MLS - Massachusetts Library System

MLS Welcomes New Members

Carolyn Noah — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:05:43 +0000

MLS welcomes two new member libraries:

Center School, Stow
Educational Development Center, Waltham

Thank You for Completing Our Survey: Snapshot of Satisfaction Results

Greg Pronevitz — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:28:59 +0000

More than 350 members completed the MLS Strategic Planning survey. The Strategic Planning Task Force has a great deal of data to analyze to design the best future for MLS. We are grateful to you, our members, for taking the time to complete our surveys. We will publish more results soon. For now, I am proud to present a snapshot of your responses on your satisfaction with MLS services. The large percentage of members who said they were satisfied and very satisfied is testimony to the dedication and high quality of the efforts of MLS staff and to the direction set by the MLS Executive Board.

We will review member comments and work with you to strive for even higher levels of member satisfaction in the future.

click chart for larger size

MLS Assisting with MassBroadband Initiative

Anna Popp — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:20:02 +0000

The MassBroadband Institute (MBI) is a state sponsored program designed to supply high-speed internet to over 120 rural communities in western and north-central Massachusetts. (Here is a link to a map of the service area covered by this project.) MLS recognized the importance of this program and, thanks to a $200,000 Gates Grant, will be working with MBI to provide equipment and training to our member libraries being affected by MBI. Attached below is a press release for use by those libraries soon to get fiber-optic connections.

Where indicated, please include content personalized to your library. Your content may look something like this:

“We’re very excited with this development,” says Carnegie Library Director Jane Doe. “With the delivery of fiber optic connectivity our patrons will be able to use things like streaming videos, our staff will finally be able to avail themselves of web-based trainings. And we are so appreciative of the groups who are making this happen.” The Carnegie Library is located at 123 Main Street in Notarealtown. For more information call 413-555-1234 or email Carnegie@cargnegie.org.

If you have questions about the MBI project, please email Diana Davis. If you would like help with your press release, please email Anna Popp.

MBI Press Release for Libraries January 2012

School Recertification Form

Susan Babb — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:51:45 +0000

Please complete this form. Fields marked with a * are required. If a field is not applicable to you, please enter na. You will receive a copy of your submitted form by email. Please hold onto it for your records.

[contact-form-7]

ALA Youth Media Award Winners

Susan Babb — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:23:46 +0000

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:
“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos, is the 2012 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Farrar Straus Giroux.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Inside Out & Back Again,” written by Thanhha Lai and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
“A Ball for Daisy,” illustrated and written by Chris Raschka, is the 2012 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, and published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group; “Grandpa Green” illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Me . . . Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The MLS Mock Caldecott Committee met in Worcester last week on January 18. After lively rich discussion, they made their decision.
The winner is “Me…Jane” by Patrick McDonnell, author and illustrator.
The sole honor book is “Swirl by Swirl”, illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Joyce Sidman.

More awards announced here.

MLS Underwrites Lyrasis Courses for Members

Carolyn Noah — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:39:44 +0000

Massachusetts Library System members can take hundreds of partially pre-paid live online courses from Lyrasis. Lyrasis courses are taught live online by professional instructors. Lyrasis courses normally cost between $120 and $220, but are now available to MLS members at a discount rate of 75% off the class price. This offer will last until these units are exhausted. Members are asked to select only one course per person since supplies are limited.

Read on for registration information…

Five Days Left for Strategic Planning Survey – Due Jan. 23rd

Greg Pronevitz — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:03:49 +0000

There are five days left to respond to the MLS Strategic Planning Survey. Please take a few minutes to provide input from your library to assist us in planning MLS’s future. We need your input.

Strategic Planning

Thank you for completing the MLS Strategic Planning Survey and letting us know your opinions about MLS, its services, and our future. The deadline was January 23^rd. More strategic planning information.

Please Volunteer – Deadline Exended to January 23rd

We will also hold a number of focus groups to gather more detailed information from member libraries. We seek volunteers to participate in these brief meetings (about 1 hour). We will determine the locations when we learn who is interested. MLS can cover travel expenses for those who participate in a focus group if your institution cannot support this. The volunteer form has also provided an opportunity to let us know that you are interested in joining an MLS advisory committee.

MLS Equipment Raffle!!

Shirley MacLean — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:02:35 +0000

The Whately Office has completed its move to one side of the building. As a result of the move, we have some furniture and equipment that we will be raffling off to member libraries. Please click here for pictures and information on what is available. Please be sure to note the letter of the picture of the item you want so you can indicate these on our raffle survey. You have until Monday, January 27 to fill out the survey, at which point the survey will be closed and the raffle winners will be drawn. We will notify winning libraries the week of January 30.

Click here for more information and rules of the raffle

MLS Equipment Raffle

Shirley MacLean — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:54:37 +0000

Rules for the raffle are as follows:

- Fill out the raffle survey, indicating which item you want. Please rank your choice in order of preference.

- Only one item will be awarded per library.

- You must make arrangements with the office to pick up your items. Items will not be put into delivery. Keep in mind that some of the items are very large and will require more than 1 person to load. MLS staff will not be available to assist in the loading of items.

- You will have 2 weeks from the time you are notified to pick up your item.

Example of how items will be awarded:

Libraries will be picked in random order. Example: Dalton is the first library picked; they would receive their top choice (H -Metal desk). Waltham is the second library picked, they want an H -metal desk, but the metal desk was already given to Dalton. Waltham would then receive the item ranked as their 2^nd choice item on the survey, assuming it is available. If Waltham’s 2^nd choice is not available, they will be awarded their 3^rd choice.

**We do have 20 chairs located in our Marlborough office that are included in this raffle. You may indicate on the raffle if you would like 10 or 20 of these chairs. If a library before you has indicated that they want 10 and the next library indicates that they would like all 20, the 2^nd library will receive a call letting you know that we only have 10 available. If you decide that you would rather not take the 10, you will be offered, if available, your next preference. You will have to make arrangements to pick these chairs up at our Marlborough Office.

When you are notified that you have won, please call (866) 627-7228 and ask for Shirley at extension 130 to schedule a time and date to pick up your item.

We will do our best to give you your top choice, if it is available.

Benefits of membership

Susan Babb — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:28:38 +0000

Your membership in the Massachusetts Library System extends your library’s reach. It allows your library:

Advisory services to provide you and your library staff the opportunity to maintain currency and increased knowledge in the field of librarianship.
Continuing education for you and your library staff at one of our many workshops held throughout the Commonwealth or at your library.
Delivery Services are provided to support resource sharing amongst Massachusetts libraries
Full-text online databases access that include magazine, journal, newspaper, and reference titles for library users of all ages.
Statewide materials and supply cooperative participation that will save your library money on books, audiovisuals, and needed administrative and technical services supplies.