Want to join the digital revolution and get an e-reader or tablet, yet worry about spending money purchasing books and magazines? Before you purchase books or magazines for your new device, let's take a look at the library's free digital collection of e-books and magazines. This month, I would like to introduce you to Freading.

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        So, what does all this mean? How many times have we seen agencies gather information, write a report and then no action is taken? This will not be the case, and it shouldn't be. Auditor Edelen's recommendations ensure better oversight, governance and accountability for special districts. As shown in his report - the number one best practices case study was libraries. Libraries are the role model of governance for special districts.

        I support Auditor Edelen's recommendation creating and maintaining a registry of special districts through the Department for Local Government; passing legislation which compels transparency and accountability; adoption of a local Code of Ethics by all special districts; and clarifying the Kentucky Revised Statutes relating to special districts. Any proposed legislation beyond the recommendations of Auditor Edelen is a cause for concern. 

        I expect to see some discussion on library board appointments. The current system has worked for over 60 years, bringing quality library service to our entire state. The board appointment system allows libraries to operate free from partisan political influence. State law provides term limits and forbids payment of compensation. Library board members are good citizens serving with the library's best interest as top priority. They participate in orientation and training to carry out their responsibilities as good stewards of your library. Why mess with a system that is not broken? Senate Bill 20 will address a change in library board appointments. 

        Libraryland will be watching closely for legislative bills pertaining to special districts. We will keep you informed, and ask for your support when needed. Legislators may not listen to every word from the public, yet they do count message slips and recognize the general public's volume is loud and clear when their desk is spilling over with message slips!

        Thank you for allowing me to serve my community. You may reach me by the method most convenient for you; telephone at (502) 863-3566, correspondence to 104 South Bradford Lane, or email earlene@scottpublib.org.

Meet the Staff (cont.)

     Library visitors reading the electronic message flashing in the parking lot, or reading our brochures and bookmarks, may not know Rachel Toews designed them, and discovered her passion for technology and graphic design along the way.

       Arranging color, line weight, background patterns and photos for this newsletter, she paused to make a small confession. "I don't really think of myself as a web person" she acknowledged, "and I never envisioned myself sitting here." 

       Toews earned a history degree from Morehead University but the typical career path, teaching, did not appeal to her, and she started job-hunting instead. "I always wanted to work in a library," she remembered, and she joined Scott County's staff in 2005. One year later, Toews combined work and graduate study -earning her Master's in Library Science from University of Kentucky.

     "The graduate program focused on the academic side of library science - theoretical applications, building collections, cataloguing and the study of literature.  I was still working and seeing how it was going in the real world - I never specialized," said Toews, and she enjoys interacting with patrons in a public library best.  New services, many of them technology-driven, quickly followed the construction of the new library, and necessity and opportunity intersected, allowing Toews to find a career niche she finds enjoyable and challenging. 

       In 2007, the library needed someone to redesign its website. While another employee programmed in the code, in between reference and circulation duties, Toews researched website design -creating a new, cleanly-designed central page easy to navigate. It was critical the entire site be complete before the launch, and the process stretched on for months. The library environment itself - along with the support of her co-workers - encouraged research, collaboration and creativity. "Afterward, we solicited comments, and a big part of your job is to respond," said Toews, "and so we are constantly experimenting and adapting our tools and technology to accomplish a specific purpose."

      Toews is excited about the Library's first electronic newsletter, citing it as another example of how libraries adapt technology to benefit patrons. "Public libraries are so much more than just catalogs and databases" , says Toews. In a building filled with books, people and ideas, she is glad she never specialized in her field. She discovered the perfect outlet for her own skills and talent, and enjoys sharing them with the public each day.

Patron Spotlight:  Kelly Smith     

 

        Smith, an early childhood assistant at Stacy's Daycare in Georgetown, learned she scored 619/620 points on her Director's certification test through Morehead University's online early childhood education program. That score was the culmination of Smith's determination to return to school and change careers, yet Smith credited the library staff for her success, too.

 

    "For 22 years, I worked as a retail cashier for stores in Georgetown and Lexington. Wal-Mart, Heck's, Carolina Pottery - you name it - I worked there,"said Smith, "until I made the decision I needed a whole different life."   Starting over at Stacy's Daycare, she loved her new job. "I tell people I play on the floor all day with two year olds and can color with the best of them," she laughs. Yet she lacked an early childhood certification, motivating her to enroll in Morehead's program. She attended classes in Georgetown, but needed computer access to complete homework, online quizzes and tests.  The Scott County Public Library offered free online access, quiet study rooms, and something else, too.

 

     "It had been 24 years since I had been in school. The first few weeks, I needed help logging onto the computers and finding reference materials," she remembered, and reference librarians Roseann Polashek, Mike Key, Darlene Sargent and Melissa Gibson seemed to magically appear when her frustration level soared. Although any librarian will protest they are "just doing their job" helping patrons, Smith insists the library staff's low-key support provided just the right amount of calm and encouragement each time she needed it.

 

     During one test, the university software stalled, and a frantic Smith rushed to Darlene Sargent for help. "You tell your instructor to call me," Sargent advised. Her professor did, and the test was re-set for completion. In December, Smith dreaded taking her final.  "I thought I wasn't doing well at all," she said, shaking her head. "I redid my homework over and over again, and it paid off."

 

     "I intend to stay in my job - I'm happy with what I do. Just the knowledge I am certified to open my own daycare now, or go anywhere and get a better job is the best kind of knowledge you can ever have," said Kelly, a proud, certified professional in her field.  As for the staff at Scott County Public Library, interacting with patrons, from small babies to lifelong learners like Kelly, is the most rewarding part of their profession.  

  

 

 

Message from the Library Board (cont.)