Foreign Flicks at the Library

The Quincy Public Library Foreign Film Series has assembled internationally acclaimed films from several different countries. The selections in the 2010 series have been recognized by critics as some of the best cinema the world has to offer, collecting prizes from international film festivals and award competitions such as the Cannes Film Festival, the César Awards, the National Society of Film Critics Awards, and the European Film Awards.

In May, we will be showing THE ITALIAN on Monday, May 10 at 1:00pm and 6:00pm.  Despite the title, THE ITALIAN is actually a Russian film set at a bleak orphanage in rural Russia.  For most Russian orphans, the chance to be adopted is a dream come true. But six-year-old Vanya Solntsev has other hopes. After discovering that his mother is still alive, the abandoned boy teaches himself to read so as to learn her address from his personal files. Before a wealthy Italian couple can claim him for their own, Vanya sets off on a perilous journey to find his only remaining family. Pursued by orphanage staff and the police, the determined runaway must now face the most difficult challenge of his young life in this incredible story inspired by true events.   This film is rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual content, language and thematic issues.

As with all of our foreign films, popcorn and soda are provided. This program is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Please call 223-1309, ext. 207 or go online at http://www.quincylibrary/ to make your reservation.

Grow @ Your Library Gardening Series

ardening can be quite expensive, if you buy plants to transplant into your garden or flower containers. Save money this year! Learn successful ways to start plants from their seeds, cook some of your garden bounty, and decorate your garden all at the Quincy Public Library.

On Wednesday, April 28 at 6:00pm, attendees can come and learn how to cook with herbs with Brenda Derrick, Nutrition & Wellness Unit Educator at the Adams/Brown Unit of the Illinois Extension Office. Herbs are a great way to spice up your favorite dishes and enhance the flavor of your foods while cutting back on fat, sugar and salt. Patrons are invited to learn new recipes and sample tasty herb enhanced dishes.

Patrons are also invited to our Growing Vegetables and Herbs workshop.  This class is designed for beginners, as well as learned gardeners. You will learn important, practical tips for growing vegetables and herbs; explore companion gardening (using herbs and other plants to deter insects and enhance plant health); then tour the library’s herb garden. The program will be led by Master Gardeners: Barb & Gary Lawrence, Liz Hooton, Deborah Lee and others.

Learn the art of creative garden design for small spaces at our Grow @ Your Library: Adding Pizzazz to a Small Garden Space, Patio or Balcony program! Slides will be shown of unique garden design ideas, and creative containers and arrangements will be on display. Participants will have a chance to make and take a creative container-garden home. The program will be led by a team of Master Gardeners including Marsha Cray, Patty Vogel, and Jeanette Begeman.

These programs are free and open to the public, but due to space considerations, reservations are requested.  Please call 223-1309, ext. 207 or go online at http://www.quincylibrary.org/ to make your reservation.

How Much Does Your Library Mean To You?

How valuable is your local library? Use this handy library value calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library Association.

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/makingthecase/ALA_print_layout_1_525989_525989.cfm

Librarians know intuitively that public libraries provide great value to their communities. It’s hard to express the benefits in terms that decision makers and residents understand, and harder still to quantify.

In recent years, efforts have been made toward that elusive goal. Glen Holt and Donald Elliot proposed one model in “Measuring Outcomes: Applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to Middle-sized and Smaller Public Libraries.” (Library Trends, Winter 2003). Also see the oline publication, "Placing a Value on Public Library Services" by Glen E. Holt, Donald Elliott, and Amonia Moore (http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/restoc.htm). Another is offered in The Library's Contribution to Your Community: a Resource Manual for Libraries to Document Their Social and Economic Contribution to the Local Community (IER Planning, Research and Management Services in association with Cameron Consulting Services and C.N. Watson and Associates, Vaughan, Ontario, 1998.)

The Value of Public Library Service tool provides a concrete, practical, measure of the market worth of services provided by a public library. Typical library services were selected and included. Each value was tested against the question: “Will an average consumer understand and accept the value that’s been assigned?”

The spreadsheet can be downloaded into Excel by saving the file to your local computer. It can be used as is by opening the file in most browsers and filling in data for your library. Alternatively, each library can assign values that are more meaningful locally or add services that have not been included in the model.

Ways to use the results:

· To provide ammunition for advocacy by your Board of Trustees

· In budget presentations

· In conversation with community officials

Your suggestions for making the tool more effective are welcomed.

How Much Does Your Library Mean To You?

Quincy gears up for The Big Read 2009!

The Quincy Public Library, in partnership with Quincy Public and Private Schools, presents The Big Read 2009. This month-long initiative, designed to get members of the community to read the same book, at the same time, will begin on September 17th with a Big Read-In at Washington Park and Quincy Senior High. The sole goal of the campaign is to spark reading and discussion as a whole by the community.

The Quincy Public Library has received a National Endowment for the Arts Big read grant that will make it possible to distribute a minimum of 500 copies of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Library will host a film series and lecture series, and a final event will be held in the Adams County Courthouse. The Circuit Judges of Adams County have graciously agreed to participate in a new READ poster.

The generous support provided by the Quincy Herald Whig, Quincy Society of Fine Arts, Great Debate Books, and WGEM made our first attempt a wonderful success. We were delighted to have over 270 pick up their free copy of the book, and see over 350 patrons participate in the programs and discussions offered throughout the month. The "Get Caught Reading" ads designed by the Quincy Herald Whig and the Cover feature for the September Quincy Society of Fine Arts magazine added tremendously to the visibility of the campaign.

This year, the Big Read promises to be bigger and better with more books, community partners, book discussions, and lecture programs. We hope we see larger numbers of participants to reflect all our hard work!

Summer Reading is ending

Read on the Wild Side was great fun! All our programs saw record attendance numbers, which makes us very happy. For instance, last July 2008, 238 patrons participated in the Thursday FANtastic Craft series. This July, 514 patrons attended the Wild & Crafty program series. Last July, 223 patrons participated in the Tuesday All-Star Sports Series. This July, 607 patrons visited the library to meet and greet various animals during the Tuesday Animal Express program series. Last July, 819 patrons attended the Grand Slam Family Fun Friday programs. This July, 937 patrons attended the Spectacular Friday programs. We hope this is just a taste of great things to come!

Next up, the Quincy Public Library will be busy with The Big Read starting September 17. Please visit our blog http://www.quincybigread.blogspot.com/ for more information.

"Read on the Wild Side!" Summer Reading Kickoff

The Quincy Public Library kicked off summer with the Annual Summer Reading Kick-off Saturday, May 30th. Although the skies were dark the morning of Kickoff, nothing could damper the spirits of library patrons, who came in droves to enjoy free food, activities, and entertainment. As the sun began to shine in the sky, over 2,500 patrons arrived at the library to in order to pick up their summer reading logs and get a jump on their summer reading. Ben Marth of WGEM radio emceed the event, encouraging all patrons to not only take advantage of the free Kick-off activities, but to remember to participate in all summer activities. Every activity and event was packed, and 1,500 children’s reading packets, 300 Teen logs and 500 adult logs were distributed.
The Summer Reading Kick-off Party included favorite activities such as a bounce house, face painting, and a University of Illinois-sponsored food craft, but also featured new activities such as a petting zoo complete with camels, llamas, fainting goats, miniature horses, and a baby reindeer. The entertainment stage, located on Sixth Street, was host to a local baton-twirling troupe, the Twirl Girls, at 11:00 and the local musicians of RagTag at 1:00. Chris Camp the Whip Guy encouraged patrons to get crackin’ on their summer reading during his dangerously entertaining demonstration of bullwhip tricks at high noon.
Not to be outdone, the Teen Advisory Board also unveiled a puppet show written and performed by six members of the group showcasing Leo the Library Lion and his little lion cub, Lennie. The show was so popular that an additional show had to be added to the roster. Overall, this was the most successful Summer Reading Kick-off Party to date with an increase of over 600 patrons from last year.
A big thank you goes out to all members of the staff who either worked or supported this huge effort, and to our TAB volunteers. Library staff members have worked hard over the last several weeks to prepare for the kick-off by putting together packets, cutting out crafts, and preparing logs. Front-line staff handled the overwhelming crowd on kick-off day with grace and poise, and the maintenance crew came through once again attending to the overwhelming needs that accompany 2,500 people! Over 30 teens, some who have already graduated with a year of college under their belts, joined us on Saturday morning to pop popcorn, paint faces, construct crafts, man the bounce house and assist with the performers. The library was a sea of red; bearing witness to the fulfillment of our mission statement to promote volunteerism in our community. These young people made the library shine! We hope that this is only the beginning of a very successful summer!