Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library

Small Business and Entrepreneur Resources at the Library

2012-07-11T15:03:00.000-04:00

Despite the dreary reports we hear about the current state of the job market, more people are becoming increasingly clever at finding ways to generate income through freelancing, working as an independent contractor, or opening a small and/or home-based business.

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library has a section of materials dedicated to helping the small business owner get started with everything from information on Schedule C filing and maintaining corporate records to markets for writers/artists/musicians to searchable databases for grants and materials on writing grant proposals. Small business owners can even learn how to leverage social networking sites like Twitter and e-commerce sites like eBay.

Our Library Thing virtual bookshelf shows highlighted materials available for checkout to patrons or through interlibrary loan. Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library is also one of two libraries in Maine to host access to the Foundation Center Directory Online, which holds information about corporate and private grantmakers. The IRS has provided packets of information for small business owners regarding applying for an EIN and many other helpful tax tips. Educator Shawn Savage also offers periodic live two-way teleconferences for entrepreneurs and small business owners about Schedule C and other necessary information.

Rod Thompson from Northern Maine Development Commission has provided electronic packets specific to entrepreneurs in Aroostook County.

To inquire about access to the Foundation Center grant database, conference times with IRS educator Shawn Savage, or any other services or materials from Turner Memorial Library's small business and career resource center, please email Lisa Neal Shaw at lisanealshaw @ presqueislelibrary.org or call (207) 764-2571.

NOTE TO PATRONS: Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library welcomes requests for information and material renewals. To ensure that your request is received and processed, please email pimelibrarian@gmail.com, lisanealshaw@presqueislelibrary.org, diannaleighton@presqueislelibrary.org, or call (207) 764-2571.

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library Interior Design Survey

2012-05-21T16:07:00.001-04:00

2012-04-06T10:58:00.002-04:00

Press Release

Contact: Sonja Plummer Morgan

Phone: (207) 764-2571

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 P.M. EDT, April 5, 2012

Library receives $25,000 donation for Interior Design

Presque Isle, ME, April 5, 2012: Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library is pleased to announce a $25,000 donation from Mary Smith to the Library Board of Trustees Charitable Trust. This gift is to initiate interior design planning for facilitating the comfort and flow of library patrons. Mary's goal is to work with the community, its library staff, its trustees, and professional designers to bring the warm and vibrant colors of Aroostook County to the library's interior. This team will work together to invest the funds raised for library furnishings by the community, augmented by additional forthcoming donations, to offer patrons quality, comfortable, and beautiful furniture for reading, research, and community social interaction. The design team hopes to use Maine-made furniture.

Library Trustee Chair Nicole Cote expressed her appreciation,

“We are constantly amazed at the generosity and enthusiasm of Mary Smith and other contributors such as the Gauvins. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all those who have made donations to the library for their support. Such gifts are the very essence of community building, and will benefit our library patrons for years to come.”

Library Trustee Louise Hamlin also states,

“I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Mary Smith and the Gauvins for their generous donations and continued involvement in the ongoing improvements to Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library.”

The scope of the project encompasses the entire library. In addition to Mary Smith's planning donation, Ray and Sandy Gauvin have stepped up with generous funding pledges for a dedicated teen center on the third floor of the library. This gift follows the Gauvins' donation of a commissioned series of oil paintings by artist Chester Gage titled “Maple Sugaring” on permanent display at the library. The Gauvins share Mary's vision of a library that meets the usage needs of its patrons, respecting environmental impact and local beauty, and offering a warm and comfortable ambiance.

Mary Smith, the design team, and the Gauvins are working to create a library presence that will offer lasting beauty and value for the community of Presque Isle.

Axis 360 Ebooks Just for Our Patrons

2012-01-27T12:06:00.003-05:00

In 2011, library card holders from Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library downloaded 1,049 ebooks from Maine InfoNet. InfoNet is the statewide consortium of Maine libraries who have entered into an agreement to share access to library ebooks through Overdrive, the vendor who supplies the access to these books. Rarely a day goes by in the typical public library now when a question about accessing library books on an ereader does not come up. Demand for library ebooks is on the rise: December of 2011 was the highest month for number of downloads and number of new patrons registered to download - not just at Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library, but statewide. In fact, the statewide registration of new ebook patrons was up 60% over the next highest month of November. Patrons of Turner Memorial Library want access to ebooks, but because the demand is so high statewide, they often have to wait for the books they want to become available. In response to this demand, we are now pleased to be able to offer ebooks
purchased and available especially and uniquely for patrons of Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library. Axis 360 is a program that will allow our staff to purchase ebooks based on our patrons’ needs and wants, add them to our own library catalog, and cut down the wait times for our patrons for library ebooks. Our library ebooks can be viewed two ways: Through a link on our website to a “wall” of books that looks very much like browsing a traditional bookshelf, and through our library catalog in the same way as any other book. These books are viewed on a
free reader app called Blio, which displays the books in the same beautiful way that the writer and publisher intended, and which is the first reader app to be 100% compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These books will currently run on any Windows PC
and on iOS and Android mobile devices. Axis 360 will soon be available for Nook, Kobo, Sony, Mac desktops, WebOS, and they are in talks with Amazon for Kindle compatibility. Meanwhile, Turner Memorial Library will continue its membership with InfoNet to allow our patrons with Kindles ongoing access to library ebooks. The landscape of publishing and books is changing rapidly, and new developments arise almost daily. The library staff are working to ensure
that our patrons maintain access to as many items as possible in the ways that are most convenient to those patrons.

To access our "Magic Wall" of ebooks, go to http://pimelib.axis360.baker-taylor.com/default.aspx . You will need a library card, a Blio account (free) & the Blio reader app (also free). To begin downloading these ebooks, first sign up for a free Blio account at www.blio.com.

Next, download the free Blio app to your iOs, Android, or Windows PC device. Third, make sure you have a Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library library card. Then, visit our Magic Wall of library ebooks above. When you check out an ebook, you will be asked to enter your library barcode number and a five-digit PIN of your choosing. If you are a first time visitor to the Wall, it will ask you to create a free account, which will include your email address, a username of your choosing, and the PIN of your choosing. PLEASE NOTE that when you enter your library barcode number, you MUST put five zeros at the beginning. For example, a library barcode of xxxx would be typed in as 00000xxxx. When you check out your ebook, you will be asked to
enter your Blio account login (email and password to your Blio account). Your ebooks are sent to your Blio reader app, and the books will load into your Blio library the next time you open it. PLEASE NOTE that Baker & Taylor is working to make these books available for iMac, WebOS,
NOOK, Sony, Kobo, and Kindle. Users of these devices may still download ebooks from Maine InfoNet.

If you have questions about our ebooks and your devices, please call (207) 764-2571 during business hours or contact us any time via Facebook under Presque Isle Librarians or by emailing lisanealshaw@presqueislelibrary.org, diannaleighton@presqueislelibrary.org, or pimelibrarian@gmail.com.

An Author You Can't Refuse

2011-12-07T14:29:00.011-05:00

“Inmates are free to roam the prison [at Otisville], but aren’t allowed to enter other housing units. Otherwise, a con can slip into a unit, pipe someone over the head, and split.

When Christmas came around, the Italians needed a hack to look the other way while we all snuck into one unit to get together for dinner. Everyone knew I got along with Officer Hardy.

‘See if he’ll let us do Christmas dinner by you,’ said Gussy.

By now, I did my own thing, kept some distance from the Mob. But these were good guys who looked after me when I arrived.

I talked to Hardy.

‘Okay, Ferrante, but not too many guys, I don’t need a problem.’

On Christmas Day, we took over the rec room in my unit. We pushed together the Ping-Pong tables and threw sheets over them for tablecloths.

Earlier in the week, Patty Paresi stole two buckets from the paint shop. With a homemade heating rod called a ‘stinger,’ we boiled five pounds of macaroni in one bucket, a fish sauce in the other. Ralphy the Bandit made garlic bread and caponata. We even had a plate of finocchio and olive oil.

I gave Hardy A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. His nose was an inch off the page as a dozen Italians from other units trickled in during the 6:00 p.m. move.”

Unlocked: A Journey from Prison to Proust is the autobiography of Louis Ferrante, a former loanshark and soldier in the Gambino crime family, at that time under the leadership of the late John Gotti. Lou’s story is remarkable for many reasons, from the hair-raising stories of life on the street - told with a mix of gritty detail and warm humor - to the evolution of his writing and diction itself throughout the book. But like a Godfather version of Pilgrim’s Progress, Lou encounters as diverse and colorful an array of friends and acquaintances who would all play some part in setting his life course from the City of Destruction through the Valley of of the Shadow of Death and on into the Celestial City, to redemption and a life that motivates, encourages and saves through the most valuable commodity he had ever touched.

Sonny, the Colombo family geisha house owner who ran a fraudulent credit scam from under his wig ( a federal crime);
The prison guards who tossed him in the hole after an apple throwing incident and gave him time to think about his life and develop the urge to read;
Fat George, who “had half the Bible tattooed on his body” and access to some books;
“The broad at the bookstore”;
Fred, the “small balding man with a fast walk, like a white George Jefferson” who headed the Education Department at Lewisburg [federal prison];
Jimmy, former head of the notorious Westies Irish mob out of Hell’s Kitchen, once described as a “sadistic thug” renowned for dismembering his hits post-mortem who thought Lou was being wasted working in the kitchen at Lewisburg and “pulled some strings”: “I got you a job at Education,” he said. “Now you can read all you want”; and
Richard Messina, corporate attorney and convict whom Lou first encountered in the yard reading A. Scott Berg’s Lindbergh …

These are just some of the unlikely people who pulled Lou out of the swamp of street crime to the socially esteemed roles of educator, writer and academic. And it started not with stolen electronics, cash, drugs, leather coats or cars - it started with books. These are the first three books Lou was handed in prison:

Napoleon - Vincent Cronin

Mein Kampf

Caesar's Gallic Wars

"Get them books yet?" [Fat George] asked.

"Yeah, who picked 'em?"

"The broad at the store."

"Whaddyu tell 'er?"

"That you were short and bossy."

Louis Ferrante went on to tutor fellow inmates in Shakespeare, world history and literature. He served an eight-years sentence, and has since left both prison and the Mafia life. He is now an author, motivational speaker, and has appeared on The Daily Show. Lou has also published Mob Rules: What the Mafia Can Teach the Legitimate Businessman. Louis sends along these personal recommendations for our library readers:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Count of Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is My Life

A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King

The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini

Author Louis Ferrante (image used with permission)

Reading Recommendations from Melanie

2011-07-14T13:50:00.009-04:00

Melanie’s Recommended Books

Tremendous thanks to library volunteer Melanie for her book recommendations. One of the many great things about our library volunteers is that they each bring a unique set of experiences, tastes and interests that patrons and staff alike can draw on for an expert opinion. Melanie's husband is a tattoo artist and she herself is an amazing work of art. If you're looking for something interesting to read this summer, take a look at Melanie's outstanding suggestions below.

Stiff by Mary Roach

Down East Detective by Karen Lemke

Deviant by Harold Schechter

Delores Claiborne, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon,

and The Long Walk by Stephen King

Intensity and Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz

Rumble Fish and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge by Judy Blume

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Joseph B. Egan

New York City Tattoo: The Oral History of an Urban Art

by Michael McCabe

Overdrive Update for Library Books on Kindle

2011-04-27T14:37:00.003-04:00

Overdrive has notified libraries of the following information regarding the imminent availability of Kindle-compatible e-books through libraries, and we are in turn passing this information on to you:

"Many of you will receive inquiries about this new program, so here is a brief introduction to what can be expected when this launches:

The Kindle Library Lending program will integrate into your existing OverDrive-powered 'Virtual Branch' website.
Your existing collection of downloadable eBooks will be available to Kindle customers. As you add new eBooks to your collection, those titles will also be available for lending to Kindle and Kindle reading apps. Your library will NOT need to purchase any additional units or formats to have Kindle compatibility. This will work for your existing eBook titles.
A user will be able to browse for titles on any desktop or mobile operating system, check out a title with a library card, and then select Kindle as the delivery destination. The borrowed title can then be enjoyed using any Kindle device and all of Amazon's free Kindle reading apps.
The Kindle eBook titles borrowed from a library will carry the same rules and policies as all our other eBooks.
The Kindle Library Lending program will support publishers' existing lending models.
Your users' confidential information will be protected.
The Kindle Library Lending program is only available for libraries, schools, and colleges in the United States."

Thank you to Overdrive, Amazon, and everyone who has made this possible - most particularly YOU the library patron.

For any questions about library e-books and e-readers, please feel free to contact staff at Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle, Maine. Our full ist of contact information is here:

http://www.presqueislelibrary.org/contact/

A Book by Any Other Format ...

2011-04-26T14:39:00.003-04:00

“You can’t judge a book by its proprietary format.” “I can read you like an enhanced font ePub download.” Since these phrases haven’t quite made it into daily vernacular - yet (but you read them here first if they do!), we can safely assume that for the time being, books in the bound-paper manifestation so many of us love have not yet been blown into extinction like dinosaurs after an asteroid by digital books and e-readers. Libraries still enjoy enormous requests for and circulation of traditional books.

In fact, according to a recent article in “Scientific American” by David Pogue, digital preservation is still far too new to be proven as a reliable method of archiving over the long term. But while archiving of material is of high import to libraries, so much more is access to material. Digital books are less about denying readers the “smell and feel” of a book and more about providing the opportunity for reader to have book in hand in the shortest amount of time possible, and many times at a lower cost. Project Gutenberg, for example, provides digital access to numerous classics and public domain works, saving readers the additional cost of needing to purchase the item and libraries the cost of acquiring multiple copies of a work that is already freely available.

What can be very intimidating for a reader is the tangled undergrowth of e-reader brands and proprietary file formats for electronic books. One thing of which we can be certain: Things will keep changing. Readers who bought and fell in love with their Amazon Kindles, for example, were dismayed to then learn that the Kindle was not compatible with the ePub format that library e-books offered by distributors such as Overdrive were using. “You mean I bought this electronic reader and now I can’t check library books out on it?” Happily, however, that is also changing, and soon library patrons will be able to check out e-books on their Kindles.

As we cut our way together through the rapidly growing and evolving flora of the publishing world, it might be helpful for patrons to have some familiarity with the developments and challenges. Patrons now have more books than ever from which to choose, but the acquisition of those books might involve more now than consulting the card catalogue and pulling the volume off the shelf. Here are just a few of the myriad ways librarians can help patrons get book in hand:

1. The library purchases the book. Librarians love to hear requests from patrons and also endeavor to follow popular authors and titles to ensure to the best of their respective budgetary abilities that patrons have access to those books.

2. The library requests use of the book from another library. Not every library has every book, but libraries are generally very good about sharing materials back and forth for the greater good of all information seekers. This is called an Inter-Library Loan (or ILL), and is a request you would generally place with your local librarian. Often a small fee or donation is requested to help cover the cost of mailing or courier services.

3. The book is available as a digital download through your library (or another free service such as Project Gutenberg), as an e-book or audio book, and can be downloaded with your patron identification number to your computer, e-reader, or other handheld device. This is where devices and formatting can get tricky, and one of the best people I have found to help organize it is “The Digital Goddess” Kim Komando. Kim discusses e-books and e-readers frequently in her column, and she has a comprehensive chart of readers and their supported formats here. Some devices such as the Kindle, Nook and iPad download books wirelessly, and there is usually an open wireless connection at your local library. Some devices must be hardwired to a computer with an accompanying account, such as Sony. It’s our business as librarians to know how to help you with this process.

4. The book is Print on Demand (also known as POD or publish on demand). This is admittedly new territory for libraries, as it indicates a book that has been written and uploaded to a publisher/distributor [such as Amazon via CreateSpace] in a digital format but is not actually available in print until it is purchased. A book in this format is unlikely to be available to acquire via an Inter-Library Loan, and might not have been formatted for all e-readers nor purchased by Overdrive. It is not completely uncharted territory for libraries, however. California libraries are working together to provide POD services to their patrons with an Espresso Book Machine. Maine is working on the same thing. Expect to see further developments in this area as more emerging authors take advantage of self-publishing services.

Whatever your reading desire or question, one thing that has not changed is your librarian’s desire to help you. Access is what we do. In fact, we wrote the book on it - in all formats.

Lisa Neal Shaw is the Reference Librarian at Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle, Maine. For questions about any of the above or any of our other services, please feel free to call (207) 764-2571 or e-mail lisanealshaw @presqueislelibrary .org.

Future Fiction: What's Coming in 2011

2010-12-30T09:52:00.005-05:00

Coming in 2011!

1. Fatal Error by J.A. Jance

2. Bird Cloud by Annie Proulx

3. Tick Tock by James Patterson

4. Being Polite to Hitler by Robb Forman Dew

5. The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik

6. Townie Andre Dubus III

7. Fadeaway Girl by Martha Grimes

8. Death of a Chimney Sweep by M.C. Beaton

9. Treachery In Dead by J.D. Robb

10. Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow

11. The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman

12. Journal of a UFO Investigator by David Halperin

13. Deep Black: Death Wave by Stephen Coonts

14. Headhunter's Daughter by Tamar Myers

15. Shadow Fever by Karen Marie Moning

The Public Library of 2015

2010-09-16T09:48:00.007-04:00

"We can therefore safely speculate that by 2015, and in all probability much sooner, libraries will rise to meet the increasing provider and user-end demands for Internet access to address education and economic needs for their patronage."

Access: This is one of the first terms students of librarianship learn. Free and open access to information has been and continues to be the charge of librarians past, present and future. The degree in fact is named Library and Information Services. Librarians are looked to as stewards of information, and as the rule and law of archiving decrees, it is content and not form that drives the need for information storage. While publications in all forms seem to become easier to obtain for individuals, the ability to sift through confusing and often contradictory information - and indeed the ability to match file format to device and device to access point - is greatly challenged. Frustration mounts for those who find the rapidly changing formats incomprehensible and when even lowering costs for devices assumed to be had by the majority remain beyond the financial means of so many citizens. Technology is advancing exponentially. The economic edge will lie with those who are familiar with this technology, and conversely those who do not have access to technology, the information stored and delivered along it, and the chance to learn it, will become the most financially vulnerable.

“The printing press and changes in the epistemological makeup of religions forged the way for a new reading public. In many Christian religions, only pastors and priests were trusted with the word of God. Besides, books were scarce; monks used to teach from texts chained to the lectern” ( Freeman, 2009, p.31).

“We hope the President [Theodore Roosevelt] will be a restraining influence on the flood of words both in correspondence and in books, but we fear the times are against him. They offer fatal facilities for verbal exuberance. Books today are published in vast numbers, less because authors have anything to say than because printing is easy and cheap and the presses have to be kept at work. ... The stenographer, the typewriter and the printing press are invaluable agents of civilization, but they have their drawbacks. They have inundated us with a plague of words ...” (Freeman, 2009, pp. 52-3).

“The Internet is not your library and if you thought a ton of books was an overwhelming amount of information, think again. The Internet doesn’t contain just a few dozen or hundred relevant sources, no, it contains millions or billions or even more. To make things worse, there is no friendly and intelligent librarian to help you sort through all this information. It’s only you and a stupid search engine” (MakeUseOf.com, 2010).

Public libraries have long held to the philosophy that information and access to it are things that should be freely open to all. This is a philosophy shared not exclusively by the staff who work in public libraries but in fact by the very founders who originally saw a need for public libraries in their communities. John Cotton Dana, author of the well known A Library Primer and a gentleman as much beloved to librarians as Melvil Dewey, stated, “Unfortunately, most citizens who took up the library idea thought of libraries as mere book-collections, housed in buildings designed to ornament a town. They half-unconsciously desired to put up memorials to local culture, and not to establish live institutions that would help promote much needed general intelligence” (Cotton Dana, 1920, p. 3).

Today, librarians have no end of fascinating stories about patron questions received at the circulation or reference desk. Live birds are pulled from pockets with a request for the librarian to help identify the species. Play-writes telephone from their home offices wondering if somewhere there is software to help them format their opus and where it might be located. Readers of library blogs post comments inquiring about obituaries and genealogical resources. People can’t find what they’re looking for on the computer, but they can find librarians.

And those are just the people with computers.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, in rural Maine alone, of the approximately 323,000 homes surveyed, just over 25% report having no Internet use. Of the respondents who do use Internet in their homes, 21% reported that they were using a dial-up connection (NTIA/US Bureau of the Census, 2007, p. 6). At the same time, again in Maine, state government no longer routinely sends out print versions of tax forms and booklets. While they may be requested with a telephone call, the trend is toward obtaining the forms and accompanying information online. Unemployment claims are no longer provided by walk-in service in Maine. Applicants are encouraged to apply online. Online universities are a growing trend as well. One of the most readily recognized - the University of Phoenix online - reported a Fall 2000 enrollment total of 14, 783 people. By Fall of 2007, that number had increased to 224,880 (U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2009).

As of this writing, Maine libraries are in a state of positive transition to meet the need of an Internet access-challenged population with a growing government and private sector need for that access. The Maine State Library reports the following: “Research by the American Library Association shows that public libraries are the sole source of no-fee access to the Internet for 73% of Americans who have no connectivity at home or work. In 2008 there were only 1,424 public access computers available in public libraries located throughout Maine. Many of those computers in the smaller libraries are from a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant awarded in 2002; some were replaced by a Gates grant in 2008-09. Seventy-five percent of the public libraries responding to a survey in 2010 reported not having enough public access computers to meet current demand. Many also reported that many of the existing public computers were too old to run current software. Over 220 public libraries connect to the Internet in Maine through the Maine School and Library Network. Beginning in July 2010 all these libraries will have at minimum a 10 mbps broadband connection” (Maine State Library, 2010).

We can therefore safely speculate that by 2015, and in all probability much sooner, libraries will rise to meet the increasing provider and user-end demands for Internet access to address education and economic needs for their patronage. Much of this will continue to be accomplished by local municipal and philanthropic support and by federal and foundational grants. The technology needs in particular are addressed under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’s Broadband Opportunities Technology Program (United States Department of Agriculture, 2010).

Currently, Maine libraries are also in the process of actively and meaningfully partnering with the Maine State Department of Labor (MDOL) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to further aid citizens with the Maine Public Library Information Commons Project. “This application seeks funding to equip Maine's public libraries to become ―information commons areas-- to serve as access points to free high speed Internet service and to provide assistance to vulnerable populations both in the use of technology and in finding and using needed information in the areas of employment, civil law, health, government services, small business information, and workforce development.

Public libraries have historically provided a gateway to information. They are perceived as safe places to go for unbiased, friendly, confidential information. As broadband is introduced into rural communities the public library is a logical place to learn to use the new medium -- seeing how social networking works, finding new information sources—applying for jobs on-line and ―trying it out before making an investment for home or business. Bringing together access to technology and access to needed information makes sense. That is the aim of the Maine Public Library Information Commons Project” (Maine State Library, 2010).

As libraries become more prominent presences in economic recovery for individual citizens, it is further a reasonable expectation that libraries may pursue additional federal funding under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Under Title II - Adult Education and Literacy - Sec. 202, the stated Purpose reads as follows: “It is the purpose of this title to create a partnership among the Federal Government, States, and localities to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education and literacy services, in order to—

(1) assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge

and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency;

(2) assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational

skills necessary to become full partners in the educational

development of their children; and

(3) assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education” (U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, 1998), pp. 125-6). Sec. 203 (5[F]) defines an Eligible Provider as “a library” (U.S. DOL/ETA, 1998, p. 126).

Therefore, by 2015, it is likely that libraries’ roles as technology access centers for economic growth will increase greatly, and the fiscal means to facilitate that are available.

And what of books, the commodity with which libraries are so readily associated? To understand where libraries will be regarding the distribution of books over the next five years, it is essential to follow what is happening in the publishing industry.

According to the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) in conjunction with the Association of American Publishers (AAP), wholesale electronic book sales in 2009 reached approximately $170 million, up from an estimated $5 million in 2002. Second quarter sales alone for 2010 have reached almost $90 million - and those are just wholesale numbers. IDPF states, “Retail numbers may be as much as double the above figures due to industry wholesale discounts” (IDPF.org, 2010). However, sales for traditional formats of books are still very healthy according to the Association of American Publishers (AAP): Net sales of $23.9 billion were reported for 2009, a 1.8% decrease from 2008. Audio book sales were hit hardest: “Audio book sales for 2009 totaled $192 million, down 12.9% on the prior year, CAGR [compound annual growth rate] for this category is still healthy at 4.3%. E-books overtook audiobooks in 2009 with sales reaching $313 million in 2009, up 176.6%” (AAP, 2010).

However, Forrester Research asserts that AAP “far under-reports the true size of the eBook content market.” In fact, Forrester Analyst Sarah Rotman Epps writes, “AAP data represents wholesale, not retail, revenue; what the retailer collects from the consumer could be more (or less) than what the retailer pays to the publisher. In addition, AAP data represents only a subset of trade eBook publishers, and it excludes major markets like education, libraries, and professional electronic sales. ... Considering the growth rate of eBook trade sales (up 176% year-to-date), we think it’s reasonable to project overall eBook revenue will top $500 million in the US in 2010” (Epps, 2010).

Patron requests for eBooks are on the rise. A recent announcement from Maine’s InfoNet Download Library service sent via email to librarians and other interested parties on Maine’s library listserv ME-LIBS briefly outlined plans to include eBooks along with audio books as part of the service - due to patron demand. According to early plans, “The Overdrive system provides eBooks in formats that work on many but not all readers. The ePub and DRM PDF formats are supported by the Sony eReader, the B+N [Barnes & Noble] Nook, the Borders Kobo and others, as well as on windows PCs and Mac computers. The formats are not supported on Kindles. The format is not currently supported on the iPad, but Overdrive has promised an announcement on this front soon. ...”

Sony already has a program in place to help librarians obtain and train on their eReaders and a system by which to lend eBooks with them (Sony, 2010). While Amazon founder Jeff Bezos generally does not release specific sales figures for Kindles, Forrester Research speculates, “B&N [Barnes & Noble] will steal market share from Amazon and Sony. 2009 was a setup year. In 2010, B&N will rack up significant sales of Nooks and eBooks, as some consumers look for an Amazon alternative. Sony will launch its own new devices, and will work on improving the software and book-buying experience. B&N will end up taking market share from both Amazon and Sony, but Amazon will retain its dominant position as market leader” (Epps, 2010).

What librarians can therefore expect to see over the next five years are shifting sands in eBook technology and availability. Formatting compatibility issues, driven largely by publisher digital rights concerns and litigation, will compel librarians to keep up with emerging trends as patron demand for eBooks grows at a faster rate than their functional comfort with the evolving technology that supports those books.

At the same time, a growing trend in the publishing industry is what is knows as “vanity publishing,” where writers publish their own works through an electronic book sale site such as Amazon. While purchase prices for these eBooks are generally very affordable, the electronic access gap is still too wide for many library patrons to bridge on their own. Kiosks offering print on demand (POD) services are now appearing in a wide variety of locations, including Riverside County (CA) Library System, where a Book Espresso POD machine was purchased under a $100,000 grant from the California State Library. “The July 2009 grant has been used to purchase a Book Espresso ‘print-on-demand’ machine which prints, covers and binds trade paperback quality books from computer files. “Library patrons will now have the option to request titles, have the book printed for free, read it and return it to the library collection, or they may choose to keep the book and pay a printing fee. If the requesting patron is at the Book Espresso location and wants to pay for the book, it can be printed immediately while they wait.

"’Growing our collections based upon patron on-demand choices is a new concept for our library system,’ said Jan Kuebel, Manager of Grace Mellman Library. ‘Rather than relying solely on interlibrary loan, we now have a way to immediately respond to patron requests for materials outside of our current collection.’

“Available book titles will be obtained from Lightning Source, with over 500,000 titles available, and Google Books, who has partnered with over 20,000 publishers to make their content available for on-demand printing” (PRNewsWire, 2010).

The digital village is still in mid-construction for many media. Between now and 2015, librarians will need to keep educated and stay curious about emerging trends for the sake of the patronage who rely on them for information services and access. By doing so, the libraries of 2015 remain institutions that promote general intelligence.

Summary

In five years, the basic mission of providing access to information will not have changed for libraries. In fact, as access to economic and literacy tools becomes increasingly varied, libraries will have an ever more important role in the community as a central starting access point and for assistance navigating the sea of formats. Furthermore, libraries will become a primary point of contact for citizens whose educational and government services become digitized faster than the availability for these citizens to access them individually. More and more educational, economic, government and literary entities are dotting the digital landscape, and libraries are still the most reliable and only free public transportation on the information superhighway. Libraries strive to deliver their passengers to their five-year destination and still have ample fuel to accurately address where they - and the people they serve - will be in the following five years.

Sources

6 ways to reduce irrelevant results on Google search (2010, April 18). MakeUseOf. Retrieved from http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-ways-reduce-irrelevant-results-google-search/

Dana, J.C. (1920). A Library Primer. University of California: Library Bureau. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=9aG6AAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=John+Cotton+Dana&hl=en&ei=i_aPTNz_F8L78AaAwoyVDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Epps, S.R. (2009, December 1). Ten eReader And eBook Predictions For 2010. Forrester Research. Retrieved from http://blogs.forrester.com/sarah_rotman_epps/09-12-01-ten_ereader_and_ebook_predictions_2010

Freeman, John (2009). The Tyranny of E-Mail. New York: Scribner.

Households using the Internet in and outside the home, by selected characteristics: Total, urban, Rural, Principal City, 2007 (2007). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2008/Table_HouseholdInternet2007.pdf

Jordan, T. (2010, April 7). AAP Reports Book Sales Estimated at $23.9 Billion in 2009. Association of American Publishers. Retrieved from http://www.publishers.org/main/IndustryStats/indStats_02.htm

Maine State Library and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (2010). Maine State Library. Retrieved from http://www.maine.gov/msl/recovery/index.shtml

Networked Nation: Broadband in America 2007 (2008). National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2008/NetworkedNation.html

Riverside County Library System Begins ‘Print-on-Demand’ Book Printing (2010, March 4). PR Newswire. Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/riverside-county-library-system-begins-print-on-demand-book-printing-86405047.html

Selected statistics for degree-granting institutions enrolling more than 15,000 students in 2007: Selected years, 1990 through 2007-08 (2009). National Center for Educations Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/tables/dt09_236.asp

Sony Unveils Reader Library Program to Promote Digital Reading at Public Libraries (2010, June 29). Sony. Retrieved from http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/computer_peripheral/e_book/release/57890.html

The portal to apply for broadband funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (2010). Broadband USA. Retrieved from http://broadbandusa.sc.egov.usda.gov/

US Trade Wholesale Electronic Book Sales (2010). International Digital Publishing Forum. Retrieved from http://www.idpf.org/doc_library/industrystats.htm

Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (1998, August 7). United States Deptarment of Labor. Retrieved from http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/wia/wialaw.pdf

Lisa Neal-Shaw is a reference librarian at the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle, Maine. To contact Lisa, please email her at lisa.mn.shaw@gmail.com. Special thanks to William C. Menna, MS for research and editorial assistance.

Norma McEntee's Reading Picks!

2010-08-18T17:25:00.008-04:00

Norma McEntee is our newest library team member. As a way to get to know Norma and by way of a small introduction, Norma compiled a few of her favorite reads and wrote about them below. Welcome to the team, Norma, we know you will do great things in your new position!

Okay, I’ll admit it. I like reading a scary book—one that I don’t want to put down, even if Sunday dinner is burning in the oven and there is smoke coming from the kitchen. I think books with a little fear tucked into the pages help to remind me that my life is pretty safe and sound—there’s nothing living in my closet or under my bed. Maybe that’s what makes a good scary book so tempting. I’m content that all this stuff isn’t happening to me. So, here are a few of my favorites… with a long, cold, northern Maine winter coming, I plan to have my stack of books near my chair, at the ready. I may even re-read some of these again. The books are not necessarily in any order, but more how they came to mind.

Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Whether you’re reading this book in the dark of night or on the deck on a sunny afternoon, Ghost Story will send a chill up your spine.

College boy (innocent?) fun gets out of hand and a very bad thing happens. Knowing that it was a ghost story, I was drawn into the story immediately. Soon, their ghost story becomes your ghost story. This is definitely one of my all time favorites. Don’t bother watching the movie, it doesn’t even compare.

I think readers hate to admit it, but Stephen King has written some good books; not all of them present readers with sci-fi monsters or clowns who bother little kids. Some of King’s monsters are real: like Dolores’ wife-beating husband, or the rich old lady with too much money and too much hate. This is a book with a great story line. No gore and guts, but it is scary. Poor Dolores is just a hardworking woman in Maine (where else?), and SECRETS. She doesn’t stand a chance and is forever labeled in her little coastal town.

It’s been years and years since I’ve read this book, but I still can’t sleep with my curtains open at night, even though my bedroom is on the second floor of the house—just like the little Glick boys, who had a late-night visit from their dead friend.

Since I watched the ‘Wizard of Oz’ as a young girl, my mantra has always been: “I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks…” And I do.

The subtitle of this book is: “The Donner Party’s Perilous Journey West”. If you’ve never heard of the ‘Donner Party’ or are unfamiliar with the true story, this is an awesome historical read for you. It reads like a novel, but includes details: diaries and photos. Though it was creepy, I couldn’t help but feel sad.

Boy, talk about ‘California Dreamin’ taking a bad turn….

This is Ms. Kostova’s first book and it’s one that you won’t want to put down. A young woman finds an ancient book while going through letters and papers of her father’s.

She is extremely curious about the book, but it makes her feel uneasy—like something dark lives inside. I think you can never read enough legend of Dracula or books about the reign of Vlad, the Impaler. It’s well written, fascinating and menacing at the same time.

It’s not just about the 120+ men on the ‘HMS Terror’ and their 1845 expedition to the so-called Northwest Passage, it’s how they survive while waiting for a summer thaw in the Arctic Circle ice where their ship has been frozen for two years – and it’s about things that go bump (and butcher the men as they stand guard) in the night.

Though I liked the book a lot, I was disappointed when it took a surrealistic turn. There’s a major character: a very peculiar Eskimo woman who shows up with a point to make. Good story, but somewhat odd.

Loved it! Actually, I inhaled it. There have been tons of critics who have found biblical errors in the book, but I didn’t read it for its biblical content, only for the interesting read that it was.

If you think it’s been overrated and haven’t read it yet, give it a try. The possibilities and the “What if?’s” that Dan Brown put forth are amazing!

I can be diverse in my reading choices, that’s why I would recommend anything by Maine author, Cathy Pelletier. My absolute favorite was her first novel, The Funeral Makers. I found all of her books to be funny in their own way – like living in northern-most Aroostook County – Cathy has discovered that it’s a good thing to be able to make light of some tragedy.

Norma can be reached at (207) 764.2571 or via email at norma.mcentee@yahoo.com.

Giving Back to Your Community

2010-08-05T11:16:00.003-04:00

Giving Back to Your Community

Kevin Sipe, Library Board of Trustees Chair

Growing up in Presque Isle, one could be forgiven for thinking every hometown is like our own. We sometimes take for granted the opportunities we enjoy and the community we share. We enjoy good schools, effective local government responsive to its citizens, fresh air, clean water, a myriad of public services, and activities for all. But move away, live somewhere else for a while, a year, two years, ten years, and one begins to appreciate Presque Isle in a whole new way. The quality of our lives here often is thrown into stark contrast when held up for comparison. Sometimes it takes a returning resident to help us see just what a special place our little town, Presque Isle, is.

There is obviously something about growing up in Presque Isle that etches powerful memories into us. Perhaps it's the sense of community, the safety of our streets, the library, the recreation department, the parks or just the feeling of well being and belonging. Seen through another's eyes their memories become a mirror for us to view ourselves. What one does with those memories, however, makes all the difference. Does one rest in the comfort of those past days or look to give back, to insure that those opportunities remain for others to enjoy?

For one former resident the answer lies in giving back, to provide for future generations all the opportunities they enjoyed growing up here. With a one million dollar donation this former resident has fulfilled a dream to be able to give back in the form of an addition to the Presque Isle library that will provide much needed space and for the first time handicapped accessibility. Her stated goal is to give back to the community that meant so much to her growing up, to give without a desire for recognition but rather a desire to do for others. This gift will benefit the citizens of Presque Isle for generations to come and keep alive the sense of community and specialness we enjoy but sometimes fail to see in the day-to-day of our busy lives.

The concept of "Pay it Forward" lives conceptually in all of us. But how many of us can or do put that concept into action? When someone does act on that most noble of ideas it strikes a chord in us and makes us wonder if we, too, could do more for our community. The generosity of one woman will create a place of refuge, meeting, and education for all to enjoy and will stand as an example to the spirit of giving and service, an example of the concept of "Paying it Forward" becoming reality. With this gift our children, all of us, will be able to benefit form one more of the things that makes Presque Isle such a wonderful place to live and raise children. In the months to come we will see this woman's gift become a reality as the walls rise on the new addition to the library made possible by one person's desire to "Give Back" to the community she loves.

New Books on their Way to Presque Isle

2010-01-29T15:57:00.009-05:00

Pleased to review and fulfill requested materials for our patrons! Here is another list ordered for January 2010.

Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter
By: Grahame-Smith, Seth
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0446563080 / 9780446563086
Date: 3/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.6

Anthropology of an American Girl
By: Hamann, H. T.
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0974026670 / 9780974026671
Pub.Date: 9/1/2003
Dewey: 813

Blue-Eyed Devil
By: Parker, Robert B.
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0399156488 / 9780399156489
Pub.Date: 5/4/2010
Dewey: 813

Crack in the Lens
By: Hockensmith, Steve
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0312379420 / 9780312379421
Pub.Date: 7/21/2009
Dewey: 813/.6

Devil's Star
By: Nesbo, Jo
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061133973 / 9780061133978
Pub.Date: 3/9/2010
Dewey: 839.82/38

Every Last One
By: Quindlen, Anna
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1400065747 / 9781400065745
Pub.Date: 4/13/2010
Dewey: 813

Executive Intent
By: Brown, Dale
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061560855 / 9780061560859
Pub.Date: 4/27/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

False Mermaid
By: Hart, Erin
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1416563768 / 9781416563761
Pub.Date: 3/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.6

Freeze Frame : The Fourth of the Enzo Files
By: May, Peter
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1590586948 / 9781590586945
Pub.Date: 3/1/2010
Dewey: 813

God of the Hive : A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
By: King, Laurie R.
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0553805541 / 9780553805543
Dewey: 813/.54
4/27/2010

Imperfect Birds
By: Lamott, Anne
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1594487510 / 9781594487514
Pub.Date: 4/6/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Innocent
By: Turow, Scott
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0446562424 / 9780446562423
Pub.Date: 5/4/2010
Dewey: 813

Island Beneath the Sea : A Novel
By: Allende, Isabel
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061988243 / 9780061988240
Pub.Date: 4/27/2010
Dewey: 863/.64

Lake Shore Limited
By: Miller, Sue
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0307264211 / 9780307264213
Pub.Date: 4/6/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Matterhorn : A Novel of the Vietnam War
By: Marlantes, Karl
ISBN / ISBN-13: 144174231X / 9781441742315
Pub.Date: 4/1/2010
Supplier: Blackstone Audio Inc
Dewey: 813

Next
By: Hynes, James
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0316051926 / 9780316051927
Pub.Date: 3/9/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Reckless
By: Gross, Andrew
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061655953 / 9780061655951
Pub.Date: 3/30/2010
Dewey: 813/.6

Sherlock Holmes and the King's Evil : And Other New Adventures of the Great Detective
By: Thomas, Donald
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1605980439 / 9781605980430
Pub.Date: 5/27/2009
Dewey: 823/.914

Southern Storm
By: Blackstock, Terri
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0310235936 / 9780310235934
Pub.Date: 5/1/2003
Dewey: 813/.54

Storm Prey
By: Sandford, John
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0399156496 / 9780399156496
Pub.Date: 5/18/2010
Dewey: 813

Struggle to Limit Government : A Modern Political History
By: Samples, John
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1935308289 / 9781935308287
Pub.Date: 4/1/2010
Dewey: 321

Surrendered
By: Lee, Chang-rae
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1594489769 / 9781594489761
Dewey: 813/.54

This Body of Death : An Inspector Lynley Novel
By: George, Elizabeth
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061160881 / 9780061160882
Pub.Date: 4/20/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

New Books Ordered in January 2010!

2010-01-26T09:03:00.007-05:00

It's a new year and with that comes a group of newly published books on our shelves! Here is the latest book order placed for eager patrons and members of the library. Enjoy!

Alice I Have Been
By: Benjamin, Melanie
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0385344139 / 9780385344135
Pub.Date: 1/12/2010
Binding: Hardcover
Supplier: Random House Inc
Dewey: 813/.6

Art of Choosing : The Subtext of Life
By: Iyengar, Sheena
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0446504106 / 9780446504102
Pub.Date: 3/1/2010
Dewey: 153.8/3

Bloodroot
By: Greene, Amy
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0307269868 / 9780307269867
Pub.Date: 1/12/2010
Dewey: 813/.6

Checklist Manifesto : How to Get Things Right
By: Gawande, Atul
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0805091742 / 9780805091748
Pub.Date: 12/22/2009
Dewey: 610.28/9

Committed : A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage
By: Gilbert, Elizabeth
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0670021652 / 9780670021659
Pub.Date: 1/5/2010
Dewey: 306.81

Dead in the Family
By: Harris, Charlaine
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0441018645 / 9780441018642
Pub.Date: 5/4/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
By: Pink, Daniel H.
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1594488843 / 9781594488849
Pub.Date: 12/29/2009
Dewey: 153.1/534

Empathic Civilization : The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis
By: Rifkin, Jeremy
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1585427659 / 9781585427659
Pub.Date: 12/31/2009
Dewey: 901

First Rule
By: Crais, Robert
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1423375505 / 9781423375500
Pub.Date: 1/12/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Flirt
By: Hamilton, Laurell K.
ISBN / ISBN-13: 042523567X / 9780425235676
Pub.Date: 2/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Food Rules : An Eater's Manual
By: Pollan, Michael
ISBN / ISBN-13: 014311638X / 9780143116387
Pub Date: 12/29/2009
Dewey: 613.2

Happiness Project : Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
By: Rubin, Gretchen
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061583251 / 9780061583254
Pub.Date: 12/29/2009
Dewey: 158

House Justice : A Joe Demarco Thriller
By: Lawson, Mike
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0802119379 / 9780802119377
Pub.Date: 7/1/2010
Dewey: 813

House Rules
By: Picoult, Jodi
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0743296435 / 9780743296434
Pub.Date: 3/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

House Secrets
By: Lawson, Mike
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0802118852 / 9780802118851
Pub.Date: 7/8/2009
Dewey: 813/.6

I, Sniper : A Bob Lee Swagger Novel
By: Hunter, Stephen
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1416565159 / 9781416565154
Pub.Date: 12/29/2009
Dewey: 813/.54

Impact
By: Preston, Douglas
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0765317680 / 9780765317681
Pub.Date: 1/5/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Last Train from Hiroshima : The Survivors Look Back
By: Pellegrino, Charles; Morey, Arthur (NRT)
ISBN / ISBN-13: 1400165636 / 9781400165636
Pub.Date: 1/29/2010
Dewey: 940

Secrets of Eden
By: Bohjalian, Chris
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0307394972 / 9780307394972
Pub.Date: 2/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Shadow Tag
By: Erdrich, Louise
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0061536091 / 9780061536090
Pub.Date: 2/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Split Image
By: Parker, Robert B.
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0399156232 / 9780399156236
Pub.Date: 2/23/2010
Dewey: 813/.54
PO Line Note:

Strange Maps
By: Jacobs, Frank
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0142005258 / 9780142005255
Pub.Date: 10/29/2009
Binding: Paperback
Dewey: 912

Terror Dream : Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America
By: Faludi, Susan
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0805086927 / 9780805086928
Pub.Date: 10/30/2007
Dewey: 306.2/40973090511

When Everything Changed : The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present
By: Collins, Gail
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0316059544 / 9780316059541
Pub.Date: 10/14/2009
Dewey: 305.40973/09045

Winter Garden
By: Hannah, Kristin
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0312364121 / 9780312364120
Pub.Date: 2/2/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Worst Case
By: Patterson, James; Ledwidge, Michael
ISBN / ISBN-13: 0316036226 / 9780316036221
Pub.Date: 2/1/2010
Dewey: 813/.54

Art Reception & Opening At the Library

2009-10-16T11:47:00.009-04:00

You are Cordially Invited to an Opening and Art Reception for the works of

Frank Sullivan

new paintings & pastels

November 7, 2009

through

December 31, 2009

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library

39 Second Street, Presque Isle, ME

Opening Reception

Saturday November 7, 2009 at

3:00pm to 6:00pm

For more information, please see Frank Sullivan's blog, http://rainbarrowstudio.blogspot.com

Behind the Easel by Artist Jeffery St. Peter

2009-08-14T11:54:00.002-04:00

The Sky Takes A Visit, 22x30 Pastel on Paper, Wallagrass, Maine

You are cordially invited to attend an

Opening Reception for

Behind the Easel with Artist Jefferey St. Peter

September 12, 2009 from 3:00-6:00PM

at the

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library

39 Second Street

Presque Isle, Maine 04769

Exhibit will remain through October 30th, 2009 and can be viewed during normal business library hours. For more information, please call 207.764.2571 or see the artist's blog at http://jefferyonline.blogspot.com

Sponsored by Full Circle Healthcare

Website Being Reworked

2009-08-03T09:52:00.002-04:00

I like to think that even the most inconvenient things happen for a reason, and I am applying that optimism toward the sudden hiatus that our official library website has suddenly decided to take. It gives me a chance to resurrect this sorely neglected blog, and hopefully gives us a chance to explore how we want our website to look and act in the future. Do please stay tuned for updates on that.

Meanwhile, we are pleased to report an excellent turnout for our annual book and bake sale at Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle. Peter Rabbit visited, and we had a book signing by noted local author Wendy Koenig. The weather has been dicey all summer, as we who live in Maine know, and we eventually moved the sale into the Multi-Purpose Room, which allowed us to run it a little longer. Much of this year's success is also largely due to the efforts and time of our volunteers, and we cannot thank them enough.

Much has been happening here at the library:

Children's Librarian Sue McPherson and Assistant Children's Librarian Dr. Richard Asam recently received a Barbara Bush Foundation Literacy Grant which will enable the library to provide literacy services to families in our area. Already we have two trained and certified tutors on staff. Please contact Sue or Rick at (207) 764-2571 with quewstions about this program.

We have also received notification of a grant award from the AAAS Skin Deep Project, thanks to efforts from Young Adult Librarian Dianna Leighton, which will allow the library to partner with local agencies in presenting a Public Library Skin Health Program. This program is still in its planning stages, so please do watch this site for updates on this. The program will take place in the fall.

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance are once again partnering for The Big Read, scheduled for Thursday, October 1, 2009, at 6:00 pm in our library's Multi-Purpose Room. This even helps to promote awareness for Banned Books Week, which is September 27 - October 3, 2009. Details will be posted as available.

Look for the library to make an appearance in the city of Presque Isle's Sesquicentennial Parade on Saturday, August 15th. Happy 150th, Presque Isle, Maine!

Follow Presque Isle Library for updates on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PresqueIsleLib and on Facebook (search Presque Isle Library).

Turner Memorial Library Expanding Outreach in New Year

2009-01-12T18:12:00.003-05:00

For those of you familiar with Twitter, you can find regular real-time updates about events at Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library on Twitter. If not, it is a quick, easy and free sign-up at www.twitter.com.

The library has electricity usage meters available for check-out to library card holders thanks to the Kill-A-Watt program. Patrons may check out a meter for up to a week and measure the energy usage in their homes to help keep their electricity bills in check.

January 11 through 17 has been officially recognized as Maine Libraries Week. Celebrate free and open access at your local library and ward off the cold by joining us at Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library on Wednesday, January 14, for hot apple cider all day.

The library received news this week that the Citizens Energy Initiative heating assistance program has been re-funded. Beginning January 19, 2009, people in need of help with heating costs may apply by telephone or online at http://www.citizensenergy.com/english/pages/OilHeatProgram. This is not a LIHEAP program. It is separate funding and very easy to apply for. Those approved receive a coupon for 100 gallons of heating oil from their regular oil dealer.

Tax forms are now available at the library. If you need additional forms or instructions from the IRS, please see Reference Librarian Lisa Shaw for assistance.

The library is still processing passport applications. Days for application through the library are Sunday through Thursday, regular hours. Please do call ahead at (207) 764-2571 if you need to make sure the processing agent will be here, as meetings and appointments do occur. Remember also that the library offers notary services (including weddings!) during these same hours.

We have posted an opening for an Assistant Youth Services Librarian, part-time. The position includes evenings and weekends, and the successful candidate will be very comfortable with Web 2.0 applications. If you have questions about this position, please contact City of Presque Isle Human Resources at (207) 764-2522. The listing closes January 14, 2009.

We look forward to another year of service to our community. There are many more exciting events coming up, so please keep checking back!

Holiday Season at Turner Memorial Library

2008-12-17T10:55:00.004-05:00

Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library has had several activities going on to help pass the winter months. Recently, Stew Libby from Stew's Downtown Sight & Sound held an information meeting in our multi-purpose room about the upcoming digital television conversion. He has offered to return in February when the changeover goes live in case anyone is still having problems. Author Dr. Mark Varnum gave a very well attended reading and signing of his book Hawk's Cross. The Turner Book Club is meeting twice monthly. The Turner Writers Group meets one Monday per month. A local bell-ringing group will be performing Christmas songs at the library in our multi-purpose room on Thursday, December 18, at 6 pm. And there will be a reception for artist Cheryl Lovely on Friday, December 19, at 6 pm in our art gallery.

For those of you who follow our library's activities in Second Life, we recently has a reading by author Mark Budman from his book My Life at First Try. We have copies of this excellent novels available at our physical library on 39 Second Street in Presque Isle as well. We also have two new virtual libraries going up in Cybrary Square, one dedicated to the music of the Big Band Era and one to help job seekers and employers access some helpful services available on the Internet.

The library will be closed on Thursday, December 25, and again on Thursday, January 1. We will also be closing at 1:00 on Wednesday, December 24.

Gaming, Genealogy and Veterans Events

2008-10-29T15:37:00.003-04:00

Whatever your area of interest, there's a very good chance you will find an appealing event at Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library.

This past Saturday, October 25, Turner Memorial Library had a booth along with the Aroostook Medical Center Library, at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Health Fair. Hundreds of people came by our table to get library READ bags, bookmarks, informational brochures, and apples kindly donated by the Presque Isle Regional Vocational Center School Farm.

We had seven people in attendance at our last Turner Writers Group meeting. The next one is scheduled for Monday, November 10, at 6:00 pm.

Two area Vietnam Veterans will speak to the public about their harrowing war experiences on Thursday, November 13, at 10:00 am in the Multi-Purpose Room. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Peter Main, as well as Marine Veteran and former Navy Chaplain Jim Morgan will gives talks, and a representative from the Caribou Veterans Center also plans to be on hand. The library also plans to show attendees the D.A.V's site in Second Life. There are two sims for the general public to visit and two sims that are for veterans only.

The Library Book Club has two meetings scheduled for November. The first will start earlier than usual, at 4:30 on Thursday, November 6, where Dr. Nan Amadeo, emerita, will show a William Faulkner film and give a talk. The club then will discuss Faulkner's As I Lay Dying at 6:00. The Book Club will also meet on Thursday, November 20, at 6:00 pm to discuss Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn.

Library Genealogist Ann Cushman will be giving a presentation to all those interested in the basics of genealogy on Saturday, November 22, at 10:00 am in the library's Multi-Purpose Room. Please do let the library know if you plan to attend. You can send a message here or call (207) 764-2571 or e-mail me at lisashaw@presqueisle.lib.me.us.

The ALA and Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library are teaming up to bring you National Gaming Day @ your library on Saturday, November 15, from 12 noon to 6:00 pm. We plan to have a Nintendo Wii on hand as well as a couple of PS2s. Pizza and drinks will be served.

The library recently received a generous donation of several Reader's Digest large print books. Library members are greatly enjoying this new collection.

Have a safe and happy Samhain/Hallowe'en!

Technology and Health Fairs

2008-10-14T11:59:00.012-04:00

Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library was very pleased to be able to have a booth at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Tech Fair on Friday, October 10. There were several excellent presenters in attendance. The library was able to showcase our virtual library in Second Life, which caught the attention of several people passing by. We also were able to let people know about a new link we have set up, which will be available in the Online Services section of the library's website, which links to many, many free and/or open source utilities and applications on the Internet. You can access that link below:

Free Web Utilities Reference Link

This is something we will be able to update continually with a couple of simple mouse clicks. If you have any questions or comments about the tools or sites that are listed there, please do let us know.

Our Seniors Group is next meeting on Wednesday, October 15, from noon until 2 pm. Our presenter this week will Michelle Sandelier, who is Vice President of the Clan MacKay. We thank her very much for the last-minute scheduling. The group will meet in the Multi-Purpose Room.

The library will also be having a booth along with The Aroostook Medical Center on Saturday, October 25, from 8 in the morning until 12 noon at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Health Fair. We have several wonderful prizes and give-aways lined up, with deepest thanks going to the Presque Isle Elks Club for making that possible.

For those who have inquired, we are still making plans to show the film “Quid Pro Quo” and have a discussion following that with a community educator from the Aroostook Mental Heath Center. Please watch this space for a date and time.

We are also working to bring our next featured artist into the Multi-Purpose Room and Art Gallery, hopefully in time for the holidays. Again, please watch this space for further details as we get them.

Finally, you will notice an item at the top of each blog entry now which says “Listen Now.” We are trying a new feature on our blog which translates text to audio, which can then be played straight from your computer or added to an mp3 player or iTunes. We are in hopes that this might be of some help to those who like to keep up to date on the go or who might have issues with vision. Odiogo offers this service. Again, we welcome your feedback as always.

Events!

2008-10-07T17:28:00.002-04:00

Busy days at Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library. We recently celebrated Banned Books Week, an annual observation of books which have been challenged or banned over the years, as a reminder of the needed diligence for intellectual freedom and access. Our thanks to WAGM-TV for visiting the display in our multi-purpose room.

Today some of our staff had the exciting opportunity to speak with some librarians live from Bogota, Colombia, through Second Life, who are interested in learning more from us about virtual librarianship. This wonderful opportunity was made possible by the US Embassy.

The library will be having a booth at a couple of upcoming events at the University of Maine in Presque Isle: The first will be on Friday, October 10, from 10-5 for the Tech Fair; the second will be on Saturday, October 25, from 8-12 for the Health Fair, and we will be joined by TAMC. The Presque Isle Elks Club has made several VERY generous donations for prizes and giveaways - especially for young people - with a health and wellness theme. We thank them deeply and hope that you will come along and visit Miss Sue and Lisa Shaw at the booth.

The Senior Club will be meeting on Wednesday, October 15th, from 12-2. As usual, lunch will be provided, and we are awaiting final confirmation on a very exciting musical performance!

We thank you all for your continued membership at the library. There is much going on behind the scenes to make this a valuable and exciting place to be. Check our website for upcoming events, and please do let us know when there is something that YOU would like to see!

Banned Books Week

2008-09-24T12:10:00.003-04:00

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library and the American Library Association are observing Banned Books Week from Saturday, September 27, through Saturday, October 4, 2008. We will have a display of challenged books in our Multi-Purpose Room at 39 Second Street in Presque Isle, Maine.

Here is a list of the most frequently challenged books through the first five years of the 21st Century (2000 -2005):

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris

8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz

9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

10. "Forever" by Judy Blume

More recently, these ten books were the most challenged in 2007:

1. “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell

Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier

Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3. “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes

Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language

4. “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman

Reasons: Religious Viewpoint

5. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain

Reasons: Racism

6. “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7. “TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle

Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou

Reasons: Sexually Explicit

9. “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris

Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Off the list this year, are two books by author Toni Morrison. "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved," both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

(Source: http://staging.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/may2008/penguin.cfm [Retrieved September 24, 2008])

The website DeviantArt is hosting a writing contest in observation of Banned Books Week as well. Writers may submit in either of two categories (or both): Fan Fiction (of challenged works) or Forbidden Themes (original works based on themes most frequently challenged). If you are interested in seeing what has been submitted or trying your own hand, please visit their guidelines page here. Deadline is October 6, 2008.

Club and Community Fair at UMPI

2008-09-17T08:40:00.004-04:00

This was the second year that the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library participated in the Club and Community Fair at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. On Tuesday, September 16th from 11-1, library staff hosted a booth where we answered questions about the library, handed out information about passports and notary services, and signed students up for library cards. We also raffled off a beautiful gift basket with a movie night theme that was created by Bonnie Smith and Debbie Brewer.

Senior Day at the Library

2008-09-15T19:50:00.000-04:00

Join us on Wednesday, September 17th from 12-2 for Senior Day at the library. Rick Asam will be our guest speaker. Rick will give a presentation on Maine Memory Network and will also discuss other local history initiatives.

Light lunch will be served. We hope to see you there.