The Friends of The Scranton Public Library is sponsoring a trip to New York City for a guided tour of the New York Public Library on Saturday, May 1st, 2010. Tickets are $30.00 for Friends members and $35.00 for non-Friends members. Reservations are due April 1, 2010.
Click on the image above for more information.
If you'd like to become a Friend of the Scranton Public Library, click here for more information.
From the desk of Glenn R. Miller, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Library Association:
Today Governor Rendell announced his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2010-11 which begins on July 1 (see above).
Some of the initial reactions that I’ve heard range from relief (that the cuts aren’t deeper) to anger and frustration that libraries will face cuts even as the Administration touts a commitment to education and provides a $354 million increase for the Basic Education (K-12) Subsidy.
For now, I just wanted to share the numbers in Governor Rendell’s proposal and emphasize that they represent a proposal and not the final word. The numbers might go down or they could go up if we work hard together and get a bit of luck, too.
The PaLA Legislative Committee was scheduled to meet on Thursday but yet another major storm is now underway across the state and we’ve decided to postpone that meeting. Please know that the Legislative Committee will be working on PaLA’s strategy and message and we will sharing more as soon as we have specifics. In the meantime, I think it is fair to assume the following:
1.The growing demand for library services during this recession more than justifies an increase not a cut in state support for libraries.
2.Despite the seeming disconnect here in Harrisburg between “education” and “libraries”, Pennsylvanians do consider libraries a key element of education which deserves increased funding not further cuts.
3.The loss of POWER Library and other shared resources runs counterproductive to our state’s efforts to improve education.
4.The most powerful voices on our behalf are the people who depend on and believe in the value of good public library services. Please do everything you can to encourage their advocacy.
We will be back in touch more information about PaLA’s next steps. Thank you in advance for your dogged support of good library service for all Pennsylvanians.
SOCRATES CAFE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH 6:30 PM - 8 PM COMMUNITY ROOM
NOTE: This event is handicapped accessible.
This thought provoking discussion group has been in place for two years at the Library. Come and check it out; a variety of people raise questions and respectfully listen to one another discuss a topic chosen that evening. No prior learning is required.
February is Library Lovers' Month, a month-long celebration of school, public, and private libraries of all types. This is a time for everyone, especially library support groups, to recognize the value of libraries and to work to ensure that the nation's libraries will continue to serve.
For some greats ideas for you to celebrate Library Lovers' Month, click here.
MorningStar...the name brings to mind a breakfast cereal, doesn't it?
If you think so, the reference Department things it's the right time to check out our superb business database MorningStar Investment Research Center. Presently, it's available on all desktop computers in the Reference Department.
But in the next couple of weeks, remote access to MorningStar Investment Research Center from your home computer or laptop will be going LIVE!
If you've never used it before, MorningStar Investment Research Center is a business database with a kick. This online resource traks more than 20,000 stocks, mutual funds and ETFs, providing reports with detailed information including 5-year stock price history, rations, SEC filings, ownership data, written expert analysis, and much more.
When MorningStar Investment Research Center goes LIVE for remote access, it will be limited to two remote users at one time. So if you encounter a busy screen, please wait a few moments and try again.
For a detailed manual on how to use MorningStar Investment Research Center, click here.
The moment remote access goes LIVE, I will let you know!
As previously blogged, Access Pennsylvania Power Library is losing a number of its popular full-text databases due to the recent budget cuts to Pennsylvania libraries.
HOWEVER, we've just received some good news. In the place of the EBSCO databases will be a number of new databases in Power Library devoted to periodicals, business, and literature.
The Office of Commonwealth Libraries has just announced the resources that will be provided under the POWER Library Network for 2010. This is the package of resources as of today, January 28, 2010.
POWER Library Network 2010
General Periodical Resources (H.W. Wilson)
Newspaper Resources (Gale)
Business Resources (ProQuest ABI Inform)
Contemporary Authors
AP Photo Archive
The detail on the content of the new resources will be announced next week. Any additions to this package will be announced as decisions are finalized.
Due to recent state cuts in library funding, it has been announced that all of the EBSCO databases will be removed from Access Pennsylvania Power Library Database. EBSCO included the following full-text magazine databases that were accessible from home with your library card:
MasterFILE Premier
Business Source Premier
MAS Ultra – School Edition
Middle Search Plus
Primary Search
Newspaper Source
Teacher Reference Center
Auto Repair Reference Center
The final day to access the EBSCO databases will be Saturday, January 31st.
JULIE & JULIA: AN EVENING WITH JULIE POWELL TUESDAY, APRIL 13TH SCRANTON CULTURAL CENTER 7 PM
The first speaker of the 2010 Lackawanna County Library Lecture Series will be Julie Powell, author of the blog The Julie/Julia Project and the book Julie & Julia, which was adapted into a 2009 film starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. An author signing will take place following the lecture.
Powell first gained attention when she decided to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year and detailing her cooking adventures in her blog The Julie/Julia Project. Powell's blog was self-adapted into the book Julie & Julia and later made into a hit film directed by Nora Ephron.
Julia & Julia is also the selection of this year's countywide book club, On the Same Page, which begins in March.
The WARM LINE is not a hotline or crisis line. It is a confidential, non-crisis, one-on-one telephone service that gives support by offering hope and encouragement to persons who have a mental illness who may be experiencing loneliness, have a problem they just need to talk about, and/or just want to hear a friendly voice. It is staffed by trained individuals who have a mental illness, who are in Recovery, and who understand. The WARM LINE is for persons who have a mental illness and who live in Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties.
Toll-Free 1-866-654-8114
Hours of Operation: 6 PM - 10 PM 7 Days a Week 365 Days a Year
The Reference Department has free copies of the 2009-2010 Pennsylvania Career Guide available for patrons. They are available in the Job Resources area of the Reference Department. The PDF of the complete booklet is also available online by clicking here.