Board Meeting Tomorrow (Monday, February 27)

The meeting is Monday night and we need another great turnout to send the message to the board that people still care about what happens to our public library. Please try to come and/or spread the word to everyone you know. The agenda  is posted on the website. It would also be great if all 15 speaking slots were filled. Hope to see you there!

Link to Open Letter

Here's the link to Andrew Strong's letter that was published in this week's Rock River Times:

http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/02/22/guest-column-open-letter-to-the-mayor-library-board-trustees-and-mr-novak/

Budget Meeting

If anyone was able to make it to the budget committee meeting today, please post a comment and fill the rest of us in. Thanks!

Correction

Just got word that this morning's Program Planning and Service Policy has been cancelled... not sure why.

Also, the information in yesterday's post was incorrect regarding needing a credit card on file to check out an e-book for a Kindle. It is true that an Amazon account is needed and I was under the impression that a credit card needed to be on file to have an account. Someone brought it to my attention that this is not true and I looked it up myself and indeed it isn't. I apologize for the misinformation. This blog strives to be a good source of accurate information and will be sure to double check facts before posting in the future. I will change the information on that post now.

It is true though that Amazon keeps a record of all book checkouts, which is something libraries don't do.

E-readers to circulate

Yesterday's paper had an article about how the library will be circulating e-readers.

Some thoughts on the circulation of e-readers... These devices are breakable. A former RPL staff member mentioned that the library loans out laptops to teens for use in the library and that even after a year of this, many of the computers were broken and had missing buttons. (Again, these laptops never left the building! What would happen to them if they did?)

RPL is purchasing 60 Kindles (vs. 10 Sony PRS-T1s). To check out a book from the library one must have an Amazon account. It is worth noting that when checking out an e-book for a Kindle, because one must log onto Amazon, what is being checked out and read is information "on" the Internet. Amazon keeps a record of this information. Library records have always been private and so privacy is compromised with the use of Kindle devices.

Finally, it is likely that like the new Playaview screens, there will be a bright orange label warning patrons that if this device is lost, stolen, or damaged the patron will be responsible to pay a replacement fee of $125 (or more?) It seems as if that may stop a person from checking one out. A person might think, "Hey, that's two weeks of groceries. I can't afford to take the risk." So how many of those Playaviews get circulated? How many e-reader devices will?

Again, we need to tell our library board that the community wants to have input on our public library and how our tax dollars are spent. The meeting is one week away. Please try to show up for next week's meeting-- Monday, February 27 at 5:30pm at the East branch library in the community room. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming meetings-- Mark your calendars

From the RPL website... there are three meetings coming up in the next couple weeks. Mark your calendars.

The Program Planning and Service Policy Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 21 at 7:30 a.m. in Meeting Room C at the main library [use Mulberry Street entrance]. The Financial Planning and Properties Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, February 22 at 11:45 a.m. in the Friends of Rockford Public Library Community Room at the East Branch Library. The Executive Committee will meet on Monday, February 27 at 5:00 p.m. followed by the Board of Trustees meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Friends of RPL Community Room at the East Branch Library.

We do need another large showing at the Board meeting on the 27th. If you'd like to speak, you may contact Kathy Hughes ahead of time to reserve your spot. (815-987-6603)

Also, if you missed the Rockford Register Star's article this week about the library, here is the link:
http://www.rrstar.com/news/yourtown/rockford/x720912297/Rockford-Public-Library-faceoff-is-also-about-fate-of-staff

"In Defense of Paper Books"

Posting this link might fuel the SOL is against e-books rumors, but here is a wonderful essay that raises some interesting points. Andre Vltchek's "In Defense of Paper Books" provides some food for thought. Here's the link:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/02/07/in-defense-of-paper-books/

How e-book reading changes reading behavior

Here's a short, interesting article about research done that sought to "understand the effect of an e-reader on the amount and types of verbal interaction between child and parent."

http://www.readingrockets.org/blog/48881/?utm_source=Twitter

Link to Andrew Strong's guest column

There's an excellent guest column by Andrew Strong in this week's Rock River Times in response to Ted Biondo's piece from the Register Star (which the library administration laid out at the board meeting for people to take along with other e-book propaganda). Please check it out:

http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/02/01/guest-column-biondo%e2%80%99s-misconceptions-on-the-purpose-of-the-library/