Friends of TCCL Spring 2017 Newsletter

@ your library

A NEWSLETTER OF

Friends of the Tulsa City•County Libraries

Spring 2017

Volume XXIV Number Two

TCCL welcomes a new CEO

by Carol Hoffman

H

ere is the main thing you need to know about TCCL’s new Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Johnson: Tulsa is for tunate to have this innovative, poised, confident, energetic and dedicated individual heading our library system. And here are a couple of other things Tulsans probably could guess too: 1. She grew up in the Bronx, a borough of New York City.

2. She graduated from the University of Tulsa with a bachelor of arts degree.

3. She earned a master of library and information studies degree from the University of Oklahoma.

4. Her office is in the beautiful, newly renovated Central Library.

5. She’s ready, after 20 years of working within our library system, to lead the library’s dedicated staff.

Things You May Not Know About Kim Johnson Her mother sold Childcraft books, endearing Kim to reading at an early age.

2. She was greatly influenced by her elementary school librarian, Mrs. Sperling, and spent every recess as a library assistant.

3. She lived on the 15th floor of a 21-story building, where she loved to teach neighborhood children to read.

4. She loves Tulsa, but visits family in New York City when possible.

5. Her original career choice was teaching English literature.

6. She received a scholarship from Friends of the Tulsa CityCounty Libraries when working on her master’s degree.

7. She loves to cook, and has an award-winning chili recipe to her credit.

8. She is proud to be a new grandmother of a baby boy.

9. She was the first coordinator of TCCL’s African-American Resource Center.

10. She spearheaded the online access to books, magazines, movies and music for each library card carrier.

INSIDE:

1.

Newly named CEO Kim Johnson brings her 20 years of experience with Tulsa City-County Library to the position.

Kim most recently served as the library’s Chief Operating Officer. Among other things, Kim has been an unwavering advocate for making it as easy as possible for customers to use the library web site. Many discussions, study sessions, and seminars with staff and national library groups have made our current technology as complete and user-friendly as possible. Access to ebooks, use of the Mobius interlibrary service, and homework help have been added to the web site’s offerings as well, under her guidance.

Starting now, all branch libraries are on schedule for renovations. When completed, each library will be able to use the new “customer-centered” Zone Service Model, with librarians out on the floor teaching patrons how to check out and return books, find books and tools, use the computers and devices, and answering questions.

Kim feels that customers are familiar with a self-checkout system at grocery stores and banks and this model will be best in the library also. Customers will have convenience and privacy in their searches.

cont’d on pg. 3...

President’s letter: Ice, bears and helicopters

Scholarships awarded to library staff

page 2

page 3

Remembering Allie Beth Martin page 5

New bookmobile begins service page 7

president’s|podium Ice, bears, and helicopters

P

acific Power and Light of Canada (PP&L) provides power to the northwest Cascade Mountains. Every year severe ice storms bring down transmission lines in the area. The company used to send linemen up the icy pylons to physically shake ice and snow off the lines. It was a costly and dangerous fix.

One day, PP&L employees were brainstorming other ways to clear the lines. Frustrated and getting nowhere, they took a break. Bill, a linesman, tried to lighten the mood. "Last week I was chased by a bear. It even climbed a pylon after me,” he joked.

Another voice teased, "Why don't we get the bears to climb for us?"

“Yeah, we could put honey pots on top of the pylons!" said a third.

"We'd need helicopters to place the pots and they'd frighten the bears,” another voice chimed in. “I remember their powerful vibrations from when I was in Vietnam during the war."

There was sudden silence as everyone realized they'd struck gold.

Today it is standard practice at PP&L to use hovering helicopters to remove ice from frozen cable lines through the force of their swirling blades.

Recently FOL board members came together for our own ice/bear/ helicopter brainstorming session. Our focus was finding new and/or improved ways to be of even greater service to Tulsa’s metropolitan library system. We were looking for a few brilliant ideas and ended up with several pages of them!

Launching new programs and projects requires enthusiastic volunteers. So here’s another invitation to you, FOL members, to serve on one of several new committees that will be forming later this spring. Among other things, we will be planning a city-wide event to celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week in October 2017.

We also want to expand FOL’s existing First Book program.

Currently we buy and distribute books to first graders at Kendall Whittier Elementary School. For some children it’s the first time they’ve owned a book of their own.

Become a Tour Guide!

Interested in becoming a Tour Guide at the renovated Central Library, or finding out more about other volunteer opportunities with the Friends?

It’s simple—just contact Tara at 918.549.7419 or email her at tara.farrar@tulsalibrary.org.

2

@ your library | Spring 2017

And sadly, for others, it’s the first time a book has taken up permanent residence in their households. We’d like to plan some hands-on reading activities with these students throughout the year.

And then there are the Friends-led tours of Central Library. We assumed that after Central’s Grand Opening, tour requests would dwindle. Instead, we are seeing a steady stream of requests. It’s a rare week when we don’t give at least two or three tours, and sometimes we do back-to-back tours throughout the day.

Tour guide training is easy! And the time commitment is light and flexible, as it is for most FOL activities!

Consider spending an hour or two a month with your library Friends. We promise to keep you engaged, entertained and enthusiastic about your gift of time.

See you in the stacks.

Debora Riggs Grillot 2016-2017 President, Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries

noteworthy|news Scholarships awarded to library staff

T

he Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries provide continuing education funds to library staff members seeking to enhance their work skills and further their careers in the library system. For over four decades staff members have taken advantage of the program and gone on to highly successful library careers. Everyone serving on the Scholarship Committee agrees that we have the best possible assignment. After all, who doesn't enjoy giving people money, especially to our wonderful staff?

The Allie Beth Martin Scholarship is an annual monetary award funded through the Tulsa Library Trust and named for the legendary former TCCL library director. The award is open to residents of Oklahoma who are pursuing advanced degrees in library science.

The recipient of this year’s award is April HardinAkbas. April is currently enrolled Allie Beth Martin’s legacy lives on in her in her fourth senamesake scholarship. This year’s recipient, mester at the UniApril Hardin-Akbas, looks toward a career versity of Oklahoas a children’s librarian. ma in the masters of library and information studies program. She grew up in Ponca City, Oklahoma and received a bachelor's degree in history from Oklahoma Baptist University. Upon graduation, she traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, where she worked for several years as an English teacher in a private school. She later returned to the United States with a desire to continue sharing her love of reading with children and promote literacy in the community. April worked as a shelver at the Peggy Helmerich branch library and is currently a customer service assistant at Central Library. She anticipates completing her coursework in the fall of 2017.

by Wayne Hardy

upcoming semester. After successfully completing their classes, recipients are reimbursed.

Scholarships for the fall 2016 semester have been awarded to Sarah Davis, a bilingual children's library associate at Martin Regional Library, Rita Fofah, a youth associate at Jenks Library, Steven Hulford, a teen associate at the Owasso Library, Kat LeFevre, a library associate in the Outreach department, and Raquel Garcia, a customer service assistant at Central Library.

Congratulations to each of the recipients. And a heartfelt thanks to all of the library staff for the amazing variety of work they perform each and every day. _______________________________________________

...cont’d from pg. 1 Kim also is focused on serving the homeless and underserved population of our community. With a fulltime social worker on staff, assistance is provided to those who need to find community agencies, jobs, clinics, and housing. Help with writing a resume, researching topics of interest and using a computer is available too.

At a recent retreat, Kim led 183 staff to build a list of 150 projects to be accomplished in 2017. Quite an undertaking! Using a participatory management style, they will work with consultants, commissioners and the public to achieve these goals.

Kim challenges Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries to do our part by bringing patrons into libraries with our existing programs and activities, by supporting staff with scholarships and by supporting future bond issues for upgrades and expansion.

If given one wish? Kim would wish for everyone in our community to benefit from the library’s valuable services. She’s excited about identifying and meeting the needs of Tulsans well into the next century!

Additional scholarships for TCCL staff members are jointly funded by the Friends and TCCL. The Scholarship Committee meets to approve applications prior to the

Spring 2017 | @ your library

3

Kendall Whittier Library: The hub of a community

by Wayne Hardy

L

ibrary service in Tulsa's Kendall Whittier area began in 1931, when opening ceremonies were held for the East Second Library, located in a residential area near 4th and Lewis Avenue. It was the largest of four branch libraries built in Tulsa at the time. The colonial red brick building with large windows and vaulted ceiling was an integral part of the neighborhood.

Fast forward to March 10, 2000 when hundreds of library supporters anxiously waited outside for the new Kendall Whittier Library to open. Located on Lewis Avenue near Admiral Boulevard, the building design paid homage to the earlier East Second branch.

Today, the Kendall Whittier Library is an integral part of a revitalized area. To the east, new single-family housing and apartments dot the landscape. Just across the street from the library is the historic Circle Cinema, which opened in 1926. Along with well-established businesses, there are restaurants, a guitar repair shop, a girl's art school and a bakery just around the corner. Towering over it all is the shimmering dome of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, an active congregation for nearly 70 years at First Street and Atlanta Avenue. The University of Tulsa and the amazing Kendall Whittier Elementary School are nearby too.

Ed Sharrer, executive dir ector of Kendall Whittier Main Street says, “The library is a hub for the neighborhood. We’re fortunate that our library is in the heart of our neighborhood commercial district and so easily walkable for so many in the community. The library adds to the quality of life every day.”

Outreach is a vital part of the Kendall Whittier Library mission. Library Associate Kirsten Ethridge presents creative and fun story times with finger plays and songs at

Programming, like engaging story times and creative activities, plays an important part of the library’s role in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood.

various preschools in the area. The staff hosts multicultural family programs every year such as the Lights On Whittier Square during the holidays, Kite Day in the spring, when whole families make and fly their own kites, and special events during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The library has bilingual staff, materials in Spanish and books in English with Spanish translation.

The library presents a film series of four free movies at Circle Cinema for children during TCCL’s Summer Reading Program. A coupon for a concession item and free books are given out. Read the Film is a presentation for sixth graders also held at the Circle. Library staff help to select a book with a related curriculum and purchases approximately 150 copies of the book for students to read and keep. The program is funded by the Library Trust.

For more information about the Kendall Whittier Library, visit www.tulsalibrary.org and click on Locations.

Creative Writing Contest Quick, check your calendar! If it is still March you are not too late to submit a poem, short story, essay, children's story or graphic story to the 40th Annual Adult Creative Writing Contest. You could even win prize money for your efforts. Visit the section for Friends of the Library or search Adult Creative Writing Contest on TCCL’s web site to find an application form. You can even read some of last year's winning entries online.

You are also cordially invited to the Annual Awards Ceremony and Reception on Saturday, May 13, 2017, at 2:30 pm.

Join us in Aaronson Auditorium, lower level of Central Library. Winning recipients in each category will be named for the first time and honored with certificates and monetary awards. They will also read a short selection from their entries.

Special guest speaker for the ceremony is Sasha Martin, a globetrotting cook, blogger and author of the memoir, Life From Scratch. She will share her insights into writing and getting a book published.

4

@ your library | Spring 2017

Remembering library director Allie Beth Martin

by Melanie Nelson

M

rs. Allie Beth Martin was the first director of Tulsa’s innovative city-county library system. She came here in 1949, after finishing her masters of library science (MLS) at Columbia University. She had been born and educated in Arkansas and began her library career as an assistant to the executive secretary of the Arkansas Library Commission.

This writer feels a kinship in that path, as my career started as an employee during my college years in the Arkansas library system. That summer job inspired me to an MLS at the University of Oklahoma and return to work as a library consultant for the Arkansas Library Commission before my adventures at the TU School of Law. When Mrs. Martin began work in Tulsa’s library, it had been built with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie and some local donations. As Tulsa grew, the idea of a new library system of branches, supported by both city and county funds, was initiated. Allie Beth Martin became the library’s first director in 1963. She remained its innovative leader until her death in 1976. Even The New Y ork Times noted her passing.

During her lifetime Mrs. Martin received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from the University of Tulsa, was honored by the Tulsa Historical Society, was selected as one of “100 most influential people in the field of library science” by the Oklahoma Centennial Committee and served as president of the American Library Association.

She became known nationally for having conducted two separate studies that were published in library journals. One was called “A Strategy for Public Library Change” and the other was about the importance of inservice training for librarians.

An annual Allie Beth Martin Award is presented by the Public Library Association to a public librarian who demonstrates extraordinary knowledge of library materials and an ability to share that knowledge. The Tulsa Library Trust administers an Allie Beth Martin Scholarship to provide funds for Oklahoma residents who wish to pursue a graduate degree in library science and Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries Scholarship Committee helps select the winner. Martin East Regional Library is named for Mrs. Martin.

Mrs. Martin was remembered by former TCCL Director Pat Woodrum thusly: “From her early childhood days, Allie Beth wanted to be a librarian. When playing with friends, she always played the role of the town librarian, pretending to check out books to her playmates.

I first met Mrs. Martin when I joined TCCL in 1964 and had the opportunity to work with her for thirteen years before her untimely death. She was my mentor, role model and friend.

TCCL was still foremost in her mind during her final days. In her handbag, I found a small piece of paper on which she had written, “Libraries have miles to go and many promises to keep.”

Although short in height, she was bigger than life! Her energy level was unbelievable and she was always in a hurry, as if she were on a mission and only had a short time to complete it.

She had a strong work ethic.”

Mrs. Martin believed that the public library should be the people’s university and easily accessible to every age group and segment of the community.

She wrote for professional publications and taught at the OU School of Library and Information Sciences.

Staff members were encouraged to complete degrees.

Allie Beth Martin left an enduring legacy for librarianship across the country.

Mrs. Martin still found time to enjoy life. Her laughter was loud and spontaneous; her enthusiasm contagious. She was very much involved in the Tulsa community, was an avid reader, a gourmet cook and an excellent seamstress who even made her daughter’s wedding dress.

Jan Keene, for mer TCCL assistant director, remembers “her infectious laugh which could be heard all over the building. She read everything in sight—couldn't help herself. Listened to everyone and appreciated all new ideas. Generous in every way. Never gave up!” The present Tulsa CityCounty Library System owes its initial development to Allie Beth Martin and all of her staff. Their efforts created a library system that is one of the very best in the nation.

Spring 2017 | @ your library

5

Reading can be a group thing

O

ne of the joys of reading is discussing a book with other enthusiastic readers. Often called book clubs or reading groups, they are happening all over town, in all kinds of places, at all hours, as well as on computer web sites, blogs and chat rooms.

Structure varies. Some groups read and discuss the same book. The leader picks it and asks questions to start the discussion. In other groups, each member suggests several titles and they vote, picking 12 books for the year. Either way, the reward is to read a book that someone else picks, thus expanding beyond one’s normal reading patterns and being introduced to new authors.

Some clubs do not read the same book, but any book on the same topic. Some groups read only books by one certain author. And others focus on genres, like mysteries.

The options are many.

Here are the 13 book clubs that currently meet at our libraries, usually monthly. Use this list to pick one by location, day and time that is good for you. To visit any of these book clubs, call the library where it originates for

more details. The groups are very welcoming. They usually last less than two hours, but come for any part you can. You can come even if you did not finish the book!

Monday: Brookside—2nd Monday at 1:30 pm.

Rudisill—3rd Monday at 6 pm. The Rudisill group currently meets in a restaurant, and the book is always by an African American author.

Tuesday: Broken Arrow—1st Tuesday at 6 pm.

Collinsville—2nd Tuesday at noon.

Hale—4th Tuesday at 11 am.

Kaiser—4th Tuesday at 2 pm. Meets every other month.

Wednesday: Bixby—4th Wednesday at 2 pm.

Helmerich—3rd Wednesday at 12:15 pm.

Owasso – 2nd Wednesday at 11:30 am.

Thursday: Jenks—3rd Thursday at 1:30 pm.

Kendall Whittier—3rd Thursday at 1 pm.

Schusterman-Benson—1st Thursday at 2 pm.

Saturday: Suburban Acres—every 3 months at noon. The next meeting is in April.

Books Sandwiched In begins March 6 MARCH 6: The Hamilton Affair Elizabeth Cobbs Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution, The Hamilton Affair tells the true story of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, from passionate and tender beginnings to his fateful duel on the banks of the Hudson River.

Reviewer: Sloan Davis

MARCH 13: Patriotic Betrayal: The Inside Story of the CIA’s Secret Campaign to Enroll American Students in the Crusade Against Communism Karen M. Paget Patriotic Betrayal tells the true tale of the CIA’s covert project to use students as intelligence assets during the Cold War. Reviewer: Eldon Eisenach

MARCH 20: The Architect’s Apprentice Elif Shafak In The Architect’s Apprentice, Turkey’s preeminent female writer spins an epic tale of adventure, intrigue, love and loyalty spanning nearly a century in the life of the Ottoman Empire.

Reviewer: Dr. Kalpana Misra

6

@ your library | Spring 2017

by Sherry Leslie and Glad Platner

March means warmer weather, pleasant pastimes, the end of flu season and the beginning of our spring book review series entitled Books Sandwiched In. Beginning March 6, on Mondays from 12:10 – 12:50 pm, come to Central Library’s Aaronson Auditorium on the lower level. Here is the amazing lineup:

MARCH 27: How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking Jordan Ellenberg In How Not to Be W rong, Jordan Ellenberg shows us that math isn’t confined to abstract incidents that never occur in real life, but rather touches everything we do.

Reviewer: Vane Lucas

APRIL 3: Kind of Kin Rilla Askew When a church-going Oklahoma man is caught hiding a barn-full of illegal immigrants, he’s sent to prison. This shocking development sends ripples through the town—dividing neighbors, causing riffs amongst his family, and spurring controversy.

Reviewer: Rev. Mary Anne Harris

APRIL 10: Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik Notorious RBG uses a hybrid of narrative, photos, documents and illustrations to tell a never-before-told story of an unusual and transformative woman who transcends generational divides.

Reviewer: Catherine Gatchell

service|spotlight Tulsa has a new bookmobile!

T

he bookmobile is a unique service that allows Tulsa CityCounty Library to serve individuals, of all ages, who do not have regular access to a library branch—whether due to issues with transportation, mobility or economic status.

The bookmobile brings the library to the people—issuing library cards, checking materials in and out, and taking customer requests for items.

Materials onboard teach about library services. And bookmobile staff members can even help customers with their mobile devices or students with their homework!

In addition, the bookmobile represents the library at countless community events, including the Boo Ha Ha Parade, Tulsa Christmas Parade, Touch-A-Truck events and community block parties.

In October 2016, TCCL welcomed this new bookmobile, shown below,

thanks to the generosity of Ruth K. Nelson. Overseen by the Outreach Services department, the new 28-foot vehicle features: 

 

  

  

Self-check-out machine for customer usage—first bookmobile in the country with such a machine!

3,000 books 2 adjustable-height staff workstations with Internet accessible laptops Lift for wheelchair access Awnings on both sides to provide shade when necessary Modular shelving to ensure collection is accessible to patrons’ needs Removable carts intended for use outside the vehicle Hotspot checkouts for customers Solar panels, skylights and Wi-Fi access.

by Tracy Warren predecessor, it has increased the reach of the Outreach Services department further into the community.

It’s now traveling more than 750 miles each month (an additional 250 miles), and meets an average of 1,000 customers at 47 sites (an addition of 23 sites for adults). There are stops at nursing homes, retirement villages and assisted living centers, as well as 24 low-income housing communities.

Two staff members are always in the vehicle to greet clients.

Stop in and take a look!

Visit www.tulsalibrary.org/services/ bookmobile or call 918.549.7480 for more information.

Where does the new bookmobile go?

Since replacing its well-loved

Books for the homebound In addition to the bookmobile bringing books out to the public, Outreach Services also arranges for books to be delivered to the homebound using postal services. Presently around 70 customers are receiving about 450 books or books on tape each month.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go. Tulsa’s newest bookmobile is a state-of-the-art addition to the library’s Outreach Services department. It replaces a 20-year-old vehicle and expands the capability of the library to reach underserved populations around the county.

Learn more at tulsalibrary.org/ services/homebound or call 918.549.7480.

Spring 2017 | @ your library

7

Friends of the Tulsa City•County Libraries 400 Civic Center Tulsa, OK 74103 918.549.7419 tulsalibrary.org/friends

Editor: Sherry Leslie Contributors: Debora Riggs Grillot, Wayne Hardy, Carol Hoffman, Glad Platner, Melanie Nelson, Tracy Warren Layout: Tara Farrar Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries (FOL) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to aid and promote the activities and goals of the Tulsa City-County Library. Its newsletter, @ your library, is published for members three times a year.

Officers

Board Laura Bottoms Norman Bryant Tom Campbell Sara Carlson Eldon Eisenach Catherine Gatchell Shirley Gidley Donna Goodman Gretchen Hannefield Wayne Hardy Cathey Harned Carol Hoffman Hussien Khattab Sherry Leslie Katy Livingston Dorothy Minor Melanie Nelson Michael Nesser Elaine Olzawski Richard Parker Glad Platner Jan Reese Virginia Richard Marian Sexton Della Sheldon Nancy Sies Farryl Stokes Stan Teter Su Waner

Like us on

Annual meeting to be held May 4

T

he Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries holds its annual meeting each May. All current Friends members are invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held on May 4 this year at Central Library Aaronson Auditorium at 12:00 pm.

Join or Renew Your Membership!

Our membership year runs from July to June. That means, if you’ve joined at any time since July 1, 2016, your membership will be up for renewal after June 30, 2017. That also means that you can still join or renew for the 2016-2017 year to keep receiving news from the Friends! Just visit www.tulsalibrary.org/friends to download a membership form or find a form at any library branch or Friends program. Thank you for joining or renewing your Friends membership!

We’re On Facebook!

Follow along with us on Facebook and you’ll get up-to-the-minute updates on all of our upcoming programs and other happenings from the Friends. You can find us at www.facebook.com/FOLTulsa.

Congrats!

David and Marjorie Kroll were the winners of our recent drawing for renewing their Friends membership by December 31! They received their choice of any three of this year’s outstanding Books Sandwiched In selections, and chose, The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs, The Road to Little Dribbling

by Bill Bryson and Kind of Kin by Rilla Askew. Happy reading, David and Marjorie!

CALENDAR

Debora Riggs Grillot, President Diane Pennington, 1st Vice President Lollie Burr, 2nd Vice President Todd Dallenbach, Treasurer Linda Jenkins, Assistant Treasurer Mary Olzawski, Recording Secretary Lynn Peacher, Corresponding Secretary Glenna Anderson, Past President

membership|matters

Books Sandwiched In begins March 6 (Mondays thru April 10) 12:10 pm Central Library Adult Creative Writing Contest Entry Deadline: March 31 Annual Library Volunteer Recognition Event April 23 2 pm Central Library

facebook.com/FOLTulsa

Friends of TCCL Annual Meeting May 4 12 noon Central Library Adult Creative Writing Contest Awards Reception May 13 2:30 pm Central Library HOLIDAY LIBRARY CLOSINGS: April 16, May 29 See tulsalibrary.org for detailed hours