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Library offers peek at 2014 plans
12/31/2013
By Josh Johnson
Splash Staff Writer
A partnership with the CIN and reciprocal agreement with the SCLD are just two reasons the library has been B-U-S-Y these past 16 months. Sprinkle in several cosmetic upgrades, including a new entryway, on top of the day-to-day task of maintaining high standards, and it would be hard to blame the Liberty Lake Municipal Library for taking a breather in 2014.
Only it isn't. Whether increasing its digital footprint or introducing a slate of new services, Director of Library Services Pamela Mogen insists the library won't be resting on its laurels. Mogen, who was recognized at a City Council meeting last month for a full decade of service in her position, listed a 2014 resolution as "getting into shape to compete for the Best Small Library in America award."
The library has previously announced large new projects such as a planned reading garden and its participation in the new IT Academy partnership with Microsoft, but the nuts and bolts of "exploring new possibilities for content, content delivery, and services" will be front and center in the new year, Mogen said.
Tablets and eReaders
In 2013, the library introduced iPads in the children's area with preloaded content geared toward youngsters.
In 2014, anyone age 6 and older who may have been a bit jealous will have their patience rewarded.
"In keeping with the direction of technological change, we will be expanding our use of hand-held devices to deliver content to adults, elementary and middle school-aged children and young adults," Mogen said. "Adults and young adults will benefit from the addition of eReaders to our circulation mix. Kindles and Nooks will be pre-loaded with the most current, sought-after titles for two-week check-outs, renewable for one additional week if not on hold for another patron."
Plans for the elementary and middle schoolers include pre-loaded iPads or Android tablet devices fixed to tables for use with a variety of programs, such as CyberSafety, a self-paced series that will result in a Certificate of Cyber Safety of readiness to surf the internet, or Financial Literacy for Teens, a how-to in personal finance, Mogen said.
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WHAT'S IT WORTH TO YA?
When it comes to library services, perhaps more than you think.
A "Library Use Value Calculator" is now available at www.libertylakewa.gov/library/value.asp. You estimate your monthly use for library services, and the calculator spits out the dollar amount you would pay out of pocket if you weren't utilizing the library. |
One of the first items to roll out for 2014 will be a new library website, Mogen said. The new city website debuts in January, and the library will have new pages for to explore without sacrificing any of the previous online services.
When it comes to connecting with library services electronically, Mogen also recommended the new Washington State Library Now App. Available in typical app stores such as iTunes and Google Play, the app puts Liberty Lake Municipal Library and its databases on your phone. It also includes a scanner that, when used on an item you come across while shopping at a store, will tell if it is owned by the library, directing you to information for it in the library's catalog if available, Mogen said, adding the app also has the benefit of doubling as a library card.
Odds and ends
Also planned for 2014, Mogen said the library's collection of electronic magazines will increase as physical copies diminish. The library's website hosts the Zinio account site where patrons can browse electronic magazine titles.
Finally, Mogen said that, "as funds permit," the library would bolster the software offerings on computers in the Jobs and Career Center and Quiet Reading Room, "allowing users to create a variety of media such as music, art, website design and self-publishing. We're also looking into instructional resource vendors like Lynda.com or Treehouse.com to help people get started on such projects," she added.
For more on library plans and programs both new and continuing, visit www.libertylakewa.gov/library or call 232-2510.
Book Review: Stockton takes another pass on ego in ‘Assisted'
By Daniel Pringle
Liberty Lake Municipal Library
John Stockton's, "Assisted: an Autobiography," is as much a recounting of the many people who have played a part in his development, success and reputation as it is the story of his life and journey as an "unknown kid from Spokane" to the NBA Hall of Fame and Olympic gold.
With the characteristic humility he exhibited throughout his career with the Utah Jazz - including 19 straight playoff appearances and two trips to the Finals - Stockton relates a life of hard work, devotion to family and love of friendly competition from which the drama of ego-driven professional sports is unsurprisingly absent.
It stirs pride to hear the notoriously media-shy local legend open up about his life and experiences, and how growing up in a simpler and more innocent era as part of a close-knit Catholic neighborhood centered on Gonzaga shaped his values and enabled his longevity at the highest level of basketball. Still, his good fortune and nearly constant help from parents, coaches, teammates, friends and especially wife, Nada, leave you shaking your head at his luck, though no one is more aware of that luck than Stockton himself.
Throughout, his neighborly voice weaves nostalgia, charming anecdotes, lessons on topics like sportsmanship and parenting, and comments on the experiences that formed his personal beliefs.
Perhaps the most notable parts of the book are the poems by co-author/editor and grade school coach Kerry Pickett introducing each section. These additions elevate Stockton's story, and show how this true team player takes every opportunity to help another slam it home.
Daniel Pringle is adult services and reference librarian at the Liberty Lake Municipal Library.
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