New, but not Improved

August 2006, East Central Regional Library of which Mille Lacs Lake is a branch, implemented a new automation system called "Horizon". It was said to be faster and have more features than the obsolete system the library was then using. Despite some problems such as software that wasn't completely operational, poor staff training and a system that overloaded easily, ECRL went ahead and implemented the new system. From the start it was a disaster--it could not do holds, the most basic function of a multi-branch system. It was much slower than the old system taking much longer to check in and out books and print receipts. Finally the system crashed the following October 2007. Six months worth of records, both patron and material were lost. After a month or so, ECRL began using the Unicorn computer system. Though this system works okay, ECRL patrons have had to adjust to poorer service in a number of different ways.

1) Holds come up to two days later than under the original system. Holds can only be received once a day and only Monday through Friday. The original system was able to generate a holds list several times a day. One Cambridge librarian always prided herself on running the holds list before she left work for the day.

2) Exchanges of materials used to be regular part of our routine. Every six weeks branches would exchange both print and nonprint items, such as videos and books on tape. Though we have had a few exchanges in the two years, this is no longer part of our service to our patrons.

3) Patron services brochures are no longer available. Because the software we are using is temporary, ECRL doesn't want to print up a new brochure. The old information is outdated, leaving librarians with nothing more than an hours card to give to new members.

4) Longer waits for new materials are also a problem. Initially this was due to having to catch up with all the lost records, but the time frame has not improved.

As a branch librarian, I try to give good service to the people who come in to the library. I know that people are often anxious to receive their materials. I wish I didn't have to keep blaming "the new system". I wish that this Dickensonian lawsuit with SirsiDynix was over and we could return to a system that could be modified to best meet the needs of ECRL clients. Maybe then we could return to our former level of service and Gosh, maybe even try to "improve" service!!

Isle Days Parade 2008

The wind blew, the rain fell and Alan Ilstrup drove the library cart for the Isle Days parade July 12th. It was wonderful to have such great help including from Carolyn, Kizzy and the kids who made the float. They decorated the three layers of books with cotton balls, markers, stickers and jewels on freezer paper. On the top of the cake were candles which we made out of straws and shiny stars. It was meant to celebrate Minnesota's sesquicentennial.

Everyone brought something or someone to help make our parade a success. Carolyn brought her camera and her lovely daughter Saffron. Deb brought along her daughter and baby grandaughter, Vienna. Hannah brought her wagon and her sister Katie. Ann brought daughter Allison and cousin. Kizzy brought Isaac and I brought stickers, buttons, bookmarks and flyers.

My co-worker Deb , her husband Alan, daughter Katie and baby Vienna started out at 5:30 at city hall. We were hoping to drive the cake and cart down to the starting point, but things wouldn't fit in my little car, so we had to push the cart down Isle Street. Happily the wind did not tip over our cake or blow our signs away. After pushing for five blocks we saw a couple of fellows with neon green vests holding clip boards and directing traffic. We asked them where we should should be in the parade line-up. They didn't find our names on the clip board list. They sighed and put us at number 19 and 1/2--between the tractors and the Dairy Princesses. The dairy princesses admired our hats and asked where we got them (Rhode Island Novelty).

As we waited for the parade to start, our helpers started coming. First we saw Hannah and Katie in their decoarted wagon. Next came Carolyn and Saffron. Then there was Ann, Alison and her cousin and finally Kizzy and Isaac. I handed out hats, but some blew away and some people just didn't want to wear them. I handed out goodies, so everyone would have something to give away as we walked down the street. We also took a few pictures.

Unfortunately, after we finally got going the parade went way too fast. I started out trying to hand out a sticker to every child and a flyer to their parents. The flyers I soon notices were far too cumbersome so I quit offering those. I never even pulled out a button from my pocket until the very end when I ran out of stickers. I handed out as many stickers as I could, but would soon have to run to catch up with our cart.

The end was a flurry of activity as children rushed the cart to try to grab stickers, bookmarks, buttons or anything. We had to say, "sorry all out", just to keep moving. The rain started to fall as we took the alley behind the liquor store back to the library. I was with Alan, the cart, Carolyn, and Isaac. Deb, Ann, Allison, Saffron, the cousin, Hannah and Katie were on the otherside somewhat behind. Soon everyone met up on the library steps. We were all exhilerated with the odd flurry of our running and stickering. It went extremely fast--less than half an hour. I asked Isaac and he said he thought it was fun. I think Carolyn did too and Alan didn't seem to mind pushing the cart. Deb said she thought he liked that better than watching the parade. We'll just have to see if we ever do this event again

Look What's Cookin'

This year’s summer reading theme is “Look What’s Cookin’ at your library.” It’s based on a wonderful children’s book by Debra Frasier entitled, A Birthday Cake is no Ordinary Cake. East Central Regional Library along with other Minnesota libraries have ordered reading records, bookmarks, stickers and other items with these colorful graphics for motivational prizes.
The Mille Lacs Lake program begins on Thursday, June 5 at 10:00 am. when Magician Matt Dunn dazzles with reading magic. After the show and throughout June and July, children can sign up for the reading program and get a free book bag and bookmark.

Prizes are earned by reading, either keeping track by the book or by the hour. It makes sense for older kids who read longer books to keep track of their time. Reading records are kept at the library. Check out the board at the library to see all the wonderful prizes.
Activities are also part of the fun. Two activity days have been scheduled—June 17 and July 8th both from 10:00 to 12 am. We’ll read books, do activities and have a snack. Come to the July 8th activity and we’ll make a cake with books that we can march behind in the Isle Days Parade.
Some of the activities can be done anytime you visit the library, like the Post-It Note Scavenger Hunt in June and Where’s the Chef? contest in July.
The closing program, as last year is sponsored by the Mille Lacs Driftskippers Snowmobile Club. Come and see Diane Gasch and her amazing gigantic puppets to help celebrate everyone’s reading accomplishments.
Remember that children who read over the summer actually show gains in reading skill over their classmates who do not. Help make sure that your child keeps their reading skills sharp.

Hannah and Holly: Two Great Library Kids

Children—with their energy and enthusiasm—are some of the best friends a library can have. Mille Lacs Lake Community Library is lucky enough to have two young people who really care about the library.

This winter Hannah Hemen came to me with the idea of starting a book club for kids. We made a plan deciding what age groups we would target, when we would meet and how we could get kids to join. We decided on Tuesday afternoon. I asked Tarja Maunula, a sixteen-year old girl who is an avid reader, if she would be the group’s leader. She agreed.

The group has been meeting since February and there have been some challenges along the way, including finding a book that everyone wants to and is able to read. But there’s also been some fun. The group has talked about books, read books out loud, did activities about a certain topic and made posters. Probably the most fun and interesting thing the group has done is take a survey of their fellow classmate’s views and use of the library.

Holly Grap had this idea when she attended a Friends of the Library meeting with her mother and grandmother. She decided to do the project through the book club, since she and Hannah were the most active members. Holly, Hannah and Tarja wrote up a half a page survey with questions about what kids like about their library and what they think should be improved. They talked to classes and teachers. They received 104 responses from Nyquist Elementary Children in grades 4 through 6.

Some valuable things were learned from this survey, including that kids still like books, they’d like more library hours and computers and they’d like to get information about the library from school.

Thanks Hannah and Holly for your help in making the library a better place for kids.

Alice Johnson & Gene Iserman

My daughter Alice went to her high school prom a few weeks ago.  Here's a picture of her with her date.  She will graduate from Onamia High School in a another few weeks.

More Space

If you come in to the Mille Lacs Lake Community Library, look around. You'll notice that the shelves are pretty full. There's hardly room for any more videos or books on CD. The juvenille chapter books have spilled over to another shelf. Norma had to rearrange three shelves of nonfiction to fit one book back in. Fiction is getting equally filled.
We also are getting more demand for computers. The after school crowd nearly go to blows over computers. One more computer would ease the situation, but then we have to squeeze another computer into limited wall space.
Lately we are getting more people at our Friends of the Library and Book Discussion group and we just don't have enough chairs in the library. Storytime also sometimes has more children than we can accommodate.
We are a small library, the smallest in terms of circulation and square footage in the East Central Regional Library System.
More space would be welcome at our library, but I'm not sure what can be done. A library belongs to the public and they need to decide if they want to fund a larger building.
All I can do is let people know and see if they have any suggestions. Do you?

Can I have one of the Faster Computers?

This question is heard often at Mille Lacs Lake Community Library. We have three computers and one of them seems to me to work fine, but I guess if you want to play a game or do Facebook or You Tube, it just isn't good enough. As at many libraries the after school crowd starts pouring in around 3:15. The retirees who are checking their e-mail or vacation property in Florida get pushed off by the faster elementary kids. Webkinz doesn't work on the slow computer, so Tamara is pleased and tears off to feed her pet. Dalen calls on his cell phone. At this point he doesn't even identify himself--"3:20 Computer--one of the faster ones." Shortly after he arrives, flipping his cell phone up and down or talking on it to his mom. The teenage girls, Fonda, the blonde and Amanda, the brunette, come in next, indignant because they can't get "one of the faster computers." They sit down at the slow one with reluctance. Robert comes in next. He's the true regular. "What time can I get a computer? Can I get Dalen's computer? Give me a set of headphones--no not that set!! Have my books come in? Do you have anymore Dragonball Z books? Do you have any books on puberty? What time will Dalen be done with that computer?"
So next month, I'm going to ask the Friends of the Library, Can we get a faster computer?