Final READS report for FY 2007-08

We have just uploaded the Final R.E.A.D.S. report for the region for FY 2007-2008 to the FLRL wiki. To see the report, go to: http://flrlwiki.pbwiki.com/Regional-Reports
This free service is really booming, and downloads are increasing dramatically across the state.

R.E.A.D.S. is the Regional E-Book and Audiobook Download Service, a free service to registered library users of the member libraries of the Fort Loudoun Regional Library (and of the other eleven regional libraries). If you want to know more about R.E.A.D.S., go to the website at: http://reads.lib.overdrive.com

Two new PLMI Graduates in the region!

Please join us in congratulating the two newest graduates of the Tennessee Public Library Management Institute (PLMI) – Aliceann McCabe and Steve Jacks. Aliceann and Steve graduated on Friday, May 23, 2008, during graduation ceremonies at the Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. Aliceann is the Director of the Audrey Pack Memorial Library in Spring City (Rhea County), and Steve is the Director of the Kingston Public Library (Roane County). They are now both Tennessee Certified Public Library Managers!

Noticed a difference in the IRIS catalog?

See the IRIS catalog at: http://www.fortloudoun.org

Following the migration of the Cleveland Bradley County Library into the IRIS Consortium, we entered yet another project for IRIS -- a process called "de-dupe and merge" of the database records. Over the years of the IRIS Consortium, started on November 14, 1999, multiple instances of cataloging records for the same title had occurred, for various reasons. Since we were already in "high mode" from working on the Cleveland migration, we decided to go ahead and follow it with the merging of these multiple cataloging records.

The de-dupe and merging of the bibliographic records took place over the last week of June, 2008. Our vendor found almost 60,000 instances of records that could be merged. We offer our thanks to the patient catalogers of the IRIS Consortium, as they had to 'cease and desist' cataloging while the process was completed. We hope that our database is now cleaner and sleeker.

New Library in IRIS Consortium!

The Cleveland Public Library officially became the 16th library in the IRIS Consortium on May 30, when they "went live" with our shared library management system, Unicorn. All three of the largest libraries in the Fort Loudoun Region are now members of the IRIS group. After two months of preparation and a full week of training on circulation and cataloging, we welcome Director Andrew Hunt and his staff to IRIS. Some peripheral training on reports and outreach still remain, but otherwise things have gone very well in the largest migration we have ever attempted in IRIS. Welcome aboard, Cleveland Public Library!

Interested in Youth Services?

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has published "Nine to Nineteen: Youth in Museums and Libraries; A Practitioner's Guide." It offers examples of successful youth programming, information for planning youth programs, and resources on funding and evaluating out-of-school programs. The report is available at:
http://www.imls.gov/pdf/YouthGuide.pdf

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Library Journal and Polaris Library System are sponsoring a webcast event entitled "Teen Spirit in the Library: Best Practices in YA and Teen Services" on Tuesday, June 10 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. Register for this webcast event at:
http://www.LibraryJournal.com/teenservices

Topics of the webcast will include:
Your teen area as their third space: creating a place cool enough to call their own
The intersection of gaming and libraries: where are we, where are we going?
An online oasis for teens at Maricopa County Library District

Good News from Madisonville Library!

We just received word from Kim Hicks, Director of the Madisonville Library, that she was notified this morning that her library had received a $15,000 grant from the East Tennessee Foundation - http://www.easttennesseefoundation.org/ . The grant will be used to purchase books, Hicks said. According to Kim, this is the 5th and 6th year that the library has received grants from the foundation, so Madisonville now qualifies for the Institutional Excellence grants, which can mean more money and more flexibility in the grants. Congratulations to Kim, her staff, and the Madisonville Library!

New Database on TEL!

The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) is pleased to announce the addition of LearningExpress Library to the TEL collection of online resources. (Remember, TEL is available to all Tennesseeans, free of charge! ) LearningExpress Library is a comprehensive, interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help patrons succeed on academic or licensing tests. Students and patrons get immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of test results.

Go to http://www.tntel.info/ to try this new resource.

In addition to resources for skill improvement at all grade levels, you will find practice tests for:

• Civil service exams
• College entrance exams
• Cosmetology
• EMS
• Firefighter
• GED
• Graduate School Entrance exams
• Law Enforcement
• Military
• Nursing
• Real Estate
• Teaching
• TOEFL Preparation
• and many, many others