. The bowls and vases pictured above are from Roost and are created by Vietnamese craftspeople who use traditional bamboo weaving techniques to create colorful pieces out of recycled, printed paper. Stop by the shop to rediscover the many new uses of past loves.

Of course, one of the biggest green things the Friends do is recycle about 250,000 books and others items at our twice yearly Book Sale back into the community.

The Friends just finished the big spring sale last weekend, but we will have a table at Magnuson Park Spring Celebration this Saturday, April 25th, from 10 am – 4 pm. Stop by and check out our $1.00 book selection. And don’t forget, donating books to the Friends Book Sale is a great way to recycle too!

What Does Your Desk Say About You? June 10, 2008

It’s the one question the librarians haven’t answered…but we’re still trying!!!

 

Does what’s on your desk reveal what’s on your mind? Do those pictures on your walls tell the true tales about you? Is your favorite outfit about to give you away?  For the last ten years Sam Gosling has been studying how people project (and protect) their inner selves, by what they purchase and how they arrange it around them.  By exploring our private worlds (our desks, dorm rooms, bedrooms, closets and cars) he shows not only how we showcase our personalities in unexpected and unplanned ways, but also how we create personality in the first place, and communicate it to others.   When it comes to the most essential components of our personalities, the things we own and the way we arrange them often says more about us than even our most intimate conversations.  

 

BIO:

Sam Gosling is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin.  He has spent the last decade conducting research on how personality is expressed and perceived in everyday contexts.  His work has been profiled in The New York Times, Psychology Today and his work is featured in Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Blink. 

 

More Info on Sam

 

My desk:

- a rubber band

- Nalgene bottle

- a pile of papers

- a non functioning laptop that I intended to wipe a few months ago, but never got to

- 2 stacks of paper for my monitor

- my monitor

- my cell

- packet of gum with one stick left

- a pen

- half an apple from yesterday

 

What Does It All Mean????

What’s On Yours?

NPR Story Corps: Learning To Read April 18, 2008

NPR Story Corps elicits the same reaction in me as an interviewee of Barbara Walters – I usually get misty. This story was no different. Here’s a bit from the website:

“Joe Buford, 63, has a high school diploma but kept a secret, even from his family: He couldn’t read.

“I could memorize things,” he says. “I call it drawing the words …. Nobody in my family really knew how bad it was with me and how hurt I was over it.”

Buford’s wife didn’t know about his reading problem until after they were married, he says.”

He goes on..

“Before Buford had children, he worried that “what was wrong with me would be passed on to my kids.” He was afraid they wouldn’t learn to read. “It just broke my heart,” he says.

He was terrified of the prospect of having to read to his young daughters. “

It never fails to amaze me how far people can get on such little education. This gentleman has gone through the education, medical, and tax systems not knowing how to read. He’s raised a family, held a job and gone through every day life with an over arching fear and shame that was finally lifted in his mid-60’s.

Definitely a testament to the “never too late” approach to self development, but also inspiring from a community perspective. Here was a volunteer who spent time with him, helped him learn, in an environment that was safe – in this case an adult literacy center in Nashville.

“I jumped up and ran through the house. It made me cry and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, it really is sinking in.’”

That is exactly how I felt (sans crying) when I first learned to read. So excited, so enthusiastic about learning – on my way to being a student of life and those around me.

To read more or listen to the program, click here. 

For a search on adult literacy at the SPL, click here as well as their literacy section.