Friends of Libraries are people who live in your community who want to contribute to the library. They are an active, fundraising body who meet with library staff to decide where to allocate and how to raise funds for the library. The most recent, exciting purchase of the Friends was the Museum Pass Program.

I'm glad that we were able to find them a home where they will be well taken care of, be safe from other wildlife and not become someone's dinner. Thanks to Bryant employee, Joey for his help in finding them their new home. And, many, many thanks to the rescuers who tirelessly work to keep our local ducks healthy, happy and safe.

"This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness so that all citizens understand its vital importance. An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater understanding of its impact."

Please see the entire proclamation -- it's worth reading. It is so gratifying to have the value of information literacy acknowledged by our president. In today's world of 24/7 news, immediate, mobile gratification of information needs, the value of information literacy (and the role of the library in the community) is tremendous.

Upon arriving at work this morning, I was faced with a pile of notes left by yesterday's library crew. It was amazing to see that on a busy Saturday, the librarians took the time to call more than 10 different places to try to "rehome" the abandoned, aggressive ducks in our parking lot. Some of these places included Volunteers for Wildlife, Department of Wildlife, Department of Environmental Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife, Animal Control, two different people who do rehab, and the 6th Precinct. The wildlife organizations wouldn't help because... (wait for it...) these are Muscovy, domesticated ducks. They are not "wild" ducks. I'd love to know the difference. The police said that they couldn't help us contain them, but suggested putting up a "dangerous duck crossing" sign! Another rescue organization suggested spraying them with a strong stream of water. And, yet another person said, 'how aggressive could they be? no one's ever been killed by a duck before!' Tell that to the people that were chased and bitten by the ducks yesterday! At the end of the day, the ducks are still here.

These poor ducks have been abandoned in a strange place. The other ducks won't let them anywhere near the pond, and they've become quite aggressive. This is not the first time we've had a 'duck issue,' and I'm quite sure it won't be the last. Of all of the things we have to deal with 'on the job,' this is the oddest. I wish that people would find a humane way to deal with their unwanted animals. Abandonment is not the answer.

In celebration of Punctuation Day, give yourself the gift of watching Victor Borge and Dean Martin do their bit about Musical Phonetic Punctuation. It's very funny!

Take a look at the books that were banned in 2008 -- it's unbelievable! It's 2009 and books are still being "banned" because they contain homosexuality. Ummm... hello?!! Take a look at this list of "banned" classics. These are some of the most well-known and well respected books of our time!

Obviously, we're in the business of free access to books (and other library materials), and against censorship, so this is a big deal for us. Coming next week to a Reference Desk near you... a Banned Books display.

Think of the role our library plays in the community of Roslyn -- we serve every age group, from the tiniest tots to homebound seniors. Our little building houses books, cds, and dvds, not to mention all of the resources that we have available online. We are part community center, part entertainment center, part museum, and part free wifi and computer access. We are here for job seekers, parents, grandparents, children and teens. We are your library and we appreciate your support.

Very often, libraries (and some book clubs) choose books that are several years old so that the books are easily accessible. We have chosen to target the readers who are dedicated readers of the "hot books." Most of us are avid readers and take great pleasure in discussing the books with one another. Now, we're offering the public the opportunity to join in our discussions!

Please join us on September 29th... reserve the book asap and register online via our calendar or call the Reference Desk at 621-2240. We hope to see you all there!

"Circulation" is one of those funny library words... what we call the Circulation Desk, most people refer to as the "check out" desk. But, when you think about it, Circulation is a good word for it. Library materials leave our building, go out into the community, return to the library, and go out again and again. Does that make us the heart of the community? I think it does!

We, too have noticed that well-displayed books tend to get taken out more often. We have beautiful book displays, usually around a specific topic and those books just fly off of the shelves. We also put out an annual list of Staff Picks. These are books that have been enjoyed and are recommended by library staff.

Can you get recommendations from Amazon or Oprah? Definitely. But, we can offer one thing those other sources can't -- actual face to face conversation. Ask us for a recommendation. We'll ask you what you have enjoyed in the past, and before you know it, you'll be walking out with a stack of books! And, all we ask for in return is your library card and a promise that they'll be returned in the next few weeks. And, hey -- do you want to borrow a dvd while you're here?

Reservations can be made online, right from our website. Or, a Reference Librarian can make the reservation for you. Make your reservation for the day you want to pick up your pass. You may want to pick it up the day before you are going to visit the museum. Your pass will be due two days from that date, so you may want to plan accordingly.

Feedback for this program has been tremendous! Museum-goers have been thrilled to have gotten into the museums for free, and taken advantage of discounts in the gift shops and cafes. We're so glad to be able to offer the Museum Pass Program to you. Thanks, Friends!

The first is high school students, preparing their college searching. There is lots of material for college selection -- exploring and comparing colleges, financial aid and scholarship information, etc. A student can answer questions about their selection criteria and the database will provide them with a list of potential colleges. There is also a portfolio feature that enables the students to save their work in a central location. They can save their searches as well as upload essays, resumes, community services, etc., so it's all in one place. And, it's printable! As the parent of a junior in high school, I know that I will be turning to Career Cruising quite often!

The second target for this database is either someone graduating from college and deciding on a career path or an adult making a career change. Just like the college module, you can elect to answer questions and the program will return a list of potential careers. Clicking on the career will give you all the information you would need to make a decision -- you'll get salaries, job availability in your area, the education you would need to pursue this career -- even two interviews with people who currently hold jobs in this area! Additionally, Career Cruising offers a resume builder that is incredible! All you need to do is enter the information and the program does the rest! You can format it to look just the way you want it to, or you can export it as a Word document and polish it up on your own!

As an aside, I just came across this link from Staples today. They're offering free copies of resumes and business cards from now until June 13th! Job searching is very much a hot topic these days, and Bryant Library is on top of it all! If you need assistance with your career search, please call the Reference Desk and make an appointment to see our career counselor. And, please check out Career Cruising!

“We had NO idea what was available. It is a new world for us. Amazing.” Parent, Laurie Merlis

“Going into middle school, the kids should learn all about research at the library.” Parent, Hillary Tenner

“They learned about all the great resources available at the library and online.” Parent, Tammy Rosenbaum

“This trip was full of useful information. I know, I learned many things.” Parent, Jill Glick

“Yes, I feel the Roslyn Library gives the children many resources for the future.” Teacher Assistant, L. Farnan

“It is extremely beneficial as a “step into middle school.” Teacher, Terri Nappi

“The trip allows the students to see how resourceful the library is for them.” Teacher, Karen Hintermeister

“It is a wonderful way to bring them to the next level.” Parent, Megan Gomez

“My daughter has only utilized the children’s section up until now.” Parent, Eden Buchbinder

“Many of the students are unaware of the electronic resources so the Power Point is especially helpful. Visiting the Bryant Room is also very valuable.

Thank you! As always, the trip is so well organized and highlighted the most important information.” Kelly Denig, Teacher (Kelly used to teach Kindergarten, she has been a fifth grade teacher for the past five years.)

“The children need to know about all of your services. I live in the district and love your library, the staff, and all of your services.” Lori Maller, Teaching Assistant (Lori’s three children have been/were frequent users of the Children’s Department.)

“Opens up the eyes of children to a world they may only have heard of, yet -- not truly experienced. Thank you for this tour and showing me” “your secret upstairs Roslyn Room” I didn’t even know it existed ---What a treasure!” Marla Fein, parent.

“It’s very important that children become familiar with what the library has. I love that kids can go online and get help with their homework.” Stefanie Kammerman, parent.

“Gives the students great info for middle School. My family uses the library all the time, we love it. The staff is always great.” Andrew Mulchinski, parent.

"Thank you for the great tour! I never knew that the library could be such an interesting place! I loved the Bryant Room... Normally, I go on Google to access information. Now I will use the Bryant Library for research. I will also check out my summer reading book at the library. Thank you! I never knew that a library card could do so much. Your friend, Kyler Rood"