October 2013

Volume 3, Issue 10

E-Connect

Minnesota Library Conference Held

The MLA Annual Conference last week was a great experience. With the conference in St Cloud this year, we encouraged Branch Librarians and Headquarters Supervisors to attend. All the attendees were energized by the sessions they attended, and we know that their public service will be turned up a notch (or 2 or 3) with all the great ideas that were presented by state and national presenters. More than 400 people attended the 2013 conference - 16 of them had ECRL on their name badge.

We're proud of notable awards and mentions from ECRL as well as the contributions by ECRL staff to the conference.

* Carla Lydon, ECRL Assistant Director, was elected to the MLA Board
* Friends of the Cambridge Library won the Evy Nordley Award for Best Project by Friends of Libraries (see article below). This was the 2nd time they won the award, they also won in 2009. (The Friends of the North Branch Library were also nominated for the award this year)
* The "Hall of Fame" listed 2 longevity of membership award winners: Katherrine Morrow for 10 years and Tom Sauer for 5 years
* Vickie Sorn, as Chair of the State Summer Reading Program Committee, oversaw the information booth introducing the new Illinois iReads program that will begin in 2014
* Karen Lee was a co-presenter for the program by the Minnesota Association of Library Friends about Friends programs and also accepted the award for the best program
* Lisa Wagner was a conference volunteer, and introduced programs. She also was a contestant in the Thursday night trivia contest
* Sarah Hawkins, in charge of ECRL's Twitter marketing initiative, tweeted highlights throughout the conference.

Upcoming Legacy Programs

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

Author Joe Kimball

North Branch Area Library

Monday, October 21 - 6:30 pm

Join us for an author talk and book signing as Joe Kimball talks about his popular book, Secrets of the Congdon Mansion. It's the perfect precursor to our bus trips to the Glensheen Mansion later in October and early November.

Author Chad Lewis

Rush City Public Library

Monday, October 28 - 6:30 pm

Stop by the library to hear about some of the scariest places in Minnesota. Author Chad Lewis will take the audience on a ghostly journey to some of the most haunted places in Minnesota. You'll learn about phantom creatures to graveyard apparitions.

Author Jess Lourey Presents After the Idea: A Writing Workshop

Pine City Public Library

Saturday, November 9 - 10:00 am

Join us as author Jess Lourey presents a 2 hour presentation directed primarily at writers in any genre and skill level. Class size is limited. Pre-register by calling the library at 320-692-6403 or stopping by. For ages 13 and older. Part of Pine City's NaNoWriMo celebration.

Author Julie Kramer

Pine City Public Library

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Listen as journalist turned novelist, mystery and thriller writer, Julie Kramer, visits the Pine City library to talk about her series set in the world of TV news. Books will be available for purchase. Part of Pine City's NaNoWriMo celebration.

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 read our tweets on Twitter.

Computer Basics Classes to be Offered

A series of computer classes made possible with funds from a Blandin Foundation Community Grant in partnership with Mille Lacs County and East Central Regional Library will be held starting in October and ending in January. They include a basic computer class, an internet/email class and a class on social networking.

In late October and early November the three Mille Lacs County branches of East Central Regional Library (Milaca, Mille Lacs Lake (Isle) and Princeton) will be offering the first class on computer basics. These classes are for those with little or no computer experience and will be presented by computer trainer, Barbara Fredrickson.

The class will introduce terminology specific to computers (hardware) and web browsers and other programs (software). The class will be conducted on library computers, so there is no need to own a computer to participate.

Space is limited for the class and you MUST pre-register by calling the library. No computer experience is necessary for this class.

The schedule for the upcoming basic computer class is below:

Milaca Community Library - Tuesday, October 22 - 6:30 pm
Register by October 19 by calling 320-983-3677

Princeton Area Library - Thursday, October 24 - 6:30 pm
Register by October 21 by calling 763-389-3753

Princeton Area Library - Tuesday, October 29 - 6:30 pm
Register by October 26 by calling 763-389-3753

Milaca Community Library - Saturday, November 2 - 11:00 am
Register by October 30 by calling 320-983-3677

Mille Lacs Lake Community Library - Thursday, November 7- 6:30 pm
Register by November 4 by calling 320-676-3929

Mille Lacs Lake Community Library - Saturday, November 9 - 11:00 am
Register by November 6 by calling 320-676-3929

The schedule for the upcoming Internet/email class is below:

Basic computer skills required for this class.

Milaca Community Library - Thursday, November 14 - 6:30 pm

Mille Lacs Lake Community Library - Saturday, Nov. 16 - 11:00 am

Princeton Area Library - Thursday, November 21 - 6:30 pm

Pictured left to right: Barbara Byers, Mary Ann Bernat, Nancy Dunbar, Karen Lee & Chris Olson

Friends of Cambridge Public Library Win Award!

On Friday, October 11 at the recent Minnesota Library Association Conference in St. Cloud, the Friends of the
Cambridge Public Library were presented the Evy Nordlley Best Project award by the Minnesota Association of
Library Friends (MALF). The Friends won for their "Saving the Library Budget" project. This project was integral
in restoring the loss in open hours at the Cambridge Public Library after a budget cut by Isanti County in 2012.

The Evy Nordley Best Project by Friends Award (top prize $1,000) recognizes innovative programs and projects orchestrated by library supporters on behalf of their branch or system. The Friends of the Cambridge Library were awarded the $1000 prize and a plaque. Certificates of Recognition were given to the other two finalists including the Friends of the Duluth Public Library for their Author Series and to the Two Harbors Public Library for their Love Your Library campaign. Congratulations to the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library!

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.

Author of the Month:
Susan Wittig Albert

Known for her China Bayles mystery series, Albert also writes under the pseudonym "Robin Paige" with her husband, Bill Albert. A Wilder Rose, a novel based on the literary collaboration between Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane, has just been published.

If you enjoy Albert's novels, try these authors: Nancy Atherton, Laura Childs, Louise Penny, Carolyn Hart, Ann B. Ross,

Forthcoming Print Fiction in the ECRL catalog:

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

*A Wilder Rose by Susan Wittig Albert
*Purgatory by Ken Bruen
*Taken by the Wind by Ellen Hart
*Morning Glory by Sarah Jio
*Nasty Piece of Work by Robert Littell
*Three Can Keep a Secret by Archer Mayor
*The Peerless Four by Victoria Patterson
*Heavens Rise by Christopher Rice

Forthcoming DVDs to the ECRL catalog:

Search for any of these in the ECRL Online Catalog

*Byzantium (2013) starring Gemma Arterton
*The Conjuring (2013) starring Vera Farmiga
*Flowers for Annie (2013) starring Pat Brinkley
*The Internship (2013) starring Vince Vaughan
*Last Tango in Halifax (2013) starring Derek Jacobi
*O Pioneers! (1992) starring Jessica Lange
*Parkland (2013) starring Zac Efron
*Spies of Warsaw (2013) starring David Tennant

Forthcoming Print Non-Fiction in the ECRL Catalog

Search for any of these titles in the ECRL Catalog

*Incident at Otterville Station by John Christgau
*Writers Between the Covers by Joni Rendon
*The Last Cowboy: A Life of Tom Landry by Mark Ribowsky
*Si-Cology 101 by Si Robertson
*Practice to Deceive by Ann Rule
*How to Ace a Job Interview by Stuart Taylor
*Passion for Bread by Lionel Vatinet
*Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie by Peggy Wolff

New ECRL Overdrive Titles

(Search for any these in the Overdrive catalog)

eBook Titles

*Classified by Fern Michaels
*Dune by Frank Herbert
*First Cut by Catherine Coulter
*Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
*Never Go Back by Lee Child
*Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis

eAudio Titles

*2nd Chance by James Patterson
*Deadline by Sandra Brown
*Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson
*Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
*W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton
*Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson

Did You Know?

*October is German-American Heritage Month

*Teen Read Week is October 13-19

*"I Love Lucy" premiered on October 15, 1951

*National Friends of Libraries Week is October 20-26

*The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurred on October 26, 1881

*National Cat Day is Oct. 29

*Mount Rushmore was completed on October 31, 1941

2012 Legacy Programming Figures In

During the 2012 Legacy programming year, East Central Regional Library

held 154 programs throughout the six-county region with 11,463 people

attending the events. Plus out of those 154 programs, 74 partnerships were established to assist in presenting these programs.

Among the programs included: Meet the Authors Tour II, a bus trip to the Swedish Institute, a visit by the Minnesota Zoomobile and a writing workshop with Angela Foster. There was truly something for everyone!