October 2014

Volume 4, Issue 10

E-Connect

New Children's Area

Aitkin Public Library Grand Reopening Celebration

After months of hard work and anticipation, the Aitkin Public Library will be hosting their grand reopening celebration on Saturday, October 25 from 1:00 to 3:00. The expanded library space includes an expanded community space, a new teen area, enhanced and updated children's area, an additional small group meeting room and expanded reading/study/computing areas.

Funding from a state construction grant, a grant from the Bremer Foundation, local townships, private donors, the City of Aitkin and many community organizations and businesses made the project possible. Thank you to the many volunteers, local businesses and the Friends of the Aitkin Public Library for helping to make this addition and reopening a reality.

The schedule for the grand reopening celebration is as follows:

1:00 pm - Ribbon cutting ceremony

1:00-1:30 pm - Program

1:30 pm - Story Time featuring 3 generations of the B.J. Johnson family

1:30-2:30 pm - Freckles and Checkers the Clowns will amaze children with their balloon magic between story times

2:30 pm - Story Time featuring 3 generations of the B.J. Johnson family

Refreshments will also be served to commemorate the grand reopening by the Friends of the Aitkin Public Library.

New Reading Area

The celebration of the new addition will continue the following week with the appearance of illusionist and magician, Jared Sherlock at the library on Tuesday, October 28 at 6:30 pm. The program will provide family friendly entertainment for all ages. Then come back and join us as New York Times bestselling author and Minnesota Book Award winner, William Kent Krueger, visits the library on Thursday, October 30 at 7:00 pm. Books will be available for sale at the event. Both events are funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

We hope that you can join us for any of the events listed above. If not, stop by the library anytime during open hours to see the beautiful expanded addition.

Play & Learn Space Open House Held at Cambridge Library

The Cambridge Public Library was awarded a Library Services and Technology Act grant for a Play and Learn Space from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and distributed by the Minnesota Department of Education.

The Play and Learn Space includes a puppet theater, puppets, a Duplo table along with Duplo sets, career costumes, puzzles and more. The Play and Learn Space focuses on one of the five basic literacy skills established by the Early Child Ready to Read program developed by the American Library Association. Those skills include playing, talking, singing, reading and writing. Play is not only inherently valuable as a pleasurable activity, it is how kids learn and is integral in the development of the other four literary skills.

The Play and Learn Space will encourage adults, caregivers, children and families to discover that the public library is a community center where families can visit, play and learn; recognize that the library shares in the commitment to the healthy development of their children, including their physical, emotional and educational well-being; engage children in many of the early literacy skills including talking, singing, reading, writing and playing; and encourage them to visit the library more often and stay longer.

An open house was held on Saturday morning, October 11 at the library. Over 50 people including parents, grandparents and children attended the celebration Everyone in attendance had a wonderful time "playing" and using their imaginations.

Upcoming Legacy Programming

(events funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund)

MN Quilter Bev Proulx

Princeton Area Library

Tuesday, October 21 - 6:00 pm

Eye for Color Presentation - View an antique and contemporary collection of quilts and then learn how quilters have used color for the past 200 years. No registration required.

Princeton Area Library

Saturday, October 25 - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Magnificent Color Play Quilting Workshop - Workshop for ages 18+; space is limited and pre-registration is required by stopping by or calling the Princeton Area Library at 763-389-3753.

Illusionist & Magician, Jared Sherlock

Aitkin Public Library

Tuesday, October 28 - 6:30 pm

Join Mr. Sherlock as he blends his modern magic with comedy and audience interaction. Family friendly entertainment.

Minnesota Author,

William Kent Krueger

Aitkin Public Library

Thursday, October 30 - 7:00 pm

Join us to celebrate the newly remodeled Aitkin Public Library with New York Times best-selling author, William Kent Krueger.

Plus check out all the other activities going on throughout ECRL. Simply check any of the following spots on our website: NewsBits at www.ecrlib.org, Google calendar, ECRL Facebook page or follow us on Twitter@ecrlib.

MLA Conference

"Better Together" was the theme of the 2014 annual conference of the Minnesota Library Association in Mankato October 8-9. ECRL staff, Board and Friends members heard inspiring keynote speakers and participated in enlightening conference sessions. Participants were Branch Librarians: Jeanne Coffey (Sandstone), Nancy Dunbar (Cambridge), Andrea Hermanson (Pine City), Donna Larson (Rush City), Kirsten Vaughan (Outreach - Isanti), and Lisa Wagner (Milaca). Headquarters staff attending were Systems Administrator Andy Nordin, Youth and Community Services Librarian Vickie Sorn, Technical Services Manager Marcia Ledin, Resource Librarian Sarah Hawkins, Director Barbara Misselt, and Assistant Director Carla Lydon. ECRL Board member Karen Lee (Isanti County) also attended.

ECRL presented a conference session titled "Creating a Wow! Legacy Project" and displayed the glass sculptures created through the "Kids Design Glass" project. Barbara Misselt and Vickie Sorn told about the project process. Sculptor Anthony Michaud-Scorza talked about the creation of the art pieces, assisted by Legacy staff Cortney Walbridge and Patty Thompson.

Several ECRL staff have been elected to MLA leadership positions: Hawkins will co-chair the Reference and Adult Services Section (RASS) of MLA and Misselt is the new Legislative Committee Chair Elect. Lydon begins her second year as Member at Large of the MLA Board.

(l to r): Cortney Walbridge, Anthony Michaud-Scorza, Vickie Sorn, Patty Thompson at MLA convention in Mankato

Join the Big Library Read, a worldwide digital version of a typical book club. From October 13-28 download the eBook or eAudio and join an online discussion. Find more information about this special program on the ECRL Blog.

ECRL's Mission

Connecting and strengthening communities

through the power of knowledge.

*East Central Regional Library is funded by the counties of Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Pine. ECRL also receives state and federal funds.

eMagazines from Zinio: New titles and Features!

East Central Regional Library's popular Zinio for Libraries eMagazine service is reaching its one year mark. In that time, 5,624 magazines have been borrowed by ECRL library card holders. Now, we are excited to share some enhancements to the service as well as some exciting new magazine subscriptions!

New features include:

* Improved Magazine Access: A simplified "checkout now" icon appears on the Zinio Magazine Collection pages for immediate checkout of that issue.

* Notification of New Magazines: Do you forget to check Zinio for new issues of your favorite magazines? You may now request to be notified via a single weekly email of new issues of your favorite magazines. You'll never miss an issue again!

* My Preferences: Manage your email-preferences on the My Preferences page.

Here you can also add an email notification for new magazine titles ECRL adds to its Zinio for Libraries subscriptions.

New titles include:

* American Girl

* The Atlantic

* Better Homes and Gardens

* Do It Yourself

* EatingWell

* FamilyFun

* HGTV Magazine

* Interweave Knits

* Marie Claire

* Men's Fitness

* Midwest Living

* Shape

* Star

* Vegetarian Times

* Yoga Journal

These new titles will be available in ECRL's Zinio for Libraries on Thursday, October 16th. Don't miss them!

Need help getting started with Zinio? Start here for helpful information and handy guides to view, read, or print.

New ECRL

Overdrive Titles

(Search for any these in the Overdrive catalog)

eBook Titles

*Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success by Steve Harvey

*Assumed Identity by Julie Miller

*Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

*Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson

*Close to Home by Lisa Jackson

*The Drop by Dennis Lehane

*The Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan Kellerman

*Lost Lake by Sarah Allen

*Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

*The River by Beverly Lewis

eAudio Titles

*Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success by Steve Harvey

*Confession by John Grisham

*Eye of Heaven by Clive Cussler

*Invisible by James Patterson

*Killing Patton by James O'Reilly

*Lovely, Dark, Deep by Joyce Carol Oates

*Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

*Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

*Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good by Jan Karon

*Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd

Forthcoming Print Fiction in the ECRL catalog

Search for any of these items in the ECRL catalog:

*Assassin by Clive Cussler

*Chasing Sunsets by Karen Kingsbury

*Cold Betrayal by Judith Jance

*Decision by Wanda Brunstetter

*Harvest of Hope by Lauraine Snelling

*Love Letters by Beverly Lewis

*Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs

*NYPD Red 3 by James Patterson

*Patriot Thief by Steve Berry

*Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich

Forthcoming Print Large Print Books in the ECRL Catalog

Search for any of these titles in the ECRL Catalog:

*The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark

*Deadline by John Sandford

*The Decision Wanda Brunstetter

*Hacker by Ted Dekker

*Harvest of Hope by Lauraine Snelling

*The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis

*My Heart Stood Still by Lori Copeland

*Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel

*Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

*World Gone By by Dennis Lehane

New Children's Halloween Books

on the ECRL catalog

Search for any of these in the ECRL Catalog:

*5-Minute Spooky Stories

At the Old Haunted House by Helen Ketteman

*Bow-Wow's Nightmare Neighbors by Mark Newgarden

*Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin by Sonali Fry

*Ladybug Girl and the Dress-Up Dilemma by David Soman

*Little Boo by Stephen Wunderli

*Llama Llama Trick or Treat by Anna Dewdney

*The Monsterator by Keith Graves

*Not Very Scary by Carol Bendler

*Sweetest Witch Around by Alison McGhee