News from East Central Regional Library

June 2012

Volume 2, Issue 6

E-Connect

Digital Library Expansion Coming Soon

Since ECRL launched eBook service on November 17th, 2011, over 2,000 users have registered their library card numbers to download eBooks. In fact there has only been only day in that time period when no new user signed up - and that was that beautiful sunny Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. We've purchased over 2,300 eBooks, and they're getting constant use. 500 of the titles have been checked out between 10 and 47 times. 133 of them currently have waiting lists. We began offering eBooks at the request of our users, and they seem to be well pleased.

eBooks are digital books that are downloaded to be read on a personally owned display device (such as Nook, Kindle, etc). Starting the first day of summer, June 20th, ECRL useres will be able to check out eAudio Books- digital books that can be downloaded through the Internet and copied to a personal listening device (such as an MP3 player). eAudio books are very popular for people who want to listen while moving (traveling, exercising, etc.)

eAudio books will be searched for and checked out through the same online service that provides our eBooks.

Welcome Robin Duple - Pine City Branch Librarian

ECRL would like to welcome new Branch Librarian, Robin Duple. Robin replaces former Pine City Branch Librarian, Sarah Biro, who accepted the position of Chisago Lakes Branch Librarian (see article below). Robin comes to ECRL from Missouri, where she was a Library Associate at the Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia. While there, Robin assisted patrons with their reference needs and was active in writing articles for both the adult and teen blogs. Robin also has public library experience from her time at Waterloo Public Library in Iowa where she was a Circulation Assistant. Robin received her Master of Library and Information Science Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Bachelor Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa. As the new Pine City Branch Librarian, Robin will strive to provide the community with the best library services and materials possible and will do so by maintaining open channels of communication with the community, in order to adapt the library's offerings to meet the community's changing needs. She is eager to meet and get to know the residents of Pine City so be sure to stop by and wish her well. Robin's first day at Pine City was June 1.

Congratulations to Sarah Biro - Chisago Lakes Branch Librarian

ECRL would like to congratulate Sarah Biro, the new Chisago Lakes Branch Librarian. Sarah has been with ECRL since July 2011 as the Pine City Branch Librarian. Sarah accepted the position in Chisago Lakes this February when previous Branch Librarian, Carla Lydon, became ECRL's Assistant Director. Sarah has many years of experience working in public libraries in Minnesota prior to starting with ECRL having worked for both Anoka County Libraries and Great River Regional Libraries. Sarah has a Master of Library and Information Science from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History/Political Science from the College of St. Benedict. Sarah believes a public librarian's work is all about building connections: with patrons, with community partners and with staff. In her new position, she will actively work to build those connections and to promote the library system through programming, activities and community contacts in the Chisago Lakes Area. Please join us in wishing her much success in her new position.

Upcoming Children's Legacy Programming

Wendy's Wiggle Jiggle & Jam

Saturday, June 16 - 11:30 am - Onamia Link Site - Onamia Depot

Monday, June 18 - 10:30 am - Askov Community Center

Monday, June 18 - 1:30 pm - Duquette Hall

Thursday, June 21 - 10:00 am - Wagner Town Hall - Giese

Thursday, June 21 - 12:30 pm - McGrath Pavillion

Ventriloquist James Wedgwood

Thursday, June 21 - 2:00 pm - Chisago Lakes Area Library

Upcoming Family Legacy Programs

An Evening with Local Bronze Sculptor, Ian Dudley

Tuesday, June 19 - 7:00 pm - Chisago Lakes Area Library

Comedian C. Willi Myles

Friday, June 22 - 4:00 pm - The Art of Storytelling - McGregor Public Library

Friday, June 22 - 7:00 pm - Family Friendly Comedy Performance - McGregor School Auditorium

Aerialist Laura Ernst

June 23 @ 6:00 pm - Ostrand Fine Arts Center located at the Hinckley-Finlayson High School

Barbary Coast Dixieland Jazz

June 24 @ 3:00 pm - Mora Library Park gazebo next to the Mora Public Library (in case of inclement weather, the program will be held in the library basement).

*All events are free and open to the public!

*All programs funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Call your local ECRL branch for more information on each program.

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: James M. Cain

Long associated with the "hardboiled" school of American crime fiction, Cain wrote many novels that were made into film noir classics, including "Double Indemnity" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice". Last year, an unknown and provocative Cain manuscript was discovered. Hard Case Crime will publish "The Cocktail Waitress" in September . For fans of the genre, "It's like finding a lost manuscript by Hemingway", according to editor Charles Ardai.

New Novels in the ECRL catalog:

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

*Conviction by Robert Dugoni

*Burning Midnight by Loren D. Estleman
*Winter of the World by Ken Follett
*Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory
*Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
*Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
*Home for the Summer by Mariah Stewart
*Black List by Brad Thor

New DVDs recently added to the ECRL catalog:

Search for any of these in the ECRL Online Catalog

*Twentieth Century (1934) starring Carole Lombard
*Listen, Darling (1938) starring Judy Garland
*Body and Soul (1947) starring John Garfield
*Johnny Guitar (1954) starring Joan Crawford
*Gypsy (1962) starring Natalie Wood
*The Great Gatsby (1974) starring Robert Redford
*Manhattan (1979) starring Woody Allen
*The Hunger Games (2012) starring Jennifer Lawrence

New Non-Fiction Soon to Appear inthe ECRL Catalog

Search for any of these titles in the ECRL Catalog

*Selecting a President by Eleanor Clift
*Art of the Hot Rod by Ken Gross
*Fresh Fruit Cleanse by Leanne Hall
*Joy of Decorating by Phoebe Howard
*Against Wind and Tide by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
*Hell in the Pacific by Jim McEnery
*Discover USA's Best National Parks by Danny Palmerlee
*Watergate: The Hidden History by Lamar Waldron

Celebrate Summer!

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

Picture Books

*Flip Flop by Dana Meachen Rau

*Frogs and Friends: Best Summer Ever by Eve Bunting

*Hooray Summer by Kazuo Iwamura

*Mama, Is it Summer Yet by Nikki McClure

*Now It Is Summer by Eileen Spinelli

*Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Lee

Juvenile Fiction &

Non-Fiction Books

*Cara and the Camp Fairy by Daisy Meadows

*Hold the Pickles by Vicki Grant

*Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald

*Melonhead and the Big Stink by Katy Kelly

*My Life as a Book by Jake Tashjian

Teen Books

*Alice on Board by Sharon Draper

*From Willa, With Love by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
*Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

*It's Not Summer Without You by Jerry Han

*Star Shack by Lisa Castle