Quatrefoil Fall 2014

Quatrefoil Fall 2014 - Issue 31

A Few Highlights: Building Community Partnerships

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New eBook Platform

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ACQ: Acquiring, Correctly, Quickly

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Trout Unlimited Donation

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Nordegg Public Library Re-opens

Parkland Regional Library

Autumn ya glad school’s back?

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Photo courtesy of le Liz via Flickr. Creative Commons.

Inside This Issue:

Fall is a great time to take a breather. Summer activities are finished, school is back in, and specialty coffees are calling.

Enjoy the crisp autumn air and be sure to take a break to enjoy some culture.

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Director’s Desk

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Looking Ahead

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Tips on Building Community Partnerships on page 4

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News & Notes

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Consultants’ Corner

Notes from the American Library Association Conference on page 8

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Find out how the new Anti-Spam legislation affects the library on page 9

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Nordegg Public Library re-opens and Heather Clement receives volunteer award on page 10

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Ponoka Jubilee Library builds a community garden on page 11

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Learn about Olds Municipal Library’s Minecraft program on page 12

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Sundre Public Library launches “Opera at the Library” on page 14

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Crystal Friars of Stettler Public Library talks comics on page 16

11 Library News

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Director’s Desk Highlights of projects and developments at Parkland and beyond What’s All the Hoopla About?

Ron Sheppard, Director

The Quatrefoil is a quarterly publication of: Parkland Regional Library 5404 56th Ave Lacombe, AB T4L 1G1 Phone: 403.782.3850 Fax: 403.782.4650 www.prl.ab.ca

Send submissions or comments to Meredith: communications @prl.ab.ca

over $8,000 of the $18,000 allocated by the province. Had we not imposed tighter The word hoopla can have many definitions. restrictions on downloads, the funding for Some of these include: hoopla would have been exhausted a. Boisterous, jovial commotion or sometime in September. excitement.

If usage stayed around where it is now, b. Extravagant publicity. we estimate that Parkland would need $30,000 just to pay for hoopla to the end of c. Talk intended to mislead or confuse.

December. Even if hoopla usage increased d. A state of noisy, confused activity. only moderately, it could cost over $100,000 However, hoopla is also an innovative new a year to support this one service. Since service that partners with public libraries to hoopla was a provincial initiative that came bring patrons thousands of movies, half way through our fiscal year, we had no television shows, music, and audiobooks. way to plan for it and Parkland has no Given recent experience, this new definition budgeted money to pay for this kind of of hoopla shares a lot in common with the expense. more traditional definitions noted above.

At present Parkland is planning a marketing The first time I heard of hoopla as a digital campaign this fall. We wanted to highlight resource, I was at a meeting of the sixteen the “Me” service and Alberta Wide resource sharing Node libraries. The meeting Borrowing. We also wanted to highlight our was held in Edmonton on June 13. At the last new eBook platform and hoopla. Since we couple of Nodes meetings hosted by the consider hoopla to be an important product Public Library Services Branch (PLSB) there to highlight, we plan on using reserve funds were many discussions about new licensing or other unspent money from other parts of initiatives from the government. Provincial our budget to sustain hoopla until the end of licensing initiatives for public libraries are next March. Hopefully by then we will have a nothing new. The PLSB has either been better idea of what products and initiatives subsidizing or paying for e-content for years the province will be funding. With our either directly or through the old APLEN limited resources we cannot sustain hoopla program. In late spring, the library world was without radically changing what services informed that hoopla was going to be made Parkland offers or drastically reducing the available to all 16 Node libraries though materials allotment. Perhaps the success of funding by the PLSB. Each Node library was products like hoopla represents a shift in allocated $18,000. We were pleasantly what constitutes library materials? surprised with how popular hoopla was. In Regardless of whether or not the demand for Parkland there are about 800 patrons using products like hoopla represents a hoopla and PRL was spending well over a fundamental paradigm shift or not, we $1,000 a week on hoopla downloads. Hoopla certainly know that your patrons want it and was such a successful product that in a little we will do our best to provide it. over a month, Parkland patrons had used up

Looking Ahead

Mark your calendar Sept.

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PRL Board meeting at Parkland 1 pm - 3 pm

Sept 5 - 12 Staff Training on 3M, Hoopla, and OneClickdigital at libraries throughout the region 12

Yellowhead Regional Library Conference in Edmonton

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Deadline for Library Association of Alberta Continuing Education grants

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Northern Lights Library Conference in Elk Point

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Parkland Fall Conference at Lacombe Memorial Centre 9 am - 4 pm

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Peace Library System Conference in Grand Prairie

26-28

Alberta Culture Days

Oct.

Nov.

Canadian Library Month + Snapshot Day (local dates) Taleblazers Literary Arts Festival for Children 8-9

Library 2.014 Worldwide Virtual Conference

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Man Booker Prize winner announced

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Wordfest in Calgary and Banff

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LitFest: Edmonton International Literary Festival

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Netspeed in Edmonton

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Library Advisory Group Meeting at Parkland (10 am-3 pm)

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National School Library Day

Early

Writers’ Trust of Canada Awards announced

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PRL Board meeting at Parkland (1 pm-3 pm)

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Giller Prize Winner announced

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Deadline for submissions to winter Quatrefoil

Mid

Governor General’s Literary Awards announced

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News & Notes

Building Community Partnerships Whether you work in a small community library or a multi-branch system, forging relationships with local organizations and businesses can be mutually beneficial.

Where do I start?

Participate in community planning! Attend meetings, participate in focus groups for local organizations, go to board meetings, and volunteer for committees. Find out how you can help move their event forward and spread awareness of the library at the same time. One library serves hot cocoa to participants of the annual holiday parade and allows use of their parking lot after they close for the day. It is a simple, inexpensive way to improve the experience of all organizations participating in the parade and to demonstrate the library’s willingness to help.

Partner with local organizations Other government and non-profit agencies like recreational services, town/village, fire and police are the easiest partners to gain. They are invested in seeing the community grow and thrive and are usually open to working side by side with the library. Consider having a table with free crafts and library information at the farmers’ market and local festivals, hosting book discussions at senior centers, or collecting donations for food pantries and pet supplies for humane societies. All of this promotes goodwill and allows us to interact with people who may not ever step foot in our building.

Partner with businesses The library may not be the most convenient location for residents, so consider running book discussions, meetings, and other gatherings in local restaurants or coffee shops. Invite business owners to present special events in the library: dance classes, workshops on financial planning, tea tastings, or whatever else you can showcase using your local shop owners. Become a member of your chamber of commerce and go to their events or host them at the library!

What can we gain from partnerships?

We are always looking for people to help spread the message about library resources and services and local organizations can be some of our biggest supporters and advocates for library use. Not only do you gain supporters, you increase your visibility in the community and have a chance to talk with residents in settings outside the library walls.

What can we offer local organizations?

When a partner wants to know what they receive in exchange for their support, remind them of the library resources at their disposal. Offer to promote them in print and digital publications or offer your space for special events like recitals, classes, and meetings. Sometimes we make partners who can never reciprocate the goodwill we offer them, and that is alright. Helping our community is part of what we do, even if we get nothing in return.

Who does the work?

Finding someone to represent the library in the community can be difficult, but there are options! Ask board members to attend meetings and events when staff is unable. Designate several staff members as the “face” of the library at local events, but encourage all staff to be involved in the community when possible. Staffing bigger off-site events can be a challenge, but the response from the community is priceless. Finally, consider asking administration to include “outreach coordination” in the job of at least one staff member or consider hiring a new position to meet outreach goals.

Adapted from Kick-Starting Community Partnerships by Kate Buckson, posted June 16, 2014 on the Illinois Libraries Matter blog: http://illinoislibrariesmatter.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/kick-starting-communitypartnerships/

News & Notes

this her

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Hot Canadian Fall Releases

The recent edition of Quill & Quire has a great list of upcoming Canadian releases. Which would you be adding to your library collection? For even more titles, see Q&Q online.

Clockwise L to R: Blind Spot by Laurence Miall Bittersweet Sands: 24 Days in Fort McMurrary by Rick Ranson This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein Adult Onset by Ann-Marie MacDonald Ru by Kim Thuy The Long Way Home by Louise Penny Belonging: The Enigma of Citizenship

by Adrienne Clarkson Grow What You Eat, Eat What You Grow by Randy Shore Wallflowers by Eliza Robertson Orient by Gillian Wigmore

New eBook Platform: 3M Our new eBook platform, 3M Cloud Library launches on September 15th, 2014! Parkland has purchased about 1500 titles worth $40,000 for the collection. The collection is organized into Shelves and Categories for easy browsing. The platform also has advanced search functionalities. Stocked with the current bestsellers and frequently requested titles, the collection also includes excellent Canadian content.

Parkland will distribute posters to libraries and send a press release to local papers to help promote the new service.

Library staff can still register for the September workshops on 3M, OneClickdigital, and Hoopla - register at prl.ab.ca/ registration.

When we launch, a link to the 3M site, as well as instructions ,will be posted on our shared eContent webpages (see the ebooks page on most of your websites). We look forward to hearing feedback from staff and patrons about this exciting new service that seriously beefs up the region’s digital collections.

News & Notes

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Library on the Radio: Marketing Campaign Parkland will be advertising on the popular central Alberta radio station KG Country during October for Canadian Library Month!

Throughout August and into September, library staff have circulated a market survey through their communities. The responses to this survey will help us create great key messages that will appeal to and inform central Albertans of the services available at the public library.

The ads will highlight our region’s digital services focusing on: 

Hoopla - eMovies, eMusic, and eAudiobooks

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3M Cloud Library—eBooks

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Zinio - eMagazines

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PressDisplay - eNewspapers

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ME Libraries resource-sharing network

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Public library staff have a very important role in our first marketing campaign. That is, being knowledgeable and comfortable with the services being advertised as well as participating in, and collecting statistics from, Snapshot Day! The statistics collected during Snapshot Day will be vital for evaluation of the campaign.

Acquiring, Correctly, Quickly: Tips from Acquisitions The battle of the Amazons.

When verifying items you wish to purchase, it is very important that you use amazon.ca and not amazon.com. The items listed on amazon.com may not be available in Canada and the pricing and other information will not be accurate for a Canadian supplier.

News & Notes

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Trout Unlimited Continues to Support Libraries On July 21, 2014, Doug Pullan, Secretary of the Central Alberta Chapter of Trout Unlimited, presented donation cheques to representatives from the Parkland Regional Library and the Red Deer College Library.

This is the fourth year that the Central Alberta Chapter has provided funding to purchase books and other related materials that focus on fish, fish habitat and their surrounding riparian areas.

The books that were approved by the chapter’s executive Left to right: Ron Sheppard, Parkland Regional Library, Kristine Plastow, Red Deer College committee were tailored Library, Doug Pullan, Secretary, TUC’s Central Alberta Chapter. towards people of all ages as well as college level reference texts. This book purchase program has not only educated people on fish and their habitat but has also brought awareness to the issues of sustainable fish management and the challenges affecting our cold water resources. The chapter’s executive committee has received positive input and has been encouraged to continue the program, believing that education is a key factor for people’s understanding of the issues surrounding our cold water resources.

The display promotes the idea that clean water benefits everyone as well as our fisheries; it encourages individuals to get involved in local projects that result in the good stewardship of our waters. The Central Alberta Chapter believes education is an important part of the mission and goals of Trout Unlimited Canada and will continue with further financial contributions to local libraries in the future.

Library 2.0 Fourth Annual Online Conference ALA and the ALA International Relations Round Table are pleased to announce the Library 2.014 Worldwide Virtual Conference on October 8 & 9, 2014.

Information professionals from around the world will converge for this free participatory conference focused on the future of libraries in the 21st century.

This conference will be held entirely online in multiple time zones with presentations in multiple languages. Everyone is encouraged to join the global conversation, hear fresh perspectives, and interact with colleagues around the world. Learn more at http://library2014.com.

Consultants’ Corner

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New Ideas from ALA Conference in Las Vegas PRL Library consultant, Karyn Goodwillie, went to the American Library Association (ALA) conference in June. She’s written up some of her thoughts from the sessions she attended. Thanks for sharing, Karyn!

1. Create a story walk - laminate the pages of a story and place them on posts along a walking path. Families can go for a walk and read a story at the same time.

2. Readers’ advisory game: What book would you recommend for fictional characters? What book would you give Sheldon Cooper in the fourth grade? What about a grown-up Luna Lovegood? It can create a conversation around why that book might fit and helps staff expand their pool of suggestions and think about different points of view.

3. There were so many points in the session on grant proposals (from the president of the Grant Professionals Association), here are a few: A) The grant proposal should be seen as a narrative. The path of the story should be connected the whole way through (needs-inputs-activities-outputs-outcomes) and there shouldn’t be any loose ends (plot holes).

B) Do your research on the funder. Make sure that they can see how your project will meet their goals. Use their words whenever possible as well as matching the tone of their documents.

C) Avoid too much on why your project is great and not enough on how you are going to proceed with your project. They want to see that you’ve thought everything through clearly. Visuals are good.

D) The budget is a tool; it should show that you’ve thought through the implications of your plan. Include all costs and make them tie together. Match the budget to your activities - equipment is for accomplishing something, so everything should have a purpose.

E) Check your math!

F) How do you plan to measure your success? Having clear, SMART goals is important for showing you’ve thought through what you’re doing.

G) What are your plans for sustainability? Most grant funders don’t want to be tied to a long term project, so it either needs to be a one-shot project, or have future funding in place.

H) Enthusiasm beats dull and dry, so be compelling. Use human interest stories when possible and no jargon. Have somebody with no involvement in your project read it through to check how coherent it is.

4. Have you heard of the Harry Potter Alliance? Their goal is to use “the power of story to inspire and affect social change.” Find out more at http://thehpalliance.org/ 5. The results of the PewResearch Library Engagement Typology (http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/03/13/libraryengagement-typology) provide fascinating information and well worth the read.

6. Why is it that we’re willing to problem solve in games in our spare time, yet 81% of us say we aren’t engaged at work?

What are games doing that engages people that workplaces aren’t? They provide us with ways of using and developing skills. People want to feel creative when they’re playing games. Especially by seeing the effect of their actions on the world of the game, that they can make a difference.

By Karyn Goodwillie, Parkland Regional Library

Consultants’ Corner

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Spam and You! Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into force on July 1, 2014 and though much information is available online, (i.e. the SOLS website) a recent Education Institute webinar addressed questions related to CASL and libraries.

CASL governs the sending of Commercial Electronic Messages (CEMs), which are messages sent directly to recipients by email, text message, or other forms of direct or private messaging. These messages encourage the recipient to engage in commercial activities. In a library setting these are activities like book sales, purchasing tickets to special events or fundraisers, paid library programs, etc.

Sending out a CEM? The new legislation requires us to have consent when we send out messages concerning commercial activities. In addition to consent, we must include information in our messages that identifies the sender, provides contact information for the sender, and provides a way for the recipient to unsubscribe from future messages.

There are two types of consent, implied and express. Consent is implied where we have had a prior business or non-business relationship with an individual. Starting July 1, 2017, implied consent will expire two years from the date a relationship with an organization ends (i.e. two years after their membership expires). Express consent means that a member has given consent to receive CEMs from you; this consent never expires. Regardless of the type of consent, recipients can withdraw their consent (unsubscribe) at any time. Even with express consent, it is not necessary to keep signed consent forms on file if a process has been created to collect this consent and the date is captured (e.g. date membership is renewed).

Are library notices about overdue books, fines and holds commercial electronic messages?

Messages concerning fines and fees are permitted without consent under section 6(6)(d) of the Act, as containing factual information about services offered under a membership. They may also be permitted under the regulations as a message sent “to enforce a right” (i.e. your right to have a library book returned).

Exceptions for Registered Charities There is an exclusion for messages sent by or on behalf of a registered charity for the purposes of raising funds where the primary purpose is raising funds. Another good reason to seek status as a registered charity. _________________________________ http://www.sols.org/index.php/develop-your-library-staff/professional-information-a-z/199-develop-yourlibrary-staff/professional-information-a-z/management-leadership/234-legislation http://fightspam.gc.ca/eic/site/030.nsf/eng/00273.html

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Consultants’ Corner

Nordegg Library Renovated and Re-open for Business

Wayne Carpenter and Rich Hull, Community Association Co-Chairs, cut the ribbon to open the newly renovated Nordegg Library.

It’s been a year of transformation for the Nordegg Public Library. After a roof leak in early summer 2013 caused significant damage to the building, Clearwater County replaced the roof and ceiling of the library building. Then the Nordegg Community Association contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to accomplish a complete renovation of the library’s interior.

The public got its first glimpse of the renovated library at a grand opening ceremony on August 2.

Locals were thrilled with the new look of the library, including new soft seating. While people were able to use the library’s WiFi and get home delivery of library materials during the closure, they were excited to have access to the building and local collections again after a year of closure. The library will be open for operation on September 2nd.

Also on August 2, long-time volunteer and current library manager Heather Clement was honoured with plaques from Clearwater County, the Nordegg Wayne Carpenter, Community Assoc. Co-Chair, presents a Community Association, and Parkland Regional long-service award to Library Manager Heather Clement.

Library for her 20+ years of service.

By: Colleen Schalm, Parkland Regional Library

Library News

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Ponoka Community Garden Libraries are always talking about expanding beyond the boundaries of the library, and Ponoka Jubilee Library has literally done so. They have taken over an empty lot located behind their library and have created a true Community Garden. With the goal of providing a beautiful space built by the citizens of Ponoka, for the citizens of Ponoka to enjoy, the Community Garden is an oasis in the middle of downtown Ponoka.

After a “Grow Your Own Food” gardening program held at the library in April, the idea of creating a garden space for the patrons to build and enjoy really started to grow roots (pun intended) in the brains of Library Manager David Tremblay and Library Programmer Jaclyn Berry. It was decided that the library would approach the Town of Ponoka to see what they thought about using the town-owned lot that was located just behind the library; the answer was a resounding YES!!

Since then the community of Ponoka has really rallied L to R: Plants for the community garden; Library manager, David, around the library and our Community Garden. Differwith a junior gardener. ent businesses in town have donated all of the building supplies to create planters from pallets, lumber and tires. Five different stores and greenhouses donated all of the flowers and vegetables that were needed to fill the planters, and there was even extra to spare! The Town of Ponoka has been great in providing the land and much of the labour that was needed to make the Community Garden happen. And most importantly the citizens of Ponoka have come out to help build, plant, and maintain the Community Garden. There have been people of all ages involved, from babies to senior citizens, and everyone has had a great time doing it.

The goal of the Community Garden is to provide a space where people can sit and relax, enjoy the beauty, and, if they are so inclined, get their hands a little dirty. Unlike many ‘community’ gardens where each person is assigned a plot that they must maintain, this garden doesn’t belong to anyone, it belongs to everyone. When the vegetables are ready to be harvested, they will be donated to the local Food Bank. This way everyone gets to benefit from the Community Garden.

While it’s still a work in progress, the Community Garden is already a great new part of the Town of Ponoka, and has made Ponoka Jubilee Library a lot more visible in the community. So next time you come to visit Ponoka, take a moment to check out Ponoka Jubilee Library, and then check out the Community Garden next door. It’s worth the visit!

By: Jaclyn Berry, Ponoka Jubilee Library

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Library News

GAME ON! Why Libraries should be excited about Minecraft What is Minecraft? This popular video game puts kids in the centre of a huge virtual universe. Players can collect resources or create and build an infinite number of possibilities with unlimited resources all while trying to survive the creepers. Minecraft functions like a virtual Lego universe, where the possibilities are only limited by the players’ creativity.

Minecraft continues to grow in popularity with children and adults, leaving libraries with a tremendous Minecraft Ships created at Olds Municipal Library opportunity to reach out to a new demographic with programming. Here at the Olds Library, we have created several week long programs based around this popular computer game. Our last program in April had 12 to 15 kids at any given time during the day, participating in challenges and interacting with other Minecraft lovers in person and in game. Participants hunted for treasure on a mysterious world filled with dragons and giants, fought battles between pirate ships, and built amazing creations with each other.

All of this was able to happen via MinecraftEDU. This educational version of Minecraft allows multiple inhouse players to play the game without having to purchase an individual license for each player. A MinecraftEDU license is $40 compared to a $27 game for individuals. MinecraftEDU also permits server changes and allows game modifications that are simple to operate for anyone administering the program.

While many non-gaming adults may find the game boring, confusing, and pointless, this is far from the truth.

Minecraft offers endless possibilities and fun! The playable area of a Minecraft world (PC version) is 8 times the surface area of the earth! Minecraft players have created amazing things ranging from working scientific and graphic calculators to the entire world of Westeros (from the Game of Thrones series). Schools and universities have incorporated Minecraft into learning sessions of History, Science, English and Math classes (but probably not gym class).

This got the Olds Library thinking and excited to push the use of this game even further. Starting in October we are creating a “Minecraft Club” that will work on one big group project of creating the virtual version of the Town of Olds in Minecraft. This also achieves one of our strategic goals of "Knowing your Community".

Building this virtual town allows club members to go out into their community, take photos, and use other related software to help recreate structures as they learn and collaborate about their community. Once finished, the public will be able to visit the library, get on a computer and explore Olds in a new and exciting way. In Virtual Olds people can participate in quests as they visit community attractions, patronize local businesses, find hidden secrets, and come to the virtual library to publish and share their stories.

With so much potential and hype around Minecraft, libraries should get excited! On November 13, Join the Education Institute webinar where you can learn more how to implement and set up MinecraftEDU at your library. Learn the game, explore the online resources available, and form ideas as to how you could build a library program around the game. You can also find and share resources at librarytoolshed.ca By: Carson Statham, Olds Municipal Library

Library News

Bike Rodeo and Summer Reading in Innisfail Summer Fun in Innisfail commenced with a Youth/Adult Summer Reading Program. Program registrants received a ballot for every book read to enter in one of two draws for either an Adult or a Youth prize.

Prizes included a trip for 2 on the Alberta Prairie Railway ‘Country Dinner’ excursion, Discovery Wildlife Park passes, West Edmonton Mall gift basket, books, A&W prizes and more.

For children, we had Summer Reading Club ‘Let’s Make It’ Wednesdays with Miss Sherry. In the mornings the under 5 group spent an hour reading stories and making crafts. In the afternoons Miss Sherry organized the 6 to 12 year old group in multi-activity events. Both sessions were based on the summer’s weekly themes ranging from Kites to Puzzles & Games to Dinosaurs and ending with Band.

Youth programs for the tweens and teens included Beginner Robotics which ran for 7 consecutive Tuesdays during July and August and Gamers Unite on summer Saturdays. Thursday evenings Melinda hosted her annual monthly Movie N Pizza nights. Special Youth events were Creativity Lab in July and Survivor Challenge in August.

Saturday, July 19th was a day for every patron as we held our second annual Bike Rodeo and our first annual Book Sale Fundraiser. The library parking lot was full of children in bike helmets and patient and caring volunteers, while tots in strollers, parents and grandparents cheered on the cyclists and then shopped the book tables staffed by friendly volunteers. The generations mixed as they crowded around the popcorn machine courtesy of our local Servus Credit Union, proving that every age has fun at the library.

By: Laurie Hodges Humble, Innisfail Public Library

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Library News

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Opera: Live at the Library I’m pretty sure most of our Sundre Library patrons know more about the “Grand Ole Opry” than “Grand Opera,” but that's not going to stop us from introducing a new program this fall called “Opera: Live at the Library.”

Offered via Skype to any Parkland library which would like to participate, and coordinated with the Metropolitan Opera's “Live in HD” theatre broadcasts, this is a fall and winter opportunity for Parkland patrons to learn something new, meet friends from other library communities, and enjoy spectacular live performances of some of the greatest operas ever written.

Some of you will already know that my “other” career is as a musician. My graduate work was at the Yale University School of Music, and I received my doctorate there. I've been very active as a pianist, teacher, and lecturer. So it makes sense to combine my musical knowledge with my “new” career as Library Manager in Sundre.

Opera is often seen as a bit intimidating, but it's been my experience that introducing people to something new usually has less to do with the topic itself, and more with how it’s presented. With that in mind, Bizet, Carmen (October 29/November 1) I'll be emphasizing the approachability of the operas we'll be studying. These are stories full of love and adventure, tragedy and fantasy, Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with larger-than-life characters that are hard to forget. Yes, the plots (December 10/13) can seem ridiculous sometimes, stretching credibility with unbelievaLehár, The Merry Widow (January 14/17) ble disguises – and, of course, the stereotypical opera character who Tchaikovsky, Iolanta and Bartok, Bluebeard’s dies a painful death while singing a lengthy and elaborate aria.

This season's Metropolitan operas include (date of talk/date of broadcast):

Castle (February 11/14)

But there are reasons why these works of art have survived the centuries, and why new operas continue to be written. First: the music – which adds a level of drama and emotion that’s often beyond that of the spoken word. Second: the stories – many-layered, with intricate connections among characters. And third: the spectacle. A fine opera, like any good fantasy, creates its own world and its own definition of what’s “real” or “possible” or “believable.”

Rossini, La Donna del Lago (March 11/14)

Here's how it works. Every talk that I give will be focused on one of the New York Metropolitan Opera's “Live in HD” season of opera broadcasts to Cineplex theatres throughout North America. The closest theatre location for most Parkland patrons is at the Galaxy Cinemas in Red Deer. The operas are also broadcast live to theatres in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Banff, and Grande Prairie. The idea is that, via Skype, patrons from several different locations will hear the introductory talk on Wednesday evening; then we will all meet at the theatre on the following Saturday morning to enjoy the performance.

These opera broadcasts are like having a front-row seat at the Met. On-screen subtitles ensure that understanding the language is never a problem, and intermission includes back-stage visits with singers, directors, and conductors.

Most of the performances begin at 11:00 am and run between three and four hours, including intermissions.

Please get in touch with us, if you think this is something your patrons would enjoy. You can find more information at sundre.prl.ab.ca/OPERA and http://www.metopera.org/metopera/liveinhd/live-in-hd-2014-15-season By: Jamie Syer, Sundre Municipal Library

Library News

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Author Marty Chan Visits Camrose Public Library The Summer Reading Program at the Camrose Public Library had the privilege of having an Edmonton author come out on August 15, 2014! We had a total of 35 people in where he talked about his books, played a few games, showed us magic tricks, and gave away signed books!

In the morning, Chan had a session for kids 7 to 10 and talked about his picture book True Story. The kids laughed over and over again as he described his farting cat Buddy and his clueless cat Max. The kids were then put into teams to play Plunger Games, in which the kids had to answer questions, draw and complete a puzzle that were all bathroom related. He ended the session by giving everyone a signed copy of his book True Story.

For kids eleven and up, Chan held a session in which he talked about true life events that had inspired most of his books, including all four of Marty Chan’s Mystery Series and his series Barnabas Bigfoot. Chan then intrigued us with magic tricks and he even escaped from a straight jacket, in keeping with the theme of his novel The Ehrich Weisz Chronicles. Everyone who attended absolutely loved it and I would love to see Marty Chan back at the Camrose library in the future!

By: Kaylin Velema, Camrose Public Library

The Back Page

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Comics! A Medium for Everyone At the last AALT conference, Jay Bardyla from Happy Harbor Comics passed on a piece of information that corrected my thinking about comics. We in the library world call them ‘graphic novels’, but that is not the term used in the comic world: they use the term comics. The way that Jay described it was thus: “Comics is to music as a graphic novel is to vinyl.”

The graphic novel is a format in which comics can be found. When a story is published in the hardcover or soft cover format first, it is referred to as a graphic novel and a graphic novel only. Examples of this are Blankets by Craig Thompson or My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf.

Other formats are digests (good old Archie), indie or independent comics that are not tied to a major publisher (Saga series by Brian Vaughan and Calgary’s own Fiona Staples), mainstream (any superheroes) and manga (Japanese for “comic book” such as Naruto or Sailor Moon). These are just the most common and there are many more.

SPL’s favourite online comic book websites: Comic Book Resources (www.comicbookresources.com) and Comic Vine (www.comicvine.com) cover the whole realm of anything related to comics from the actual printed page to the movies based on comic book characters. Most of the reviews are for the pamphlet comics, graphic novels and trade paperback collections.

The Large Hearted Boy blog (blog.largeheartedboy.com) is a great reference for the best of lists from newspapers, magazines and websites. It is an amazing aggregation of music, books, comics and anything pop culture.

Zombie Ink (www.zombieink.ca) is an online comic book store. Justin and Jason will provide the newest comics delivered to your door and they are more than happy to assist you with any questions that you might have.

There are so many wonderful comics out there that it is hard to keep track and their popularity is increasing all the time. I am going to give you a few tips on where to find information about great comics and how you can publicize the collection to your patrons.

One of your most important sources for ideas to build your comic collection is your patrons. Many patrons are passionate about their comic choices and they can tell you about the artwork and the writing style. Pay attention to the titles that your patrons sign out and ask them outright what comics they like and if they have any recommendations for the collection. You want to keep the patrons coming back and having their recommendations in the collection will also give them a sense of ownership and pride in the library. Also ask people of all ages because you would be amazed at the types of comics that each age group enjoys.

The internet is a wonderful resource for discovering the best in comics. Go to the place where the experts live: the comic book store. The people that work in or own comic stores are experts in the world of comics and are very passionate about the craft of comics.

My personal favourite comic book store is Happy Harbor Comics in Edmonton (www.happyharborcomics.com). Jay Bardyla and his staff are more than willing to help tailor a collection to your specific needs and wants. They are happy to answer any questions that you may have about comics and you will find Jay at the Expanding Your Horizons PRL Conference on Monday, September 22. Take advantage of the opportunity to pick his brain. Believe me, it is full of tonnes of comic book information.

Don’t be afraid to put your comic collection on display and have a mixture of titles that will interest all age groups.

You can put up displays when the next Marvel movie comes out (take advantage of this publicity when it is on everybody’s mind) or during special days of the year devoted to comics. For example, Free Comic Book Day is the first Saturday of every May and it is a great way to publicize your collection. Have a comic book exchange as well as the free comics available and you will draw a wonderful crowd into your library. If you have any questions, you can contact me at astassistant@prl.ab.ca.

By: Crystal Friars, Stettler Public Library