Join Us On Monday
March 5th
7:00 PM
Rochester Public Library Auditorium
Guest Presenter:
Vicki Wendel
Showing posts with label Rochester Public Library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rochester Public Library. Show all posts
Friday, March 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Book Review - Thirty Rooms to Hide In
Book Review
Thirty Rooms to Hide In
Luke Longstreet Sullivan
"'The Shining... but funnier.'That's about the best way I can describe Thirty Rooms To Hide In. It's the story of growing up with my five brothers in a big house in Minnesota. Yet even with winters raging outside and our father raging within, our mother's protection allowed us to have a wildly fun, thoroughly dysfunc-tional time growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s."
~ Luke Longstreet Sullivan
I rarely enjoy memoirs, so it was with no little amount of reservation that I began reading Thirty Rooms to Hide In at the suggestion of one of my Facebook Friends, who mentioned that it was her book club's current selection and that she just "couldn't put it down." Probably I would've let the suggestion go at simply that - a suggestion - but then she mentioned that it was not just a memoir; but the memoir of a child who'd grown up in Rochester and who's father was a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon. And then I realized: the family had lived in one of those gorgeous homes that so many of the Mayo doctors lived in! Wow! What would it be like to live in one of those homes? What would it be like to grow up in one of those homes? With that, I was sold. I had to read this book just to satisfy my voyeuristic nature, if nothing else.
To my surprise, this book was very well-done and much like the author had tagged it - "The Shining...but funnier." But, unlike my expectations, it wasn't "funnier" in a comedic way; but "funnier" in the way that sometimes you simply have to laugh to survive, kind of way.
Thirty Rooms to Hide In is a memoir by the 5th son of a well-respected 1950s Mayo Clinic surgeon (Dr. Roger Sullivan) who, while brilliant, suffered from severe alcoholism and mental instability. The onset of his disease was subtle but, once engaged, grabbed ahold of the young doctor and changed the lives of his wife and children forever.
In a time when alcoholism and chemical dependency were not fully understood, and domestic abuse was "between a husband and his wife," there was no safety net to catch the family as the bottom fell out from beneath their feet at their father and husband's loss of sanity.
Thirty Rooms to Hide In is a gripping memoir that takes the reader back to the 1950s and '60s when the rules of society were more repressed, the Cold War was a daily threat, and "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll" were just beginning to hit the landscape...but not so much in the small and conservative town of Rochester, Minnesota.
Throughout the book, the author vacillates between the rebellious antics of he and his five brothers as they struggled to understand and cope with their father's behavior, and on their mother - Myra Longstreet Sullivan - who deserves a great deal of credit for the love she brought to their home in spite of the fear and oppression that was their daily lives. As a reader, I found her to be an inspiration to all mothers on how to not only survive, but to persevere against the most insurmountable odds.
Thirty Rooms to Hide In is a fantastic, though sometimes painful, read; and one I would recommend especially to Rochester readers as it tells the story of "one of our own."
This book is available at the Rochester Public Library and through SELCO interlibrary loan. For more information about this book, visit the author's website dedicated to this book at www.thirtyroomstohidein.com. There you can find more information about the author's life, video footage from their youth, letters and diary entries from that era, audio sound bytes of the two oldest brothers' band, photographs from the author's youth and the grown men he and his brothers have become today.
~ Catherine H. Armstrong
Thirty Rooms to Hide In is a memoir by the 5th son of a well-respected 1950s Mayo Clinic surgeon (Dr. Roger Sullivan) who, while brilliant, suffered from severe alcoholism and mental instability. The onset of his disease was subtle but, once engaged, grabbed ahold of the young doctor and changed the lives of his wife and children forever.
In a time when alcoholism and chemical dependency were not fully understood, and domestic abuse was "between a husband and his wife," there was no safety net to catch the family as the bottom fell out from beneath their feet at their father and husband's loss of sanity.
Thirty Rooms to Hide In is a gripping memoir that takes the reader back to the 1950s and '60s when the rules of society were more repressed, the Cold War was a daily threat, and "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll" were just beginning to hit the landscape...but not so much in the small and conservative town of Rochester, Minnesota.
Throughout the book, the author vacillates between the rebellious antics of he and his five brothers as they struggled to understand and cope with their father's behavior, and on their mother - Myra Longstreet Sullivan - who deserves a great deal of credit for the love she brought to their home in spite of the fear and oppression that was their daily lives. As a reader, I found her to be an inspiration to all mothers on how to not only survive, but to persevere against the most insurmountable odds.
Thirty Rooms to Hide In is a fantastic, though sometimes painful, read; and one I would recommend especially to Rochester readers as it tells the story of "one of our own."
This book is available at the Rochester Public Library and through SELCO interlibrary loan. For more information about this book, visit the author's website dedicated to this book at www.thirtyroomstohidein.com. There you can find more information about the author's life, video footage from their youth, letters and diary entries from that era, audio sound bytes of the two oldest brothers' band, photographs from the author's youth and the grown men he and his brothers have become today.
~ Catherine H. Armstrong
Monday, February 27, 2012
Whisky Tasting
“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live”
A special tasting and seminar of Laphroaig as a fund raiser for the Rochester Public Library will be taking place on Thursday, March 8, 2012 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Plummer House (1091 Plummer Lane SW, Rochester, MN)
Born
in Tallahassee, Florida this true Florida native now calls the Midwest
her home. Well-known in the Minnesota/Wisconsin market Stacey has
represented many of the leading Scotch brands in the spirits industry.
Today however, her true passion for the Islay region has paved the way
to her present position as a Laphroaig Brand Ambassador and Official
Minnesota Protector of the Peat.For more than 10 years Stacey has lead hundreds of presentations for consumers and now focuses her area of expertise in Scotch whisky tastings for bartenders, social organizations and novice scotch enthusiasts alike. Both informative and entertaining, her presentations have made her an in-demand speaker and spokesperson.
Stacey’s love of Laphroaig will not be mistaken as she walks you thru the fascinating and seductive world of Scotch whisky.
Slainte!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Rochester Public Library - news article
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
History Hullabaloo
Mentors, Librarians and MN History Center Staff will be available to help History Day students with their thesis, research and projects. This was a highly successful History Hullabaloo programme last year - and a great opportunity to help out! The first programme this year (2012) occurred on Wednesday January 4th, the next one will be :
Saturday January 14 from 10am to 3pm
in the Library Auditorium
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Paris Wife
One good book leads to another – if you have read Hemingway’s memoir, A Moveable Feast, you have your next book: The Paris Wife. I liked that he finally recognised what he had lost with his divorce, from this comment: "I wish I had died before I loved anyone but her (his first wife, Hadley)." Paula McLain writes primarily in Hadley’s voice providing her version of events. A previous biography (Sokoloff, 1973) is quite good, but this novel portrays the woman who loved him, for himself, and is fascinating! McLain painstakingly researched the biographies, letters, and Hemingway's novels, to accurately detail their lives, including their marriage (1921-1926). She is also a poet, which is evident in her language craft and evocative prose which captures the glamour, emotions and trials of the 1920s, Europe and especially Paris.
Hadley (Elizabeth Hadley Richardson 1893-1979) was a 28 year old midwestern girl when she met the 21 year old Hemingway who was already brash and ambitious. You are caught up in their whirlwind courtship and the infinite possibilities that await them in life (even knowing the baggage that came later, you love the current story). Her inheritance enabled them to move to Paris and initially provided Hemingway with the stable environment which promoted his writing and provided him with material/ experiences.
The reader is charmed by the warm generosity, beliefs and support of Hadley, delighted by the glittering expatriate world which is littered with well know literary and artistic figures as Gertrude Stein, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, Ford Maddox Ford, Jean Rhys, and many others, and heartbroken when their marriage dissolves, unable to survive the fame, the drinking and womanizing, especially in wake of the birth of their child (John Hadley Nicanor Hemingway "Bumby") and her family values.
Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises during this time frame, dedicating it to her (and their son) partly in recognition of her sacrifice to his art. The royalties were hers as well. I will always wonder if she had stood up to him more, what greatness they could have achieved together. He desired her because she was not the independent, modern woman, but forgot she was her own person. She struggled to find her place in his ever changing world. While she embraced his adventures, the outdoors, the bullfights, etc their romance withered with jealousy, celebrity, ambition, and depression.
McLain is also sympathetic to Hemingway, recognising his early troubles, from his controling mother, the trauma of the great war and his depression. We know the man he became. Hadley married journalist and political writer Paul Mowrer in 1933 (Pulitzer 1929), eventually moving back to Chicago. He was also the Poet Laureate of New Hampshire (1968). Bumby (1923-2000) went on to become an American writer and conservationist (he finished the memoir, A Moveable Feast).
HWM 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Paris Wife - Paula McLain
Paula McLain will be here in the Library this weekend! Sunday 8th January - DON'T MISS IT!
This is a beautifully written and captivating story and promises to be a fascinating discussion.The book is also for sale in our Friends Bookstore! I am so glad she is a friend of one of our Librarians,- what an opportunity to have her visit Rochester! This was my first exposure to her work. I would have been hugely disappointed if I had missed this book!
This is a beautifully written and captivating story and promises to be a fascinating discussion.The book is also for sale in our Friends Bookstore! I am so glad she is a friend of one of our Librarians,- what an opportunity to have her visit Rochester! This was my first exposure to her work. I would have been hugely disappointed if I had missed this book!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Gift membership and Donations
Your Membership support is VITAL to the Friends of the Rochester Public Library. We are very grateful to all of you who continue your partnership with us by renewing your annual membership. Please consider joining, or making an additional donation during these holiday seasons, especially in this challenging economy. The Friends’ operating budget comes from your tax-deductible contributions and other fund-raising activities. With your help, the Friends enhance library offerings by:
- Promoting early childhood literacy with Read with Me book bags for babies
- Sponsoring programming for children, teens, and adults, such as the visiting author series and providing prizes for the summer reading program
- Operate the Friends’ Used Bookstore which contributes proceeds in excess of $50,000 annually to the library’s collection
- Directly support library services and enrich our community
Volunteers help patrons at the Rochester Public Library and the surrounding communities in the following areas: the Bookstore, homebound services, social networking, and more. In 2010, the Friends’ Bookstore contributed $52,000 directly to the library allowing them to purchase additional books, DVDs, and other items. We continued this in 2011!
In this time of economic austerity your membership dues or donations are more important than ever to help our Rochester Public Library. Your dues provide you with these personal benefits:
- A 20% discount on used materials purchased in the Friends’ Bookstore
- Early admission to the RochesterFest booksale and other special sales
- Four newsletters per year, whether mailed or electronic. By providing your e-mail address we save printing and postage costs
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY. THANK YOU.
Membership Levels
Book Collector $100 and over
Book Lover $50 - $99
Book Lover $50 - $99
Book Reader $20 - $49
Bookworm* $10 - $19 My gift will be matched by
*Full-time Student/Senior over 65 ______________________
Thank you for your tax-deductible support of the Friends of the Rochester Public Library
Friday, December 30, 2011
The world is at your fingertips @ the library
by John Hunziker
Over
the past four years I have come to realize that people in our community
see the library as a resource of infinite possibilities and use it in
many ways.
Jay Chang stopped by the other day to share his story. I had gotten his name from Louise in the Reference area on the second floor. She had talked with Jay as she saw him in the library and passed his name to me so I gave him a call.
Jay is originally from South Korea where he studied law; he met his wife there. He spent four years in London working with a Korean language paper and then he and his wife traveled to the United States. They originally settled in California where he published a Korean newspaper in Orange County. There were over 600,000 Koreans living in Southern California in 1996.
He and his wife decided that they wanted to raise their family in a less busy part of the country and after researching areas decided on Rochester. They have lived here for 15 years and originally bought a house in Northwest Rochester. Their daughter is at Macalester College in St. Paul and their son is at Mayo High School. Jay’s original dream when they moved to Rochester had been to publish an on-line Korean language newspaper; unfortunately the internet was not as good in the 1990’s as it is today.
Needing to support themselves and their family, they opened a retail store in Miracle Mile called In Vogue. That store grew into two more over time. After 10 years they began tiring of the day-to-day stress of retail sales so they decided to sell the stores. They thought about taking the concept to the Twin Cities area but haven’t found the right location. They have found their version of the American Dream and Jay is now taking some time to find his personal meaning of life. They sold their Northwest house and have moved closer to the downtown area. Jay can easily walk the mile to the library and back home when he chooses.
Jay had thought about returning to Korea and spending time in a monastery environment to find his, “meaning of life” but finds he can do the same thing in the quiet study rooms on the second floor of the library. He brings his laptop and connects to the Wi-Fi and explores what other people have thought, whether they are Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish or various Christian philosophies. One of his favorite authors at this time is Richard Dawkins who wrote the God Delusion; Jay says that he agrees with about 90% of what Dawkins writes.
Along with his search for his own meaning of life, his personal journey, he as two goals. He still wants to publish an online magazine focused on the worldwide Korean population. He actually has a number of online blogs at this time, although they are in Korean. If they are successful he will consider English versions. Secondly he has studied for and passed in September his realtors’ tests. He spent 10 hours a day for two weeks at the library preparing for the tests as he wanted to pass the first time. He wants to be a commercial realty consultant working with people who want to invest in U.S. properties.
Jay says that with the library and our internet access, the philosophies of the world are at his finger tips.
Over
the past four years I have come to realize that people in our community
see the library as a resource of infinite possibilities and use it in
many ways.Jay Chang stopped by the other day to share his story. I had gotten his name from Louise in the Reference area on the second floor. She had talked with Jay as she saw him in the library and passed his name to me so I gave him a call.
Jay is originally from South Korea where he studied law; he met his wife there. He spent four years in London working with a Korean language paper and then he and his wife traveled to the United States. They originally settled in California where he published a Korean newspaper in Orange County. There were over 600,000 Koreans living in Southern California in 1996.
He and his wife decided that they wanted to raise their family in a less busy part of the country and after researching areas decided on Rochester. They have lived here for 15 years and originally bought a house in Northwest Rochester. Their daughter is at Macalester College in St. Paul and their son is at Mayo High School. Jay’s original dream when they moved to Rochester had been to publish an on-line Korean language newspaper; unfortunately the internet was not as good in the 1990’s as it is today.
Needing to support themselves and their family, they opened a retail store in Miracle Mile called In Vogue. That store grew into two more over time. After 10 years they began tiring of the day-to-day stress of retail sales so they decided to sell the stores. They thought about taking the concept to the Twin Cities area but haven’t found the right location. They have found their version of the American Dream and Jay is now taking some time to find his personal meaning of life. They sold their Northwest house and have moved closer to the downtown area. Jay can easily walk the mile to the library and back home when he chooses.
Jay had thought about returning to Korea and spending time in a monastery environment to find his, “meaning of life” but finds he can do the same thing in the quiet study rooms on the second floor of the library. He brings his laptop and connects to the Wi-Fi and explores what other people have thought, whether they are Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish or various Christian philosophies. One of his favorite authors at this time is Richard Dawkins who wrote the God Delusion; Jay says that he agrees with about 90% of what Dawkins writes.
Along with his search for his own meaning of life, his personal journey, he as two goals. He still wants to publish an online magazine focused on the worldwide Korean population. He actually has a number of online blogs at this time, although they are in Korean. If they are successful he will consider English versions. Secondly he has studied for and passed in September his realtors’ tests. He spent 10 hours a day for two weeks at the library preparing for the tests as he wanted to pass the first time. He wants to be a commercial realty consultant working with people who want to invest in U.S. properties.
Jay says that with the library and our internet access, the philosophies of the world are at his finger tips.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Rochester Reads 2012
The junior title is The River Between Us by Richard Peck, and the picture book is B is for Battlecry by Minnesota author Patricia Bauer, who will be visiting several Rochester classrooms on April 10 as part of Rochester Reads.
In addition to the author visits, we will be hosting a kick-off event with Mayor Brede and the musical group The New Pearl Buttons on February 13 at the library, and there will be a number of other events - lectures on the Civil War, children’s & YA events, book discussion groups - in March and April. All information will be available on the http://www.rochesterreads.org/ as events are finalized.
Rochester Reads 2012 is sponsored by:
Friends of the Rochester Public Library
Minnesota's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Post-Bulletin CompanyDoubletree Hotel
and partnered with:
Adult and Family Literacy Program
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Diversity Council
The History Center of Olmsted County
Post-Bulletin Company
Rochester Public Library
Rochester Public Schools
Rochester Community and Technical College
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
WWW -Dr. Amit Sood
Dr. Amit Sood will be presenting at the 11th annual Wit, Wisdom and Wine fundraising event on Saturday, January 14, 2012.
In this workshop you will understand how our brain and mind generate undesirable stress every day, even during routine daily activities. Based on this understanding you will learn a two step program that will empower you to better handle your stressors, and as a result enhance your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
The program will be taught by Dr. Amit Sood, Director of Research and Practice at the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. Dr. Sood teaches this program to patients, fellow physicians, and other staff members at Mayo Clinic. He has held several national workshops to teach this program and is conducting multiple research studies at Mayo Clinic incorporating stress management. Dr. Sood is the author of a recently published book, Train Your Brain Engage Your Heart Transform Your Life.
Mayo SMART Program (Mayo Stress Management And Resiliency Training Program)
Stress is perceived when there is an imbalance between the demands placed on us and our ability to meet those demands while maintaining well-being. On-going stress has a negative effect on our health, happiness, relationships, and quality of life. Excessive stress also sometimes affects our attention, memory, judgment, and decision making.In this workshop you will understand how our brain and mind generate undesirable stress every day, even during routine daily activities. Based on this understanding you will learn a two step program that will empower you to better handle your stressors, and as a result enhance your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
The program will be taught by Dr. Amit Sood, Director of Research and Practice at the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. Dr. Sood teaches this program to patients, fellow physicians, and other staff members at Mayo Clinic. He has held several national workshops to teach this program and is conducting multiple research studies at Mayo Clinic incorporating stress management. Dr. Sood is the author of a recently published book, Train Your Brain Engage Your Heart Transform Your Life.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Friends' Annual Meeting
2012 Friends of the Rochester Public Library Annual Meeting
Mark your calendars for the Friends of the Rochester Public Library annual meeting in the Auditorium
on Monday January 30, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. Following a delicious lunch a short business meeting will be held to elect new officers and board members.
We will celebrate a successful 2011, review our achievements and give a preview and dates for 2012 activities. Dr. Gerald Anderson, historian and mystery author, will then talk about the evolution of the mystery story genre. His talk is titled - The Mystery Story, Then and Now (and Why We All Love A Good Murder).
In order to plan for food please RSVP by January 24 to Elizabeth Ritman 282-9708, Gail Harris or Marilyn Campbell 328-2341.
Meeting Speaker: Dr. Gerald Anderson
We are delighted that Dr. Gerald Anderson will be our guest speaker for the Annual Meeting on Monday January 30th, 2012. Dr. Anderson received his BA at Concordia College Moorhead, Minnesota with majors in History and Political Science, MA from North Dakota State University, Fargo and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, Iowa City.
He recently retired after 22 years as Associate Professor of History from the North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. He has had other extensive teaching experience at Waldorf College, Forest City, Iowa; Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, Iowa; Austin Community College, Austin, Minnesota and more.
He has received numerous National and International Funded Grants, and Academic Teaching Honors. He is listed in the Who’s Who in America— Midwest Edition from 1978 to the present. Dr. Anderson has had many articles published, but most pertinent for the purposes of his talk are his published mystery novels that are set in Minnesota. The latest one published in 2011 by North Star Press is entitled Murder in Bemidji or Paul’s Bloody Trousers.
The title of his talk is The Mystery Story, Then and Now (and Why We All Love a Good Murder). He intends to speak in a general way about the evolution of the mystery story genre from Edgar Allan Poe to Wilkie Collins and Dostoyevsky. Dr. Anderson will mention the golden age of mysteries such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers and then some general comments about today’s mystery writers and finish with comment on his books and how he writes them.
Mark your calendars for the Friends of the Rochester Public Library annual meeting in the Auditorium
on Monday January 30, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. Following a delicious lunch a short business meeting will be held to elect new officers and board members.
We will celebrate a successful 2011, review our achievements and give a preview and dates for 2012 activities. Dr. Gerald Anderson, historian and mystery author, will then talk about the evolution of the mystery story genre. His talk is titled - The Mystery Story, Then and Now (and Why We All Love A Good Murder).
In order to plan for food please RSVP by January 24 to Elizabeth Ritman 282-9708, Gail Harris or Marilyn Campbell 328-2341.
Meeting Speaker: Dr. Gerald Anderson
We are delighted that Dr. Gerald Anderson will be our guest speaker for the Annual Meeting on Monday January 30th, 2012. Dr. Anderson received his BA at Concordia College Moorhead, Minnesota with majors in History and Political Science, MA from North Dakota State University, Fargo and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, Iowa City.
He recently retired after 22 years as Associate Professor of History from the North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. He has had other extensive teaching experience at Waldorf College, Forest City, Iowa; Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, Iowa; Austin Community College, Austin, Minnesota and more.
He has received numerous National and International Funded Grants, and Academic Teaching Honors. He is listed in the Who’s Who in America— Midwest Edition from 1978 to the present. Dr. Anderson has had many articles published, but most pertinent for the purposes of his talk are his published mystery novels that are set in Minnesota. The latest one published in 2011 by North Star Press is entitled Murder in Bemidji or Paul’s Bloody Trousers.
The title of his talk is The Mystery Story, Then and Now (and Why We All Love a Good Murder). He intends to speak in a general way about the evolution of the mystery story genre from Edgar Allan Poe to Wilkie Collins and Dostoyevsky. Dr. Anderson will mention the golden age of mysteries such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers and then some general comments about today’s mystery writers and finish with comment on his books and how he writes them.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Olmsted County Journal Article on RPL
This was a lovely article that appeared recently in the Olmsted County Journal. And it gives you some idea why the Friends do all they can to support the Library - including our book sales (tomorrow!)
RPL is one of the busiest in the State!
By Bill Lisser
bill@olmstedcountyjournal.com
Have you been in a public library lately? Ever wonder how the Internet and its instant access to information has affected the library?
I asked Audrey Betcher, Director of the Rochester Public Library that question.
“We don’t get the easy questions anymore,” Betcher said. “The Public Library is the number one place people go for Internet access. Research tells us that in Rochester 30 percent of them are looking for employment.” The Internet has changed how they do business.
Public Libraries today are a resource center offering many services to the community. The Rochester Public Library is one of the busiest libraries in the State of Minnesota. The number of visitors walking through the doors reached 550,000 in 2010.
“The library is conveniently located,” Betcher said. “Having as many people as we do downtown in Rochester, we are ideally located.”
People visit the library for many different reasons. Checking out books is still popular but there are CD’s, DVD’s, videos and electronic books that can be checked out. According to Betcher, “Electronic books represent three percent of the items checked out for the year.” When you consider the library checked out 1,613,740 items in 2010, that three percent represents a large number.
“We know we need to grow and change as the community grows and changes,” said Betcher. In economic hard times, library usage increases.
Betcher has been employed at the library since 1996 and has been the Director since 2000. Her enthusiasm for her job and helping people shows in her attitude. When asked what keeps her excited about her job she said, “It’s when you put information someone needs into their hands. We realize how important good information is to making life decisions.”
Community services go far beyond just checking out material. There are programs for children of all different ages based on development, young adult programs, and adult programs that help meet the needs of people of all ages. There are special programs offered to reach people with barriers to visiting the library.
Parents may take advantage of daycare packs available to help educate children on a variety of subjects. For example, if the parent wanted to work on a cooking project with kids you could check out a cooking pack. Each pack is loaded with a variety of tools to help kids learn. There are books, puzzles, and puppets to help make it an easier process for the parents.
There are also programs for children who have limited reading ability. Children may visit the library and read to therapy dogs. The nonjudgmental environment provided by the dogs enables the child to relax and be more comfortable reading. In this age of computers, the more comfortable a person is in using the computer may help make their life easier. So, there are the Little Tike’s PC’s used to introduce toddlers to the computer. Picture books to school support are all part of the library’s community service.
Computers are spread throughout the building for visitors to use and to help make life easier for employees of the library. There are computers for toddlers to play games and begin their development of using computers. There are computers in the young adult and adult areas as well.
“The young adult area is designed to get kids reading. It is not where they would go to do their homework,” Betcher said. However, there is a program developed for homework help. Students may connect one-on-one with a homework tutor. They have to indicate their grade, subject they need help with and preferred language, English or Spanish, and within five minutes they will be connected with a tutor. Three nights per week there are volunteers in the library. There is a youth advisory board that decides on the kids programs. The kids are self selected to the board and range in age from 13 to 18.
The services offered do not all lie within the walls of the building.
There are many other services offered to the community that require the library to reach out to individuals and groups. The Bookmobile reaches communities in Olmsted County not served by a library. Within the city there are deliveries to people who have barriers preventing them from getting to the library. These include nursing homes and prison. Volunteers deliver to people who are homebound in their residence.
For book groups looking for help, “Book Groups in a Bag” are available to check out. The bags contain 10 copies of a book and questions to make it easy for the groups. Betcher said, “Many groups book for an entire year.”
There is an adaptive workstation for those individuals with low vision and it is attached to a Braille printer.
If you want to do some research, there is a digital microfilm reader. People could research archives and find pictures and stories of interest. They can then take a picture and send the information to other people. Digital archives also include past city directories.
Among the other services offered by the library, a display area can be found where kids may bring in items they are collecting and display them. Three meeting rooms are available to the community for rent. The rooms offer a neutral gathering place for groups to hold events. There are study rooms for people who need a quiet area and you can bring your own computer to use and connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. Browsing the collection of items at the library you will find things you won’t see other places. “International films, we are the place to go,” said Betcher. The library hosts a free showing of an international film each month in the auditorium.
If you are looking for a resource it is made easy with the Social Media of your choice. You can call, e-mail, IM or text if you aren’t able to make it to the building. You may go to Facebook or Twitter also. Can’t find what you are looking for? Just go to “Ask the Librarian.” Ask the Librarian is a 24/7 service provided by a consortium of people. If you are looking for something at 2 A.M. you may still get your answer because of the whole consortium of people located in different time zones. According to Betcher, “the library world does cooperation better than anybody.”
How do they keep track of over one and half million items checked out last year? The old card catalog system was thrown out years ago. There is an automated system that checks material in and sorts it. When you drop your material in the drive up window there is an automated process of checking in the material and sorting it. If someone is on the waiting list for the material it is identified so the individual may be notified. “We had to be able to do routine tasks simpler or we wouldn’t have enough people,” said Betcher. The goal is to have material back on the shelf within 24 hours.
The library depends on community support in many ways. Volunteers and charitable giving is very important. Annual volunteer hours are approximately 17,000 hours. During the Race Exhibit the number of voluntary hours increased to 20,500 hours. Charitable donations of material reached $250,000 in 2010. The Friends of the Library Book Store also contributed $52,000. The book store is operated 100 percent by volunteers and all proceeds return to the library budget.
“I appreciate being in a community that values us,” said Betcher.
The library is currently hosting an exhibit, “Homeless is My Address Not My Name.” The project began in 2008 with collecting basic stories and portraits of homeless people at an event called Project Homeless Connect Minneapolis. The event was a one-stop-shop resource fair attended by over 1,500 homeless individuals. People share their story with a trained interviewer. Following the interview, individuals may have their portrait taken and photos printed while they wait. The photos are on display through December. Different photos are on display at the Government Center and Rochester Community and Technical College.
The Rochester Public Library is a member of SELCO, the combined holdings of member libraries in Southeast Minnesota and another group of libraries that represents the entire state. As part of the advantages of being a member of these groups, cardholders in Rochester may use their card to check out material at other libraries.
And remember those past due fines? They still exist! One of the most popular services of the library is an e-mail notifying people two days before the checked out item is due. But don’t worry; the library doesn’t depend on the late fees to function. The money collected from overdue fines represents only a very small amount of the library budget; two percent. The library is funded by city and county property taxes.
RPL is one of the busiest in the State!
By Bill Lisser
bill@olmstedcountyjournal.com
Have you been in a public library lately? Ever wonder how the Internet and its instant access to information has affected the library?
I asked Audrey Betcher, Director of the Rochester Public Library that question.
“We don’t get the easy questions anymore,” Betcher said. “The Public Library is the number one place people go for Internet access. Research tells us that in Rochester 30 percent of them are looking for employment.” The Internet has changed how they do business.
Public Libraries today are a resource center offering many services to the community. The Rochester Public Library is one of the busiest libraries in the State of Minnesota. The number of visitors walking through the doors reached 550,000 in 2010.
“The library is conveniently located,” Betcher said. “Having as many people as we do downtown in Rochester, we are ideally located.”
People visit the library for many different reasons. Checking out books is still popular but there are CD’s, DVD’s, videos and electronic books that can be checked out. According to Betcher, “Electronic books represent three percent of the items checked out for the year.” When you consider the library checked out 1,613,740 items in 2010, that three percent represents a large number.
“We know we need to grow and change as the community grows and changes,” said Betcher. In economic hard times, library usage increases.
Betcher has been employed at the library since 1996 and has been the Director since 2000. Her enthusiasm for her job and helping people shows in her attitude. When asked what keeps her excited about her job she said, “It’s when you put information someone needs into their hands. We realize how important good information is to making life decisions.”
Community services go far beyond just checking out material. There are programs for children of all different ages based on development, young adult programs, and adult programs that help meet the needs of people of all ages. There are special programs offered to reach people with barriers to visiting the library.
Parents may take advantage of daycare packs available to help educate children on a variety of subjects. For example, if the parent wanted to work on a cooking project with kids you could check out a cooking pack. Each pack is loaded with a variety of tools to help kids learn. There are books, puzzles, and puppets to help make it an easier process for the parents.
There are also programs for children who have limited reading ability. Children may visit the library and read to therapy dogs. The nonjudgmental environment provided by the dogs enables the child to relax and be more comfortable reading. In this age of computers, the more comfortable a person is in using the computer may help make their life easier. So, there are the Little Tike’s PC’s used to introduce toddlers to the computer. Picture books to school support are all part of the library’s community service.
Computers are spread throughout the building for visitors to use and to help make life easier for employees of the library. There are computers for toddlers to play games and begin their development of using computers. There are computers in the young adult and adult areas as well.
“The young adult area is designed to get kids reading. It is not where they would go to do their homework,” Betcher said. However, there is a program developed for homework help. Students may connect one-on-one with a homework tutor. They have to indicate their grade, subject they need help with and preferred language, English or Spanish, and within five minutes they will be connected with a tutor. Three nights per week there are volunteers in the library. There is a youth advisory board that decides on the kids programs. The kids are self selected to the board and range in age from 13 to 18.
The services offered do not all lie within the walls of the building.
There are many other services offered to the community that require the library to reach out to individuals and groups. The Bookmobile reaches communities in Olmsted County not served by a library. Within the city there are deliveries to people who have barriers preventing them from getting to the library. These include nursing homes and prison. Volunteers deliver to people who are homebound in their residence.
For book groups looking for help, “Book Groups in a Bag” are available to check out. The bags contain 10 copies of a book and questions to make it easy for the groups. Betcher said, “Many groups book for an entire year.”
There is an adaptive workstation for those individuals with low vision and it is attached to a Braille printer.
If you want to do some research, there is a digital microfilm reader. People could research archives and find pictures and stories of interest. They can then take a picture and send the information to other people. Digital archives also include past city directories.
Among the other services offered by the library, a display area can be found where kids may bring in items they are collecting and display them. Three meeting rooms are available to the community for rent. The rooms offer a neutral gathering place for groups to hold events. There are study rooms for people who need a quiet area and you can bring your own computer to use and connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. Browsing the collection of items at the library you will find things you won’t see other places. “International films, we are the place to go,” said Betcher. The library hosts a free showing of an international film each month in the auditorium.
If you are looking for a resource it is made easy with the Social Media of your choice. You can call, e-mail, IM or text if you aren’t able to make it to the building. You may go to Facebook or Twitter also. Can’t find what you are looking for? Just go to “Ask the Librarian.” Ask the Librarian is a 24/7 service provided by a consortium of people. If you are looking for something at 2 A.M. you may still get your answer because of the whole consortium of people located in different time zones. According to Betcher, “the library world does cooperation better than anybody.”
How do they keep track of over one and half million items checked out last year? The old card catalog system was thrown out years ago. There is an automated system that checks material in and sorts it. When you drop your material in the drive up window there is an automated process of checking in the material and sorting it. If someone is on the waiting list for the material it is identified so the individual may be notified. “We had to be able to do routine tasks simpler or we wouldn’t have enough people,” said Betcher. The goal is to have material back on the shelf within 24 hours.
The library depends on community support in many ways. Volunteers and charitable giving is very important. Annual volunteer hours are approximately 17,000 hours. During the Race Exhibit the number of voluntary hours increased to 20,500 hours. Charitable donations of material reached $250,000 in 2010. The Friends of the Library Book Store also contributed $52,000. The book store is operated 100 percent by volunteers and all proceeds return to the library budget.
“I appreciate being in a community that values us,” said Betcher.
The library is currently hosting an exhibit, “Homeless is My Address Not My Name.” The project began in 2008 with collecting basic stories and portraits of homeless people at an event called Project Homeless Connect Minneapolis. The event was a one-stop-shop resource fair attended by over 1,500 homeless individuals. People share their story with a trained interviewer. Following the interview, individuals may have their portrait taken and photos printed while they wait. The photos are on display through December. Different photos are on display at the Government Center and Rochester Community and Technical College.
The Rochester Public Library is a member of SELCO, the combined holdings of member libraries in Southeast Minnesota and another group of libraries that represents the entire state. As part of the advantages of being a member of these groups, cardholders in Rochester may use their card to check out material at other libraries.
And remember those past due fines? They still exist! One of the most popular services of the library is an e-mail notifying people two days before the checked out item is due. But don’t worry; the library doesn’t depend on the late fees to function. The money collected from overdue fines represents only a very small amount of the library budget; two percent. The library is funded by city and county property taxes.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
From the Director
We received a bronze award at the 2011 Workforce Wellness Conference on September 28, 2011, in Rochester.
Wellness Works, a coalition of small and large organizations, confers the award on employers who have invested in and are excelling at offering varying levels of worksite wellness services. The library was one of seven workplaces that received either a bronze, silver or gold award. The award is based on fulfilling various criteria. Since we established a Wellness Committee in December, 2010, the committee organized a community supported agriculture program with a local farm for fresh vegetable delivery for the 2011growing season, recommended changes that were adopted by the library board for healthy options in public and staff vending machines, and organized a program by a dietician on healthy lunch time alternatives for a general staff meeting.
On October 20th the library received an Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. The ceremony, part of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Member Event, took place at the Rochester Event Center. The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce encourages organizations to submit nominations. The award recognizes model employers for innovative and effective practices that make work better for both the employer and the employee. The award is given to employers who rank in the top 5% nationally. The Sloan Awards are part of When Work Works, a research-based initiative to highlight how effective and flexible workplaces can yield positive business results and help employees succeed at work and at home.
For the award we highlighted information on our telecommuting and job sharing policies and the Wellness Committee. The Library was also a champion of a city-wide Flexible Work Arrangement policy that was approved by city council on October 17th. The policy creates a process for employees to request flex time, compressed work weeks, phased retirement and other options to promote flexibility and win/win situations for the city and employee. We strive for a culture of flexibility.
We not only want the library to be a great place for the community, but we also want to be a great place to work.
Audrey Betcher, Rochester Public Library Director
Friday, December 2, 2011
Amazon Shopping
Amazon Pays Off Friends!
Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell the person behind you at the checkout line!
When you shop on Amazon.com through the Friends’ portal, we receive a commission on your purchases!
Just click on the Friends’ tab on the RPL website, then click on the Amazon link, and spend at will!
Every month, Amazon deposits a check for 5% of all purchases made through the Friends site. All your purchases! Not just books, music, movies, software -- but also headphones, iced-tea makers, pet fountains,
sweatshirts, nutmeg, propane torches, lighters...!
Not just Amazon's products, but offerings from Amazon Marketplace vendors as well! Last year we earned over $400 in commissions.
So please, support your library and remember your Friends when you shop Amazon for the Holidays or anytime!
Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell the person behind you at the checkout line!
When you shop on Amazon.com through the Friends’ portal, we receive a commission on your purchases!
Just click on the Friends’ tab on the RPL website, then click on the Amazon link, and spend at will!
Every month, Amazon deposits a check for 5% of all purchases made through the Friends site. All your purchases! Not just books, music, movies, software -- but also headphones, iced-tea makers, pet fountains,
sweatshirts, nutmeg, propane torches, lighters...!
Not just Amazon's products, but offerings from Amazon Marketplace vendors as well! Last year we earned over $400 in commissions.
So please, support your library and remember your Friends when you shop Amazon for the Holidays or anytime!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Donated books
What Happens to Books Donated to the Library?
After being sorted by the Friends of the Library for use in the Library, the book store, or sales by the
Friends, books and non-print materials have been donated by the Friends of the Rochester Public Library
to these schools, nonprofit agencies, businesses, and families.
Some of these places are:
After being sorted by the Friends of the Library for use in the Library, the book store, or sales by the
Friends, books and non-print materials have been donated by the Friends of the Rochester Public Library
to these schools, nonprofit agencies, businesses, and families.
Some of these places are:
- Hobson City Public Library in Alabama: Note: Shirley Taylor, a former RPL librarian, is director of this library
- Pine Island Elementary School: 200 books for school library
- Longfellow Elementary School, Rochester: about 100 beginning reading books
- Pinewood Elementary School, Rochester: about 200 books for school library
- Friedell Middle School, Rochester: about 100 books for school library
- Ben Franklin Elementary School, Rochester: 50 books to Mr. Greseth’s fifth grade room
- Rochester Central Lutheran School, Rochester: about 600 books for school library.
- Aldrich Nursery School, Rochester: picture books and tapes
- PAIIR Rochester Public Schools: picture books and tape
- Hawthorne Education Center: books on adult literacy
- Read with me books program for every baby born in Olmsted County
- Imagination Library: In each Read with Me bag, the family receives an application to get a free book every month for five years from Dolly Parton’s program
- Language Sprouts, St. Paul, MN: about 600 foreign language books and VHS tapes
- Korean Charter School, St. Paul/Mpls: 50 Korean children’s picture books (opening 2012)
- Channel One Food Shelves, Rochester: approximately 250 books per week are given out
- Community Food Response, Rochester: approximately 350 books per month are given out
- Rochester Kiwanis Clubs 75 books for book drive and distribution
- Gift of Life Transplant House, Rochester: program just started
- Hope Lodge, Rochester: approximately 25 audiobooks
- Intajuice, Rochester: approximately 50 books
- Olmsted County Detention Center and Jail: books for inmates
- Dunn Brother’s Coffee, Rochester: about 300 books for customers to take
- Operation Paperback: over 3000 books have been distributed to soldiers across the world and their families
- The Retreat, Wayzata, MN: books on addition treatment for programs
- Wabasha Motel and RV: books for lobby bookshelf
- Red Lake Indian Reservation, Red Lake, MN: about 150 books for early childhood education program
- Wit, Wisdom and Wine Gala: library books for silent auction at fundraiser.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
From the Library Director
readers, I thought I would share some of my favorite
reads with you.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I learned a great deal from this book: history, politics, and leadership. I found the presidential nomination process of the day fascinating. Lincoln’s ability to work through incredibly
difficult political situations was inspiring. Even though I knew how the book would turn out, I began to understand why he is the great man so beloved by so many. I listened to this one on CD, and after I was done, I missed Abraham Lincoln on my commute to work.
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Colllins (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) This is the story of a futuristic North America where 12 districts are ruled by “The Capitol”. The Capitol rules with an iron fist and maintains its power with an annual death match that pit two teens drawn by lottery from each of the districts in a fight to the death. All of the novels have strong characters and a compelling story.
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz (Also The Revenge of the Spellmans, Curse of the Spellmans, and The Spellmans Strike Again) This is a laugh out loud series about a dysfunctional, but loveable, family of private investigators who spend more time investigating each other than doing business.
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. I read this series to my daughter, and now I am reading it to my son. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed the books because it has been fun for all of us (even the second time around ). As I recently sat next to my daughter at the midnight premier of Deathly Hallows part 2, I was excited to share the experience with her. She reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the week before the premier. We have these wonderful conversations that compare the books to the movies. At 3:00 am we stood in the kitchen and reread the last the last chapter together and discussed it. Anything that gets kids that excited about reading is fantastic in my eyes.
Whether you read for information, for fun, to create experiences with your children, it doesn’t matter …
READ!
Audrey Betcher, Rochester Public Library Director
Saturday, November 26, 2011
300,000 Imagination Library books
300,000 Imagination Library books
This month of November, somewhere in Olmsted County, a child will receive the 300,000th book delivered through the United Way of Olmsted County partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The link is to an ABC news article that provides many of the details. Remember books make wonderful holiday gifts for your children! And the deals in our Bookstore and at the Holiday Sale are amazing. Create a reader today!
This month of November, somewhere in Olmsted County, a child will receive the 300,000th book delivered through the United Way of Olmsted County partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The link is to an ABC news article that provides many of the details. Remember books make wonderful holiday gifts for your children! And the deals in our Bookstore and at the Holiday Sale are amazing. Create a reader today!
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