Volume 7, February 24, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS – AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATORS, AND LIBRARIANS, OH MY!

2) SIMPLY WASHINGTON – NEW & IMPROVED

3) LIBRARY LEGISLATION TRACKER

4) DOE GRANT – IMPROVING LITERACY THROUGH SCHOOL LIBRARIES

5) FREE WEBJUNCTION COURSES – MICROSOFT OFFICE 2007

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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Congratulations to Sheryl Kindle Fullner, teacher librarian at Nooksack Valley Middle School in Everson, WA, on the publication of her book, The ShoeString Library, by ABC-CLIO! The publisher describes the book thusly:

An organized collection of budget saving methods, materials, and strategies, these tips are all tried-and-true examples of ways to stretch the media specialist’s budget and time, and change even the drabbest library into an inviting oasis of learning.

Makeovers are mesmerizing. Whether it is the 400-pound man who turns into a hunk or a hovel that morphs into a chic apartment, we all love "before" and "afters." Now every library can become an "after"-without busting the budget.

The Shoestring Library offers hope, incentive, and direction to librarians who lack everything but passion. The book is organized around 300 hints-more than 114 of which are green alternatives-for administering a library in tough times.

According to anecdotal information, Sheryl has been known to use her own money at garage sales to find bargain books for her library. She is known for her incredible dedication to the kids she serves through her library. Sheryl Fullner, we salute you!

And a tip of the hat to Whatcom County librarian, Regan Robinson, who posted an announcement of the book on the Publib e-mail list, thus calling it to this blogger’s attention.

There’s been a lot of buzz the past week about a new book that was just published. Marilyn Johnson’s book, This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, has been getting a lot of press (and that’s a good thing for all of us). In the book, Johnson argues that librarians remain essential, even in the Google age (especially in the Google age?), but also remain underappreciated.

That’s not news for many of us, I’m sure, but her book abounds with examples of how librarians are helpful, hip, and breaking new ground every day in how they serve their communities. A recent Salon.com article cites that Johnson:

“… delights in refuting our assumptions about librarians, while making a rock-solid case for their indispensability at a time when library systems are losing an average of 50 librarians per year. Who else is going to help us formulate the questions Google doesn’t understand, or show non-English speakers how to apply for jobs online, or sympathize with your need to research the ancient origins of cockfighting? Librarians, Johnson argues, are one of our most underappreciated natural resources.”

Johnson was interviewed for the radio show On the Media, which was released on February 19th. You can listen to the full interview below (6m:09s):

There have also been excellent stories and interviews via the NJ Star-Ledger and Library Journal (which has video clips!).

Marilyn Johnson has her own website at http://marilynjohnson.net, and the book has its own site: http://www.thisbookisoverdue.com/. You may also find the book at your local library via WorldCat.

Those of us in libraries know that librarians are amazing; hopefully this book will help get the word out to the rest of the world.