Millage Matters at the Aurelius Library

This summer, the Capital Area District Library is collecting stories about your experiences with us. Today I want to share one from Paige, a recent high school graduate and long-time Aurelius Library user.

Although many people think of our library as simply a place to check out books, Paige knows it can be so much more. “I’ve lived down the road from Aurelius Library since 1999 and have been coming to the library ever since,” she says. “I know everyone who works there really well and they are extremely nice.  Normally I am there for at least an hour a day, sometimes longer.  My mom jokes that it’s my second home because I’m always there.”

Paige plans to attend school to become a librarian herself one day: “I love the library because it is peaceful and I’m surrounded by books, which I love!  There are so many different opportunities there.”

The staff at Aurelius is pleased to be able to offer a place where people like Paige can come to relax, attend programs, check out materials and so much more.  This summer, we have special performances scheduled at 10:30 on Tuesday mornings, a card-making class on Monday, June 21 at 6:00, and a computer class on Wednesday, June 23 at 2:00. It’s is all free and waiting for you at the library!

Get all the details at cadl.org/events.

An important vote is coming up this summer which affects the library. Many of you are aware that almost 90% of the funding for the CADL system comes from property taxes, collected as a millage. Our current millage has expired, and in order for the library to remain open, it must be renewed by the voters in our service area.

Renewing the millage would not increase taxes. Voters would simply be agreeing to continue funding CADL at the current rate for the next four years. With these funds, the 13 CADL locations and bookmobile will continue to provide excellent services, collections and programs. Without them, our doors will close on Jan. 3, 2011. The vote will take place this Aug. 3. For more information, please visit cadl.org/millage, or pick up a brochure at the library.

- Jennifer D., Aurelius Head Librarian

Millage Matters at the Holt-Delhi Library

Let the Library be your partner in savings…

It’s no surprise that as a librarian I love books. For me this love started in childhood. Then every time I moved my books moved with me – boxes and boxes of them. In the past few years I began to pare down my collection so that it contains only books I want to read again, those that contain information I need on a regular basis, and those with sentimental value.

Now I’m making fewer but more selective book purchases, and that’s where the library comes in. I’ve found that it makes wise financial sense to explore the option of borrowing before I buy. When I see a title I’m interested in, I look to see if CADL owns it or if it can be ordered through the MeLCAT system.  After viewing or sometimes reading it, I determine whether to add it to my personal collection. Those books that are disappointing can be returned to the library, and the money I would have spent stays in my pocket.

Other books to consider checking out from the library are those that you will use only a few times or for a short period of time, such as books on health, travel, home remodeling, resume writing, test taking (ACT, GED, GRE), college selection,  financial aid and tax preparation.  And since this kind of information can go out of date quickly, it makes sense to borrow the current materials found at the library.

Another way the library can help you save is by providing a variety of free reading material for children. It’s a great way to expose them to new vocabulary words and ideas—you can bring stacks of books home to read together without breaking the bank.

Of course, our collection isn’t limited to books. The library subscribes to over 80 magazines that are available for checkout. While our DVD collection boasts movies for all ages it also contains informational selections such as workout, yoga and pilates DVDs and instructional programs on sign language, cooking, gardening and computers. Borrowing  items like these instead of purchasing them can save hundreds of dollars over time. For proof, check out the value calculator at cadl.org/calculator and enter your own numbers—you might be amazed at how much you’re saving by using the library as a partner.

On the subject of value, I wanted to let you know about an important vote coming up this summer that affects the library. Many of you are aware that almost 90% of the funding for the CADL system comes from property taxes, collected as a millage. Our current millage has expired, and in order for the library to remain open, it must be renewed by the voters in our service area.

Renewing the millage would not increase taxes. Voters would simply be agreeing to continue funding CADL at the current rate for the next four years. With these funds, the 13 CADL locations and bookmobile will continue to provide excellent services, collections and programs. Without them, our doors will close on Jan. 3, 2011. The vote will take place this Aug. 3. For more information, please visit cadl.org/millage, or pick up a brochure at the library.

- Cheryl L., Holt-Delhi Head Librarian

Millage Matters at the Webberville Library

Summertime is library time! I have felt that way ever since I was a farm kid growing up in New Lothrop, Michigan. Though I may have been busy raising 4-H projects and helping out at home, not a week went by that I didn’t make the time to attend a program or browse the shelves at my tiny local library for a new adventure.

Now that I’m a librarian, it’s great to be on the other side of the desk. I love seeing kids arrive on their bikes and families walk in to discover their own adventures on our shelves here in Webberville.

Summertime often brings new faces into the library. Kids who are too busy during the school year suddenly have a little time to spare. But with hundreds of books on our shelves, and thousands more available through our online catalog, it can be difficult to know where to start. After a long absence from the library, one teenage girl recently said to her mom, “I don’t know how to pick out a book.”

That’s where librarians can help! I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to teach young people to navigate the library, as well as what a fun challenge it is to introduce them to new authors and stories. It can be a magical “a-ha” moment when you get kids and books to click, particularly kids who say they don’t like reading or reluctant readers who struggle with it. Finding them the “right” book is the trick, and we are up to the challenge.

Come in and let us help you find your “a-ha” book! And while you’re here, be sure to pick up information about an important vote coming up this summer that affects the library. Many of you are aware that almost 90% of the funding for the CADL system comes from property taxes, collected as a millage. Our current millage has expired, and in order for the library to remain open, it must be renewed by the voters in our service area.

Renewing the millage would not increase taxes. Voters would simply be agreeing to continue funding CADL at the current rate for the next four years. With these funds, the 13 CADL locations and bookmobile will continue to provide excellent services, collections and programs. Without them, our doors will close on Jan. 3, 2011. The vote will take place this Aug. 3. For more information, please visit cadl.org/millage, or pick up a brochure at the library.

- Julie C., Webberville Head Librarian

Would You Miss Your Public Library if it Vanished?

The Capital Area District Library operates 13 branches across Ingham County, a bookmobile, and a wide range of online services. If the Capital Area District Library closed permanently, would you miss us?

Many people still like the touch of a real book in their hands.  CADL also provides social interaction that people still enjoy such as book discussions, storytimes and many other programs. We help promote literacy for children and adults with materials and services.

The library is still relevant in this high tech age. We help people who cannot afford technology with Internet computer stations, computer classes and wireless Internet service. If you can afford technology at home you can take advantage of our electronic research tools and eMedia Downloads.

In the reference department, we provide access to magazines, journals and reference books - both in print and electronic format. If you’re looking for help finding an answer, you can stop by the “Ask Us” desk, give us a call at 517-367-6346 or email us a question.

You can come to us or we can come to you with Outreach Services, electronic Research Tools, online renewal and placing of holds, eMedia Downloads and Ask a Librarian. We have many more services, but you get the idea!

What do you think? Almost 90% of CADL’s funding comes from citizens’ tax dollars through a millage. Our current millage expired on December 31, 2009 so CADL will be asking taxpayers in our service area to renew our current millage of 1.56 mills for four more years. CADL is requesting is a renewal only, not an increase.

This renewal is essential for CADL to remain open and to continue to provide outstanding service and value to the community. The vote will be on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

Click here for more information on the library millage.

-Anne R., Reference Librarian @ CADL

Don’t Forget to Vote Aug. 3!

The time has come, readers. One week from today residents of Ingham County will hit the polls to vote on primary gubernatorial candidates and a variety of millages. The Capital Area District Library is requesting a straight renewal of our existing 1.56 mills (visit www.cadl.org/millage to learn what this means in dollars). Should this renewal not pass, all 13 CADL branches, our bookmobile and online presences (website, social media, this blog, etc.) will cease to exist.

Please remember to vote next Tuesday, August 3!

-Heidi G., CADL Online Content/PR Coordinator

Reader Roundup

Lynn H. recommends:

Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems

Check out Cat the Cat, Who is That? in our catalog.

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

Check out As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth in our catalog.

Liz V. recommends:

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher

Check out Ten Cents a Dance in our catalog.

Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Check out Unwritten Rule in our catalog.

Sara D. recommends:

Faithful Place by Tana French

Check out Faithful Place in our catalog.

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

Check out Beat the Reaper in our catalog.

Check out even more reviews at Books, Movies + More or our YouTube channel.

Hooked on Geneaology: Jeff A’s Story

I’ll Tell You Mine, Now You Tell Me Yours

When I received an e-mail informing me my last name descended from ancient Huron word that translated to “runner of the woods,” I was hooked.   Hooked on genealogy, that is.  It was quite a few years later that my passion for libraries developed.  After that e-mail, I scoured the online world for as many internet based resources that I could find.  At that time, primary sources were scarce on the net.  It was not very long before I stumbled into the Library of Michigan not knowing where to begin.

Before my addiction developed, I would occasionally make a weekend trip to the DeWitt Public Library.  Unlike Heidi (see below) , I did not cherish my first library card and keep it forever.

I lost quite a few library cards, actually.   I checked a few books out.  And unlike Mark, I was lucky if I made it to the library ten times between the ages of 0-12:

When I received that e-mail, my love for discovering dead people was cemented.  Shortly, I was making day trips to the Library of Michigan at least twice of month, determined to find more pieces of my family’s story.  My joy of finding the names and dates of my ancestors evolved into piecing together their stories.  I learned that novels aren’t the only materials that contain stories in libraries.  There are stories in biographies, vital records, census records, newspapers, local histories, and census records on a wide variety of formats.    After making that first trip into the Library of Michigan, I discovered that libraries were one of the few institutions that you could walk into and find information about any topic in the world, even the topics closest to your family.

Ten years later and many of my ancestors’ stories fleshed out, I was fortunate to earn my first job at Michigan State University’s Main Library.  Working at a library seemed like a natural fit.  “If I was in libraries so much, I might as well work in one,” I thought.  While working at MSU Libraries I discovered that I wanted to give back to the citizens that help finance these wonderful institutions.   I wanted to help people find their carry out their own passions at the library.

My name is Jeff.  I’m a public services librarian at the South Lansing Branch.  These are my passions and this is my story. What are yours? Tell us Your Story by visiting CADL’s Share Your Story page. If you’re like me and want to discover other people’s stories, you can check that out at the Tell Us Your Story or CADL Stories A-Z pages as well.

Read the Book, See the Movie

It can be fun to compare a book with its movie adaptation. In my case “Masterpiece Theatre” led me to a lot of classic reading when I was young. I think I was an English major thanks to Alistair Cooke! Although the book is usually better, its film adaptation may be surprisingly good as well. The library has a lot of great books made into movies. Are there books that can’t be filmed? Even in these days of CGI etc. I think so. What do you Tolkien fans think of the Peter Jackson films? See below for a title I think has NEVER worked.

• The Shawshank Redemption is based on a short story by Stephen King. If you haven’t read King’s short stories or non-fiction you are in for a treat.
• Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman book and movie. It’s so realistic you can’t believe it’s fiction.
• Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella became Field of Dreams. Wonderful Summer reading and viewing!
• To Kill a Mockingbird: both the book and the movie are classics. The film’s creators worked with Harper Lee and it shows. The book just turned 50!
• “The Natural” by Bernard Malamud is a much darker book than the movie version. I like them both as totally separate works.
• Lord of the Rings books and movies. Classic not only as fantasy but in any category.
• Color Purple book and movie Both are very powerful.
• Six Wives of Henry VIII (IMHO please skip “The Tudors” which rewrites history and see this instead.) Lots of good biographies on Henry including Henry VIII: The King and His Court
• In Cold Blood: Wow, both the book and movie are chilling to this day.

Is there a book “unfilmable”?  In my mind Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Wild magic language that exists best on the page. The classic version shows only part of the story and Olivier was not right for Heathcliff.

-Anne R., Reference Librarian @ CADL

July Film Movement Series @ CADL Okemos

This month: Welcome

Thursday, July 22 @ 6:30 pm

By partnering with libraries nation-wide, the distributer Film Movement allows independent film fans everywhere to have better access to award-winning foreign and independent films.  Libraries that subscribe to Film Movement receive an award-winning title each month on DVD as well as a Short Film.  The Okemos Library has been a participant over the past four years.  Each month the library shows an award-winning independent or foreign film released through Film Movement.

On Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 6:30 pm, the library will show Welcome.  This movie was filmed in France and was released in 2009.  It received the Audience Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival.

Synopsis

Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the last three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend, who recently immigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped by authorities in Calais, on the French side of the Channel. Left with no other alternatives, he decides to swim across. Bilal goes to the local swimming pool to train, where he meets Simon, a middle-aged swimming instructor in turmoil over his imminent divorce. Simon agrees to help Bilal, hoping to win back the affection of his wife, who does volunteer work helping immigrants. But what begins as a relationship based on self interest, develops into something much bigger than Simon could ever have imagined, as he too will ultimately risk everything to reach happiness.

-Eric S., Public Services Librarian @ CADL Okemos

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

The new Disney movie, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, is bound to be one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters.  What you may not know is that the movie is based on a poem from the late sixteenth century, by Goethe.  When a sorcerer leaves his workshop, his young apprentice finds himself in a whole heap of trouble when his spells go awry.  You may also recognize the plot from Disney’s 1940 masterpiece Fantasia.  So before you head to the theater, visit the library to read it, in volume 5 of Goethe’s complete works, before you see it.

-Liz V., Youth Services Librarian at CADL Holt-Delhi