We are excited to announce the addition of 2 Kindle Fire tech products to our ever-expanding inventory. They were added to our catalog today, and I barely attached the laminated tags to them before they were checked out, and out the door. One of them is designated solely for faculty/staff on loan for 2 weeks, while the second one is allowed to be checked out by everyone, including all of our students (also with a 2-week loan period). You will need an Amazon account to log in for reading books. You won’t need login info for browsing the Internet or checking email. It’s a great way to become familiar with them to see if you would like to buy one later. They are listed under our borrowing equipment umbrella in the wiki. Enjoy!

With the new year comes change, and LIS is no exception. Check out the varied display of local books on the main level next to our DVD area.  From Patti Smith’s Just Kids, to Chris Bohjalian’s The Night Strangers, you will appreciate our range of topics. One particular standout is from faculty and author Andrea Olsen, an absolute treasure in the dance department. Her recent publication, Body and Earth, An Experiential Guide, features a forward written by John Elder, & preface from Bill McKibbon, so you can’t miss, considering this Midd triumverate. Then there is the true story, The Man Who Cycled the World, by Mark Beaumont, detailing how he demolished the Guinness World Record in 81 days. Several outstanding novels are on the shelf; The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht is one of the ten best books on the NY Times Book Review, and Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, is a National Book Award Winner, just to mention a couple. If you wander downstairs you will see popular magazines lining the front racks. Current issues of Esquire, PC World, Vogue, Mother Jones, Time, National Review and many others are conveniently displayed, so you can keep up with weekly news and entertainment events in a comfy setting.  Add a cup of joe or hot tea from the cafe, and the joys of a Midd J-Term winter’s night can be cozy and as imaginative as you wish! Welcome 2012, and to your J-term!

Valuable information was gathered at the recent Access Services conference held at Georgia Tech. Learning various customer service styles and techniques utilized in libraries ranging from student populations of 2,000 to 48,000 was eye-opening. The major takeaway was how change is now the “new normal.”  Integrating new technologies and innovation with excellent customer service were major themes. Tips on Reserves policies & procedures, merged libraries, media, student employees & professionalism at the Circ Desk, Reference, privacy/confidentiality issues were topics of interest. Info regarding maximizing customer and employee satisfaction was particularly enlightening. Power Point presentations will be available from the conference site in January 2012, but I am receiving some of these presentations directly from specific schools for my reference. I will place them in our Conference folder in the 2011 Orgs drive.

 Below is a sign-up sheet for everyone who would like to participate in our summer picnic celebration next Thursday, 8/25, 3:00 P.M. at the Roy residence (location details in an email will follow this post). We have something for everyone…whether you love to cook by preparing a side dish, entree or by baking a dessert, you can decide. We will need beverages brought to the picnic too. You might enjoy taking part in the setup procedure (purchase utensils and paper plates/cups), while others might prefer cleaning up at the end of the party. This will be a fun way to celebrate the last weeks of summer with our fellow LIS staff members. We look forward to seeing you there! Families/partners are welcome!    Pot-luck sign up