Using Webinar

Webinar is useful and the archival part is extremely helpful, because what I miss I can have repeated.

Just listened to an archived Web presentation from December 18, 2009, about Kansas Libraries and Kansas taxes for 2009. Laura DeBaun was the host.

While Andy Coutis and Carl York did a good job, they were focusing on 'how to fill our the forms', which we are not supposed to help with. This means that it was only mildly useful. At least I might recognize some of the forms, but in truth, we cannot as Librarians give tax advice. This means that what we really need to know is where to send a person who needs help. While the attitude was that it would be the near indigent or the elderly who would need help, I disagree. I think it will be the person who has resisted learning about computers, no matter their income or intelligence level. People who in the past have been able to to take the forms and the instructions and do it themselves but who have no computer savy. This should be a very interesting event.

My Soap Box

As a library and book lover, I want these places to be there not just this year but for years to come. One of the ways to assure their continued existence is to have them so well used that people would object if they were to begin to disappear. Todo this we need to create 'new' patrons. One of the biggest resources are the youth and children of today who will become the readers of tomorrow. I would like all of us to remind any parents and grandparents of our acquaintance that they need to take their kids and grandkids to the library where the books, magazines, DVDs (and VHS tapes) are free as are the programs. Everyone loves to save money. In difficult economic times using the library is a good money saving measure.

The grandparent population has more more (and usually more money) than the parent group. We need to advertise the libraries programs for children at the Senior Fairs, retirement homes and retirement commnities and Senion Centers where grandparents abound. We need to remind our legislators, who are frequently old enough to have grandkids that the library's siren song should call them to share with their grandkids the joys of books. Maybe we could have either a kids' 'Take a Grandparent to the Library' Day or a grandparents' 'Take a Kid to Your Library' Day.

Everyone help me think about this.

Good Surprises

Small towns can surprise you -- like this past Monday when the Chamber of Commerce of this small town recognized my sisters and me by naming the 3 of us "Citizen of the Year" which totally blew us away. We have each just been doing our thing and spending our time making our world the best we can and the people of this town noticed. If any of them are reading this blog, I want to say thank you for having an ability to surprise.

23 Things Kansas

For a City Girl I can be pretty slow, especially when it comes to small town politics. Everyone knows everyone else, except that I did not know this. Fortunately I had a good experience. I asked a question of someone and discovered so much more content that what I requested because this person was 'informed' and willing to share. Living in a small town is sort of like belonging to an on-line community like Facebook. One word uttered and everyone knows.

Loft Living

One of the recent joys in my life is my new living space. I moved into a Loft in downtown Herington, Kansas. While I have long envisioned loft living, I never imagined it to be in a small town, but it is perfect. It is a recent conversion from storage for a hardware and appliance store. Two bedrooms, two bath and Lots of open space. Not for everyone, but definitely for me. I like having the view of what's happenin' around me.

Week 2 Online Communitites

Did it! Have a presence on Facebook - with pointy-headed avatar, who will one day turn into a different visual, hopefully me. This part was easy. Now I need to find some of the 23 Things Kansas people and make contact. Challenge #3.

Week One Blogging

Tried unsuccessfully to get my blog addres to the main list. I just tried again.
Just read the #3 in our lesson plan that said on my first post I should let the readers know specific information - totally spaced that one out. Here it is:
Am currently at Herington Public Library (part time). Have worked in more than one library and used libraries all over the world. Found those without English language books very difficult to access.
Learning is fun and learning things technological takes some time and effort. Am a major procrastinator, so with 23 Things Kansas, I am encouraging myself to learn now.

23 Things Kansas

Some days I must be very slow . I can blog, but getting the total impact of the lessons in 23 Things Kansas is taking some sink-in time. Maybe living in a small town does not free up the commute time sufficiently that I have time to learn, or I am mismanaging my time - like reading too many books. NEVER!

Surprises in a Small Town

Snow Removal in my new home town is amazing. Street crews are senstive to the local residents needs - they plow the uphill side of the main streets first. On the wide commercial streets they immediately clear path in each direction moving the snow to the center. This is quick, effective and keeps traffic moving. Later using a front end loader and dump trucks, they move it out of the way. It happens sooner, if another storm is predicted. Are other small towns this good?