We are in the process of moving our Holy Cross branch. On Wednesday and Thursday we had tons of volunteers who moved shelves, assembled furniture, loaded book carts, and help with anything else we needed. Thank you so much!! Where would we be without our Friends? I also want to thank my staff who pitched in and did such a lot of work!
There is still work to do at Holy Cross and so we hope to be open later next week depending on the weather. We would rather not move computers in a snowstorm. But, the space is beautiful. There is so much light. And we have new furniture! We will have an open house in the near future and you simply have to come see our new digs.
Speaking of open houses, the next Friends open house is at our Asbury branch on Saturday, March 2nd from 10 a.m. until noon. Come have a cookie and lemonade and sign up for the great door prizes provided by the Friends. Friends members would love to chat about what the organization does to support the Library and City Manager, Beth Bonz, will be here to talk about the community campus project in Asbury which would include City Hall, the Police Department, and the Library.
I should never pay attention to weather forecasters. It's not their fault, but you really can't predict Iowa snowstorms. I cancelled our All Iowa Reads book discussion for Thursday evening and it didn't even start snowing until rather late in the evening. So, the discussion is rescheduled for Thursday, February 28th at 6:00 p.m. at our NICC/Branch Library. This gives you another chance to read "The Year We Left Home" by Jean Thompson and join us! Copies are available at all of our branches. In March, we will be reading and discussing Fanny Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe."
The Library Board has been busy with financial matters this past month and will hold a public hearing on the library budget on Wednesday, March 6th at 6:00 p.m. at our Drexler/Farley branch. The County will hold its public hearing on March 11th. The Supervisors are tightening up all of the county department budgets and the library is no exception. The Supervisors are cutting 4.4% from the current year and 3.7% from next year's budget. The largest decreases are in our book and programming lines.
The Library Board voted this week to participate in the Library Services Advisory Committee for Dubuque County. This is a new task force to study library services and see where we can share resources, reduce costs, and provide quality service at all the libraries in the county. The committee will be planning town hall meetings and forums all over the county to ask our customers how we can improve library service. Those meetings will begin later in March.
This weekend my family is gathering here for my husband's birthday. It's a milestone one. Let's keep our fingers crossed for safe travel. Have a great weekend. Dawn
Friday, February 22, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
We're Moving!
What would it be like if Dubuque County Library wasn't moving? I don't know. This is the third move we have done in the last year and a half. But every one of the changes has provided more beautiful space, increased visibility, more open hours, and more programming options. Now it is Holy Cross branch's turn. The library is moving to new digs on Main Street. We are moving into the Fire Department building and our new address is 895 Main Street. We will be just across the street from Main St. Market.
We are so grateful to the City of Holy Cross and the Fire Department for providing this space. The library will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 20 through Saturday, Feb. 23rd for the move and re-open on Monday, Feb. 25th at 3:00 p.m. The new space is technically no larger than our current location, but we have wonderful windows and handicapped accessible rest rooms. In the future we hope to finish the lower level space for programming and meetings. The City Clerk's office is also moving to the new space in a couple of weeks.
Watch for the announcement of our Open House in March.
Tomorrow the Friends are hosting an open house at our Epworth branch from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Stop by and talk with Friends to learn about what they do for the library. There will be cookies and lemonade and free books for the kids courtesy of Community Inc. who publishes 365Ink. Visitors may also register for grand prizes which include beautiful books, games, and a brand new color Nook!
Don't forget to pick up a copy of the All Iowa Reads discussion book at your local branch. The discussion is Thursday, Feb. 21th at 6:30 p.m. at our NICC/Peosta branch.
The Library is the place to stop for your federal and state tax forms. Our Asbury branch has paper copies of many of the common forms and instructions. All of our branches will be happy to print any of the forms you need from the online websites. You will need to pay for the photocopies, but you can get any of the forms including all the specialized ones.
All of our locations are closed on Monday, February 18th for President's Day which is a county holiday.
Have a great weekend. Dawn
We are so grateful to the City of Holy Cross and the Fire Department for providing this space. The library will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 20 through Saturday, Feb. 23rd for the move and re-open on Monday, Feb. 25th at 3:00 p.m. The new space is technically no larger than our current location, but we have wonderful windows and handicapped accessible rest rooms. In the future we hope to finish the lower level space for programming and meetings. The City Clerk's office is also moving to the new space in a couple of weeks.
Watch for the announcement of our Open House in March.
Tomorrow the Friends are hosting an open house at our Epworth branch from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Stop by and talk with Friends to learn about what they do for the library. There will be cookies and lemonade and free books for the kids courtesy of Community Inc. who publishes 365Ink. Visitors may also register for grand prizes which include beautiful books, games, and a brand new color Nook!
Don't forget to pick up a copy of the All Iowa Reads discussion book at your local branch. The discussion is Thursday, Feb. 21th at 6:30 p.m. at our NICC/Peosta branch.
The Library is the place to stop for your federal and state tax forms. Our Asbury branch has paper copies of many of the common forms and instructions. All of our branches will be happy to print any of the forms you need from the online websites. You will need to pay for the photocopies, but you can get any of the forms including all the specialized ones.
All of our locations are closed on Monday, February 18th for President's Day which is a county holiday.
Have a great weekend. Dawn
Friday, February 8, 2013
All Iowa Reads
What a change a day can bring? This afternoon the sun is shining and the snow is melting. Contrary to last night when I drove home in a snowstorm. Don't you love Iowa?
Speaking of love, don't you just love your friends? I do. And I love my library friends group. To celebrate the month of love (we have to think of something pleasant in February, right?), the Friends of the Dubuque County Library are hosting a series of open houses at each of our branches.
Tomorrow stop by our Drexler Middle School location in Farley. It is a beautiful space with convenient parking. From 10 am to noon, Friends members will be there to greet you with light refreshments. They would love to talk to you about what the friends do for the library and you can enter to win a "cornucopia" of prizes including books, games, and a Nook tablet. There will be free books for the kids courtesy of Bryce Parks at Community Incorporated.
Next up on Saturday, February 16th the open house moves to our Epworth branch. You won't want to miss the festivities.
On February 21st, our library book group will be discussing the 2013 All Iowa Reads selection, "The Year We Left Home" by Jean Thompson. Here is how one Amazon reviewer described the book, "The novel is bookended by two wars - the Vietnam War and the Iraqi War. It begins in 1973 when the Erickson family of Grenada, Iowa, gathers to celebrate the marriage of the eldest daughter, Anita. As some family members - the parents, Anita and her new husband Jeff - get ready to take their place in pre-defined roles, others are restlessly searching for a way out of Iowa - notably, her brother Ryan. As this fiercely American novel takes this family down the road of its personal setbacks and triumphs, the country, too, is going through its own weaving road: from war to peace to war again, through economic booms to heartbreaking farm crises, from conventional values to sweeping changes. As the family disperses, each must strive to get back to that central core, a place to feel at ease. " Don't we all want to go home?
The book discussion will begin at 6:30 at our NICC/Peosta branch. Copies of the novel are available for loan at each of our branches. There is also a list of discussion questions to guide you through the reading.
All Iowa Reads is a program sponsored by the Iowa Center for the Book at the State Library of Iowa. The program encourages readers all across the state to discuss the same book.
Enjoy the sunshine while you can, have a great weekend. Dawn
Speaking of love, don't you just love your friends? I do. And I love my library friends group. To celebrate the month of love (we have to think of something pleasant in February, right?), the Friends of the Dubuque County Library are hosting a series of open houses at each of our branches.
Tomorrow stop by our Drexler Middle School location in Farley. It is a beautiful space with convenient parking. From 10 am to noon, Friends members will be there to greet you with light refreshments. They would love to talk to you about what the friends do for the library and you can enter to win a "cornucopia" of prizes including books, games, and a Nook tablet. There will be free books for the kids courtesy of Bryce Parks at Community Incorporated.
Next up on Saturday, February 16th the open house moves to our Epworth branch. You won't want to miss the festivities.
On February 21st, our library book group will be discussing the 2013 All Iowa Reads selection, "The Year We Left Home" by Jean Thompson. Here is how one Amazon reviewer described the book, "The novel is bookended by two wars - the Vietnam War and the Iraqi War. It begins in 1973 when the Erickson family of Grenada, Iowa, gathers to celebrate the marriage of the eldest daughter, Anita. As some family members - the parents, Anita and her new husband Jeff - get ready to take their place in pre-defined roles, others are restlessly searching for a way out of Iowa - notably, her brother Ryan. As this fiercely American novel takes this family down the road of its personal setbacks and triumphs, the country, too, is going through its own weaving road: from war to peace to war again, through economic booms to heartbreaking farm crises, from conventional values to sweeping changes. As the family disperses, each must strive to get back to that central core, a place to feel at ease. " Don't we all want to go home?
The book discussion will begin at 6:30 at our NICC/Peosta branch. Copies of the novel are available for loan at each of our branches. There is also a list of discussion questions to guide you through the reading.
All Iowa Reads is a program sponsored by the Iowa Center for the Book at the State Library of Iowa. The program encourages readers all across the state to discuss the same book.
Enjoy the sunshine while you can, have a great weekend. Dawn
Friday, February 1, 2013
Learning at your fingertips
Winter has been tough on us the last few weeks. We had to cancel our December board meeting because of the whopper snowstorm. The Board squeaked in a meeting on January 7th to pay December bills and this week we had to cancel the board meeting again because of the snow and high winds. The snow gods must be angry with us. Again we are sneaking in a board meeting this evening to pay the bills. The agenda is posted at all of our branches and on the website. The Public Hearing which was also scheduled for Wednesday evening will have to be rescheduled. It will be held later this month. That's okay because the Board of Supervisors is still deliberating on the budget.
The budget news so far is grim. The Supervisors are cutting every department down to the bare basics. I am concerned for our book and DVD budgets as well as our programming funding. If you have read our annual report (which is available on our website) you can tell that our usage is up. Circulation is growing and so is program attendance. I know that you and I both want that to continue. Please make it known to the Supervisors that you value library service and want it adequately funded.
Speaking of library service, the Library Board of Trustees has approved our library's participation in a county-wide library services committee. The first organizational meeting of this new committee is next Monday. At that meeting we will determine the type and number of volunteers we would like to serve on the committee. If you are interested in the future of library service, send me an email and let me know you would like to serve on the committee. My email is dawnh@dubcolib.lib.ia.us. My phone number is 563-582-0008.
The Library has a brand new resource available to our customers: Learning Express. Learning Express is a library of tests and study skills to help students of all ages. If you want to brush up on your algebra, resume writing, spelling, etc. there is a study session and tests for you to improve your skills. There are sections for all ages. It can help your child increase reading comprehensive and learn those essential multiplication tables. Plus there is study information and practice tests for the SAT, ACT, GED, and the U.S. Citizenship exam. Imagine being able to help your student study at home for these very important tests. Learning Express is a very easy to use site and all of it is free if you have a library card. Go to the library's website: www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us and click on the Learning Express icon on the left-side of the page.
Learning Express is being provided to the library free of charge for one year by the State Library of Iowa. If you find it useful, let us know.
Remember the first of the Friends of Dubuque County Library Open Houses is tomorrow at our NICC/Peosta branch. Stop by between 10:00 and noon for a tour and enjoy some lemonade and cookies. You can enter to win a brand new ereader courtesty of the Friends. Explore our lovely library, meet some of our Friends members, and learn about all the wonderful things Friends do for us.
I know it's cold, but we are tough Iowans, so get out there and enjoy the weekend. Dawn
The budget news so far is grim. The Supervisors are cutting every department down to the bare basics. I am concerned for our book and DVD budgets as well as our programming funding. If you have read our annual report (which is available on our website) you can tell that our usage is up. Circulation is growing and so is program attendance. I know that you and I both want that to continue. Please make it known to the Supervisors that you value library service and want it adequately funded.
Speaking of library service, the Library Board of Trustees has approved our library's participation in a county-wide library services committee. The first organizational meeting of this new committee is next Monday. At that meeting we will determine the type and number of volunteers we would like to serve on the committee. If you are interested in the future of library service, send me an email and let me know you would like to serve on the committee. My email is dawnh@dubcolib.lib.ia.us. My phone number is 563-582-0008.
The Library has a brand new resource available to our customers: Learning Express. Learning Express is a library of tests and study skills to help students of all ages. If you want to brush up on your algebra, resume writing, spelling, etc. there is a study session and tests for you to improve your skills. There are sections for all ages. It can help your child increase reading comprehensive and learn those essential multiplication tables. Plus there is study information and practice tests for the SAT, ACT, GED, and the U.S. Citizenship exam. Imagine being able to help your student study at home for these very important tests. Learning Express is a very easy to use site and all of it is free if you have a library card. Go to the library's website: www.dubcolib.lib.ia.us and click on the Learning Express icon on the left-side of the page.
Learning Express is being provided to the library free of charge for one year by the State Library of Iowa. If you find it useful, let us know.
Remember the first of the Friends of Dubuque County Library Open Houses is tomorrow at our NICC/Peosta branch. Stop by between 10:00 and noon for a tour and enjoy some lemonade and cookies. You can enter to win a brand new ereader courtesty of the Friends. Explore our lovely library, meet some of our Friends members, and learn about all the wonderful things Friends do for us.
I know it's cold, but we are tough Iowans, so get out there and enjoy the weekend. Dawn
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