Starting the New Year

We are moving into the new year making plans for the changes to come at the Eastham Library once our building grant becomes available.
A new technology plan is underway. We are currently gathering information on what is now available in the library so we can make everything as consistent and stable as possible while we are in our current building. The town has recently installed equipment so we can both broadcast and show the town's government tv channel at the library. In the next few months the town will be moving to a new voice over internet phone system so we will build those capabilities in to our planning. And then we'll be moving into planning flexible and useful technology for the new building.

This year the trustees will be developing a new five year plan for library services. We will be gathering community ideas on services they think are most important to our users.
What do you value most about the library and its services to the town?

I'm reading The girl in the garden by Kamala Nair

Wishing everyone the very best in the new year,
Cheryl

The Season of Hope

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.”
Annie Lamont
Christmas takes on new meaning for those of who have moved through the years of setting out a plate of cookies and waiting to see what Santa will bring. This is a special time of year for family and friends to draw close together; and to sing, or listen, to songs about peace and joy. As we sing those familiar songs, see the bright lights on our neighbors'homes and compose season's greetings to those we care for, the spirit of the season seeps into our thinking. A large part of the season's joy is a shared hope that the best of human potential will emerge in the coming new year.

Hope is active here at the Eastham Library. Some rather large elves have been busy decorating the library and baking for our annual holiday sing. The Board of Trustees has voted to issue the Request For Proposals for the next stage of our building project. Eastham Library Building Fund Inc is organizing committees to move ahead with planning some fundraising events and developing materials for the upcoming campaign. Hope and joy are alive and well at the Eastham Library. We hope you will find a way to participate over the next few years in our project to build the best possible library to serve the town for many years to come.
Wishing you a joy filled holiday season
Cheryl

Eastham Geeks its library among many other things

Turnip festival attendees told us they geek many things from golf to singing. Geek the library is a national campaign to get people talking about what they are passionate about; and thinking about how the library supports them in learning about their passions. The public library inspires and empowers users through internet access, knowledgeable assistance and local programs, like last weekend's Eastham Turnip festival. Over the next few months we'll be encouraging you to tell us what you geek.

I'm reading A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny.

Eastham joins trend of libraries ramping up ebook circulation

It seems a good number of the questions we answer now are either, "How can I reserve books and DVD's from my computer at home?" and "How can I download ebooks on my ipad, Kindle, and Android phone?" Every month our number of ebooks circulated raises and we have more registered borrowers every month on Overdrive the ebook download company for CLAMS members. So eastham is part of a national trend toward downloadable materials to read on our own devices, but there are still many who prefer a book in the hand. Why ebooks fail to kindle bibliofiles desires. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-15/news/ct-talk-grossman-ebook-1115-20111115-40_1_e-book-readers-book-lovers-bibliophiles.
I'm currently reading The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian.

Good Reads!

Eager's bookshelf: read




More of Eager's books »

Following Atticus at NELA Burlington

While attending the New England Library Association Conference in Burlington, Vermont this fall I had an opportunity to hear Tom Ryan talk about his experiences climbing the White Mountains in New Hampshire with his faithful dog Atticus. The dog was there to verify his stories of their close relationship. I think everyone in the audience smiled when a few moments into the talk Atticus went form attentive to resting his head on Mr. Ryan's shoulder while he continued his talk about the healing experience of hiking with his dog.
I'm reading  Joyce Rupp's Walk in a Relaxed Manner: life Lessons from the Camino .

Kiwanis Talk

On September 30 the Kiwanis invited me to speak at their breakfast meeting about current trends in library buildings.  I talked showed pictures and talked about the following trends:
Libraries as interior commons where townspeople can find people with similar interests.
Improved way-finding with visual cues that direct people through the building and signs in everyday language.
Comfortable seating and smaller tables so people can find quiet places to read alone.
Zones where people can informal gatherings and places to have coffee and relax.
Interactive displays like games or puzzles so visitors can find something to entertain them when they visit the library.
Furnishings that provide electrical connectivity for laptop users.

What would you most like to see in the new library here in Eastham?
I'm now reading Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus
http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311121683s/10131648.jpg

Tuesday Night Book Group

One of the first duties assigned to me, discussed on my first visit to the library, was leading the Tuesday Night Book Group. Coming into an established and ongoing group, especially as the designated leader, is always challenging. Fortunately Martha Magene, the previous Director left detailed notes so we put together this year's reading list from the groups suggestions last spring and had a rousing discussion of Elisabeth Tova Bailey's Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. You can find more information about the groups choices and resources on their list at
http://easthambookgroup.pbworks.com/w/page/45173835/FrontPage.

Summer ends with a splash!

Hurricane Irene didn't have a big effect on the library except many people returned their books as they left town early. We actually figured this would make it easier to reabsorb all those volumes onto our crowded shelves.
Then we had the steady rain right after Labor Day with even more books pouring back into the library, mostly through our book drop located beside the building. It was a wet day for books and staff alike!
As we settle into our fall routines with the year-round population we begin to look ahead to stabilizing our current building until we can move forward with construction. Please notice the work our Friends have done to spruce up the historic entrance to the library.

Beginnings

This is a great time to be joining the Library staff. The community is looking forward to the new library now that the grant to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has been approved. Because we are on the waiting list we will have some time to refine our plans with Centerbrook architects. The plans for a beautiful new library that is ecologically sensitive to our lakefront location and the existing scale of the surrounding homes on Samoset Rd are available to everyone in the library. I served as Director of the Brewster Ladies Library when they built their addition in 1998 and look forward to putting the knowledge and experience from that project to work for Eastham.
Meanwhile I look forward to working with the board, staff, friends, and volunteers at the library to keep our current library as useful as possible to our users. We'll continue to make the library a vital part of the community.
I'm reading David MuCullough the Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311121683s/10131648.jpg
I'll be checking this blog regularly so leave your comments and I will respond.