Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Lots of February Busy-ness!
The annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Chambers County Library System was held on February 9 this year. The Friends, as an independent group of library supporters and cardholders, is a vital link for the library system to the community at large. Over 250 individuals and business owners hold membership, and their dues, coupled with fund raisers, make up the bulk of funds used by the library staff for programming supplies. They have also been able to provide us with additional equipment and furniture over the years that could not be purchased otherwise. The meeting was lively, and our new Executive Board promises to be enthusiastic and dedicated.
The Library Advisory Board met the following Tuesday, and an orientation meeting of sorts was held for those attending. Development of library system policies is the job of the Advisory Board, and they are also instrumental as part of the process when challenges are made to books in the collection. Library Board members are nominated and approved through Commissioners’ Court, and are thus a part of the administrative arm of the County. They are strictly advisory, however, as their name implies; execution of the library system and County policies are carried out by the County Librarian and the staff. The Advisory Board meets 4 times a year, and is composed of 7 members residing across the county.
Cheryl Attaway, who serves at both the Anahuac and Winnie branches, completed the fifth of her training workshops to receive her Small Library Management certification. This program is sponsored by the Texas State Library and Archives, and Rhonda LeBlanc, Kathy Fielding, and Susie Davis have now all completed the program. Such training gives the “off the street” library workers a chance for some serious looks at things the “professional” librarians learn in graduate school. Topics covered include the budget process, technology, and reference interview skills. Training for these staff members has been paid over the years with a combination of funds from the County budget and from grant funds through the Tocker Foundation in Austin.
CCLS hosted 20 librarians from libraries in the area on the 21st, for a gathering of the “Southeast Region Small Community Libraries Group”. This semi-annual meeting gives us a chance to compare problems, discuss issues going on at the State Library and the Houston Area Library System, and to work on solutions to daily library operations. The Friends of CCLS came through as usual to provide refreshments for the group.
On the Young Adult Front, this month’s activity at Anahuac included a program called “Pimp My Bookcart”, and the library is now the proud owner of an alligator! The teens used plywood and paint, among other things, to create the new creature. The younger set were involved in a coloring contest to win a new Wii Game, and the winner was D’Shaun Richardson
The Library Advisory Board met the following Tuesday, and an orientation meeting of sorts was held for those attending. Development of library system policies is the job of the Advisory Board, and they are also instrumental as part of the process when challenges are made to books in the collection. Library Board members are nominated and approved through Commissioners’ Court, and are thus a part of the administrative arm of the County. They are strictly advisory, however, as their name implies; execution of the library system and County policies are carried out by the County Librarian and the staff. The Advisory Board meets 4 times a year, and is composed of 7 members residing across the county.
Cheryl Attaway, who serves at both the Anahuac and Winnie branches, completed the fifth of her training workshops to receive her Small Library Management certification. This program is sponsored by the Texas State Library and Archives, and Rhonda LeBlanc, Kathy Fielding, and Susie Davis have now all completed the program. Such training gives the “off the street” library workers a chance for some serious looks at things the “professional” librarians learn in graduate school. Topics covered include the budget process, technology, and reference interview skills. Training for these staff members has been paid over the years with a combination of funds from the County budget and from grant funds through the Tocker Foundation in Austin.
CCLS hosted 20 librarians from libraries in the area on the 21st, for a gathering of the “Southeast Region Small Community Libraries Group”. This semi-annual meeting gives us a chance to compare problems, discuss issues going on at the State Library and the Houston Area Library System, and to work on solutions to daily library operations. The Friends of CCLS came through as usual to provide refreshments for the group.
On the Young Adult Front, this month’s activity at Anahuac included a program called “Pimp My Bookcart”, and the library is now the proud owner of an alligator! The teens used plywood and paint, among other things, to create the new creature. The younger set were involved in a coloring contest to win a new Wii Game, and the winner was D’Shaun Richardson
# posted by Valerie @ Tuesday, June 03, 2008 
