Thursday, October 31, 2013
Trick Or Treat!
Who says librarians don't have fun? Cheryl, Shirley and I got in the Halloween spirit today. And what better place than the Taos Public Library - full of boo-ks!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Show Us What You Got!
3rd Annual Teen Art Show
November 4th - November 8th
Artists must be in 7th - 12 grade
1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes awarded for traditional art & photography
Deadline for art submission is November 1st, by 5 pm.
Rules follow the jump-
Rules follow the jump-
Monday, October 28, 2013
Taos Big Read 2013
Join the Taos Public Library and SOMOS this Saturday, November 2nd for the Taos Big Read kickoff!
There will be free Mexican and New Mexican food, mariachi music, reading, coloring for the kids, and information about the month-long celebration of books and reading.
The first 100 adults will receive a free copy of Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories.
Children's kickoff: 10 AM - 12 PM
Adult's kickoff: 1 PM - 3 PM
~sponsored by SOMOS, Taos Public Library, and the National Endowment for the Arts~
Friday, October 25, 2013
How Much Did the Library Save You
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| Value of Services Used at Taos Public Library | |||||
| In the left most column is the number of times patrons used the library services described below with estimated retail values. The result is the savings to our patrons for utilizing library services in Fiscal Year July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013. | |||||
| 2013 Annual Report Statistics | Library Services | Average Retail Value | Value of services | ||
| 22399 | Adult Hardcover Books Borrowed | $26.95 | $603,653.05 | ||
| 26982 | Children's and Teen Books borrowed | $18.95 | $511,308.90 | ||
| 15300 | Paperback Books Borrowed | $9.00 | $137,700.00 | ||
| 41311 | Movies Borrowed | $2.00 | $ 82,622.00 | ||
| 6472 | Audiobooks Borrowed | $40.00 | $258,880.00 | ||
| 332 | Interlibrary Loans | $25.00 | $8,300.00 | ||
| 1989 | E-Books Downloaded | $10.00 | $19,890.00 | ||
| 406 | Audiobooks Downloaded | $20.00 | $8,120.00 | ||
| 2968 | Magazines Borrowed | $5.00 | $14,840.00 | ||
| 15540 | Magazines Read in the Library | $5.00 | $77,700.00 | ||
| 2142 | Newspapers Read in the Library | $1.00 | $2,142.00 | ||
| 5796 | Adult Programs Attended | $10.00 | $57,960.00 | ||
| 2120 | Children's and Teen Programs Attended | $6.00 | $12,720.00 | ||
| 29320 | Computer Use sessions | $12.00 | $351,840.00 | ||
| 2856 | One-to-one Computer Assistance | $30.00 | $85,680.00 | ||
| 60 | Online Language Learning | $20.00 | $1,200.00 | ||
| 1200 | Online Database Use | $20.00 | $24,000.00 | ||
| 4653 | Reference Questions Asked | $15.00 | $69,795.00 | ||
| 90 | Notary Services | $5.00 | $450.00 | ||
| 4590 | Free Wi-Fi | $13.00 | $59,670.00 | ||
| Total Value (Est. Cost to Use Alternatives) | $2,388,470.95 | ||||
| Return on Investment | |||||
| To determine Return on Investment: Cost to use Alternatives + expenditures paid directly back into community by the library (i.e. staff expenditures, janitorial, office supplies, etc.) divided by Total local Operating Funds. | |||||
| Cost to use alternatives | $2,388,470.95 | ||||
| Direct local expenditures | + | $40,800.97 | |||
| Compensation for Library staff (Salary & Benefits) | + | $472,582.00 | |||
| Total Value | $2,901,853.92 | ||||
| Local Operating Funds | / | $575,502.00 | |||
| Return per Dollar Invested | $5.04 | ||||
| Based on method used by Library Research Service's Colorado ROI Report | |||||
Monday, October 21, 2013
Excerpts from Neil Gaiman's Lecture on the Value of Libraries
Neil Gaiman recently gave a lecture in London, for the Reading Agency. Gaiman makes a strong case for libraries, reading, and daydreaming. Excerpts from his lecture were in The Guardian.
I found these quotes to be especially poignant during these challenging times of library closures or library hours being cut.
"But libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education (which is not a process that finishes the day we leave school or university), about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information."
"I worry that here in the 21st century people misunderstand what libraries are and the purpose of them. If you perceive a library as a shelf of books, it may seem antiquated or outdated in a world in which most, but not all, books in print exist digitally. But that is to miss the point fundamentally.
I think it has to do with nature of information. Information has value, and the right information has enormous value."
"Libraries really are the gates to the future. So it is unfortunate that, round the world, we observe local authorities seizing the opportunity to close libraries as an easy way to save money, without realising that they are stealing from the future to pay for today. They are closing the gates that should be open."
"Libraries are places that people go to for information. Books are only the tip of the information iceberg: they are there, and libraries can provide you freely and legally with books. More children are borrowing books from libraries than ever before – books of all kinds: paper and digital and audio. But libraries are also, for example, places that people, who may not have computers, who may not have internet connections, can go online without paying anything: hugely important when the way you find out about jobs, apply for jobs or apply for benefits is increasingly migrating exclusively online. Librarians can help these people navigate that world."
"We have an obligation to support libraries. To use libraries, to encourage others to use libraries, to protest the closure of libraries. If you do not value libraries then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future."
Neil Gaiman
I found these quotes to be especially poignant during these challenging times of library closures or library hours being cut.
"But libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education (which is not a process that finishes the day we leave school or university), about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information."
"I worry that here in the 21st century people misunderstand what libraries are and the purpose of them. If you perceive a library as a shelf of books, it may seem antiquated or outdated in a world in which most, but not all, books in print exist digitally. But that is to miss the point fundamentally.
I think it has to do with nature of information. Information has value, and the right information has enormous value."
"Libraries really are the gates to the future. So it is unfortunate that, round the world, we observe local authorities seizing the opportunity to close libraries as an easy way to save money, without realising that they are stealing from the future to pay for today. They are closing the gates that should be open."
"Libraries are places that people go to for information. Books are only the tip of the information iceberg: they are there, and libraries can provide you freely and legally with books. More children are borrowing books from libraries than ever before – books of all kinds: paper and digital and audio. But libraries are also, for example, places that people, who may not have computers, who may not have internet connections, can go online without paying anything: hugely important when the way you find out about jobs, apply for jobs or apply for benefits is increasingly migrating exclusively online. Librarians can help these people navigate that world."
"We have an obligation to support libraries. To use libraries, to encourage others to use libraries, to protest the closure of libraries. If you do not value libraries then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future."
Neil Gaiman
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Last Book Sale of the Year, This Saturday!
The sale will be at the Taos Farmers market Saturday, October 19th, from 8:00 am-1:00 pm.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Confused About New Health Insurance Exchanges?
Here are some helpful links about how Obamacare will work and who will most benefit by the plans:
-Overview from the New York Times.
-New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange article
-Health Insurance Marketplace
-New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange Website
Don't hesitate to stop in at the library reference desk if you'd like assistance with getting information on New Mexico health insurance exchange.
-Overview from the New York Times.
-New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange article
-Health Insurance Marketplace
-New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange Website
Don't hesitate to stop in at the library reference desk if you'd like assistance with getting information on New Mexico health insurance exchange.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Staff Picks Of The Month - September And October
September slipped away before I had a chance to post our picks. So here's two months worth! Starting with my September pick: Mockingbird, by Charles J. Shields
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