News from East Central Regional Library

August 2011

Issue No. 7

E-Connect

Help us plan!

We invitie you to take these surveys to tell us your wishes for your pubilc library's services and programs:

eBook survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SC8P7QV

Legacy Events survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NQDN2S6

eBooks are Coming!

East Central Regional Library will launch eBook service later this year. What's an eBook? A book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. eBooks are usually read on dedicated hardware devices known as eReaders or eBook devices. Personal computers and some cell phones can also be used to read eBooks.

Look for training classes on eReaders in January and February. The implementation of ebooks and training is made possible through an LSTA grant.

Read more about ECRL's eBook implementation on our blog - http://www.eastcentrallibraries.blogspot.com/

Legacy Programs

Minnesota's Regional Library Systems have been awarded funds from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to continue programming throughout libraries acorss the state. Over the last 2 years you've enjoyed a wide variety of arts and cultural heritage programming including musical concerts, authors, historical presentations, writers' workshops and a wide variety of children's and family fun events. Without the Legacy program, you would have had to travel to the Twin Cities area and purchase expensive tickets to see many of the events libraries sponsored at no cost to attendees. Be sure to take the survey (linked above) to tell us what you'd like to see at your public library.

Legacy programs are made possible through funds from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Pine City Welcomes New Branch Librarian

"I'm so lucky to be entering a community that is so invested in its library, which cares about its success and its librarian," says the new Pine City Branch Librarian, Sarah Biro. She is overwhelmed by the warm welcome she has received and of course, working in the beautiful new library is wonderful. Sarah received her Bachelor's degree from the College of St. Benedict and recently completed her Masters of Library and Information Science from Drexel University.

Before coming to Pine City, she worked at several surrounding library systems and university libraries including the Anoka County Library, St. John's University-Alcuin Library, Great River Regional Library and St. Cloud State University. Sarah was able to gain a wealth of experience by working in several different library departments including reference, circulation, interlibrary loan and technical services. It has given her a broad spectrum of library experience that will no doubt serve her well in her new position as Pine City Branch Librarian.

Sarah, as an avid reader, "grew up in public libraries; attending storytime, checking out books, participating in summer reading programs, and maxing out her checkout limit." She happened upon a part-time library aide position in high school and never looked back. Her job titles and responsibilities have changed over the years, but her "love for libraries has only grown." One of her favorite quotes is from the book, The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown - "There is no problem a library card can't solve." She feels lucky to have stumbled upon a career which she loves so early in life.

Sarah is "excited to use the insight" she has gained from all her previous library experience and what she has learned as she finished her Master's degree. She hopes to "build on the library's success, serving the needs of the Pine city library users and operating the library as efficiently as possible.

Upcoming ECRL Events

Book Clubs

Thursday, August 18 - 6:30 pm - Chisago Lakes Area Library

Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

Thursday, August 18 - 7:00 pm - Wyoming Area Library

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

Tuesday, August 23 - 7:00 pm - Pine City Public Library

Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Thursday, August 25 - 10:00 am - Pine City Public Library

Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

Monday, September 12 - 12:30 pm - North Branch Area Library

The Leper by Steve Thayer

Thursday, Sept. 15 - 7:00 pm - Mille Lacs Lake Community

Library - The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamiton

Computer Classes

Thursday, August 25 - 9:00 am - Rush City Public Library

Senior Surf Internet class - Call 1-800-333-2433 to

pre-register; presented by Senior Linkage Line

Wednesday, September 14 - 2:00 pm - Princeton Area Library

Basic Computer Class - Limited class size - call library at

763-389-3753 to register

Thursday, September 15 - 2:00 pm - Princeton Area Library

Basic Internet & Email - Limited class size - call library at

763-689-3753 to register

Booksales

Saturday, August 20 - 10:00 am-5:00 - Rush City Friends of the

Library booksale in conjunction with Rush City's Music & Art

Festival. Look for their canopy in the park.

Saturday, August 20 - McGregor Friends of the Library Cookbook

Sale - McGregor City Wide Garage Sale

Saturday, September 3 - 9:00 am - 1:00 pm - McGregor Friends

of the Library Wild Rice Days Booksale

Book Talk/Book Signings

Tuesday, August 23 - 6:30 pm - Aitkin Public Library

"Conversations with Jon Hassler" by Jon's long-time friend,

Joe Plutt.

Saturday, September 10 - 11:00 am - North Branch Area Library

Love's Dream by Amy Falk & Journey for Freedom by Peter

Vodenka

Contact your local ECRL branch for more details for each event.

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 counties.

ECRL also receives state and federal funds.

Author of the Month

Dan Brown

If you enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code", try these new 2011 titles, all of which are being compared to Dan Brown's best-selling thriller:

*Magdalena Curse by Francis Cottam

*The Second Messiah by Glenn Meade

*Sanctus by Simon Toyne

New Novels Soon to Appear in the ECRL catalog:

Search for any of these items in the ECRL Online Catalog:

*Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

*Nightwoods by Charles Frazier

*Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

*Vault by Boyd Morrison

*I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck

*Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

New Dvds recently added to the ECRL catalog:

These are great "family films" released by Walt Disney and other studios!

Search for any of these items in the ECRL Online Catalog:

*The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)

*The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

*Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)

The Barefoot Executive (1971)

Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)

The Strongest Man in the World (1975)

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)

Focus on Historical Fiction

Search for any of these items on the ECRL Online Catalog:

Teen

*Book Thief by Markus Zusak

*Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

*Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

*Five 4ths of July by Pat Hughes

*Last Full Measure by Ann Rinaldi

Juvenile

*Crispin: the Cross of Lead by Avi

*Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

*Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (Newbery Winner)

*On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

*The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis