The CCLD Bookmobile October 21, 2013
Posted by corterc in Bookmobile.Tags: Bookmobile
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CCLD’s biggest marketing tool is its Mobile Branch, otherwise known as the Big Blue Bus or the Bookmobile. Its exterior is covered with colorful graphic drawings of happy children reading on a rocket ship, in a tower, a tree, a plane, and on the Chemung River. These smart illustrations were custom designed by nationally known, local children’s author, Tedd Arnold.
Even if you’ve never used any of our County libraries, you can’t NOT notice this huge book filled vehicle traveling around the streets. It’s a reminder to everyone that our Chemung Libraries exist and are accessible at many locations. Currently, our Bookmobile maintains 47 different stops within a 2 week rotating schedule. Stops vary from neighborhood parks to elderly apartments to community centers and daycares and schools. The Mobile Branch team consists of driver Kim Jones, storytelling clerk Sue Schoeffler, and substitute driver Dave Swartwood. School classes are treated to stories during their visit and most are permitted to browse and check out a book to keep until the next time the Bookmobile returns. Elderly individuals look forward to the Bookmobile’s visit to keep them stocked up with their favorite author’s books.
Besides, its regular stops, our Bookmobile participates in as many community events as possible. This year, the Bookmobile made a big presence riding in the Horseheads and Elmira Memorial Day parades and will be seen in the Elmira Downtown Holiday Parade. Those who attended the Family Reading Partnership’s Bookfest, Horseheads Family Days, Wellsburg Village Days, the Van Etten Festival or Strong Kids Safe Kids events may remember seeing the Bookmobile. Many times, the staff will set up an outdoor table, distribute information about the Library District, and provide activities for children. They have 2 very loyal and dedicated volunteers, Liz and Fred Southard, who have helped at most of these events. We are most appreciative of the time Liz and Fred give to the Bookmobile!
The Bookmobile staff opens their doors to everyone to come, look around, apply for a library card and check out something to take home. The bus houses DVDs and audiobooks too. They can assist with inquiries about downloading eBooks or recent publications. If they don’t house an item, in most cases, they can borrow it from another library for you.
We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful, visible, and accessible Mobile Library in Chemung County. If you’ve not been inside, take a look at the schedule on our website http://www.ccld.lib.ny.us/bookmobile.htm and visit the Bookmobile soon.
Chris Corter
CCLD Growth and Development Coordinator
Music October 16, 2013
Posted by poppendeckc in Uncategorized.Tags: music
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Among friends, I have been accused as having very “interesting” taste in music (aka –weird). My taste runs from classic rock, Middle Eastern and Turkish dance music, chants, Baroque music, anything Mozart, and some New Age stuff.
Maybe eclectic is a better word, because the music that draws me is the music that satisfies a need in us, and that attraction can take myriad forms. We need different music for different reasons. We all have favorite music we turn to at different times – music to soothe, inspire, or motivate us.
Some of us have very specific preferences. For example, my family made sure I grew up listening to Big Band music and not much else until high school, so for years I was a Big Band trivia expert. This music represented a distinct era that flavored my parents’ past, and defined music for them; something that didn’t change much in their lives.
Some people like anything country, or hip hop, or jazz for probably the same reasons. The artists who give us our favorite music can seem as friends – our enjoyment of their style of expression validates this, making us their fans. Life is just better with our personal musical soundtrack.
Back to my “interesting” label; in order to affirm I do not have weird taste, I drew up a playlist. If I could listen to anything at all, what would it be? It has taken weeks, and I think I actually did very well. It is still a work in progress, but in looking it over, I don’t think anyone could accuse me of bad taste.
Now let me ask you, what is your personal musical soundtrack?
Caroline Poppendeck, Librarian
CCLD, Horseheads
Endangered Books October 9, 2013
Posted by roganp in Recommendations.Tags: books, circulation, endangered, non-fiction, weeding
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I have been weeding the non-fiction collection, using a computer program that can generate a report of books that have not gone out recently. When we used to go to the shelves to weed the worn out, dirty out-of-date books, I enjoyed it. But now I keep finding books that I think would be so useful if someone just knew they were here! For example, one of the biographies on my weeding list is about a navy seaman’s experiences in WWII. The Title is A Sailors’ Journey into War by Robert A. Maher. It looked like a brand new book and wasn’t very old, as the author was remembering his past. I brought it home to my husband who had been on a destroyer in the navy (not in WWII – we’re old but not THAT old) and he read and loved it. He brought it to our daughter’s neighbor who was also in the navy and said it was the best book he ever read; really described what it was like to be on a destroyer in a hurricane. Do I weed it from the collection because it is not being checked out? How do I get these books into the hands of people who would enjoy them? How do I get people to come to the library and browse among the stacks, to find just that book that speaks to them? Or get them to ask a librarian for suggestions as to what they would like to read about? It’s called Reader’s Advisory and one of the most fun parts of our job. I would have thought books such as Everything you need to know about birth control or Understanding Weight Loss Programs would be helpful to many people but they don’t go out. Do they get used in the library? I don’t know. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Phyllis Rogan, Reference Librarian
Chemung County Library District
Natural Phenomena October 3, 2013
Posted by poppendeckc in Uncategorized.Tags: Aurora Borealis, lightning, moonbows, natural phenomena, rainbows
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I love the Aurora Borealis. I saw a lovely photo online today. This thought led me to think about what other phenomena exist that we are scarcely aware of, so I did a little research.
Rainbows are a common phenomenon, but did you know there is such a thing as moonbows? These occur the same way rainbows do: moisture in the air refracts the light given off by, well, the moon. They can happen anywhere in the world; the conditions just have to be right.
One phenomenon I am sure we have all seen, but probably didn’t think too much about is a fire rainbow, or circumhorizon arc. These appear as a portion of spectral colors in a sunny sky. The term “fire rainbow” came from them typically appearing on a flame-like wispy cloud. I have seen these many times, and never realized I was witnessing a phenomenon.
Then there is lightning: most everybody loves a good lightning storm. There are all kinds of lightning at which to marvel: displays you can see from a plane when there is a storm below, the frightening stuff turfside during a tempest, or the rare dendritic (that’s the superb kind that travels through the clouds, fanning out like fern).
Hang on to your hats – there is also an astonishing lightning that happens during a volcanic eruption. Who knew a spewing volcano could produce something so breathtaking; I thought lava-heaving out of the earth was scary enough. Adding the lightning spectacle is just Nature’s way of showing off!
Bioluminescence. Rhetorically speaking, why should any living thing glow? Wouldn’t that be the greatest asset, to radiate? It turns ordinary bugs, worms, plankton, jellyfish, etc, into magical creatures!
A phenomenon does not have to be marvelous and terrible to be cool. The notion of sea driftwood producing colors when burned has always fascinated me. Minerals from the sea are impregnated into the wood, and when dried and burned, make a bonfire even more delightful.
There are many more phenomena in our world. Some are limited to certain climates, but all are worth investigating!
Caroline Poppendeck, Librarian
CCLD, Horseheads
Chemung County Library District 