This column appeared in the Journal on July 18, 2008. Past columns can be read at juliewinkelstein.com

“Rotarians provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.” Rotary International (www.rotary.org)

            I was recently invited to speak at one of the weekly Albany Rotary Club meetings. The topic was left up to me, and it wasn’t until the week before the talk that I finally sat down and considered what would be most important to cover in my 15 to 20 minute presentation.

            Recent speaker Albany Library librarian Richard Russo had used a laptop and projector to demonstrate the Library’s online business databases and so I thought about using a similar format, maybe creating a PowerPoint presentation of some kind, for a flashy presentation. But as the days went by, I realized I simply wanted to talk.

            I wrote a five-page speech that included the history of how I came to be a children’s librarian at the Albany Library. More than two pages were devoted to the jails library service I did for 6 years, because I got carried away making passionate observations about the state of the criminal justice system and the racism of our society so perfectly demonstrated by the demographics of jails and prisons versus the demographics of the surrounding areas. From there, I detailed every step in my career, culminating in my present jobs, as librarian and newspaper columnist.

            Fortunately for the Rotary, I didn’t read the speech aloud. I touched on a few of the main points but mostly, as I talked, I came to realize I wanted them to see me as one librarian in a large and varied profession. As I have mentioned in previous columns, librarians are struggling to overcome years of stereotyping. So whenever we have the chance to speak from the heart about our work, whatever it is, I think we should.

The members were relaxed and welcoming, and I enjoyed my brief look into Rotary, which I knew nothing about. And when I got home, I did some research and was surprised by much of the information. Of course, I didn’t even know it is an international organization, not to mention that fact that there are more than 1.2 million members worldwide.

            According to their website, Rotary International is the world’s first service club, formed in Chicago in 1905. Their motto is “Service above self” and they represent a variety of occupations and professions. Their name comes from the early custom of rotating the site of club meetings, so members could become acquainted with one another’s vocations.

I did have some idea of The Four-Way Test, the code of ethics adopted by Rotary in 1943, because it was recited at the meeting. Created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor, it asks these questions: “Of all the things we think, say or do, 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

            The Albany Rotary Club was founded in 1929 and it currently has 39 members, most of whom are small business owners or managers for Albany’s city government, school district, or non-profit organizations. On their website, they list examples of recent projects done in partnership with other community organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Albany Education Foundation. It is an impressive and wide-reaching list, from sponsoring Albany Little League teams to building/repairing a school in Mexico to drilling community water wells in Africa.

            It was an honor to be invited to speak before them and I have come away with an appreciation for their ideals, their dedication and their ongoing commitment to the Rotary precept, “He Profits Most Who Serves Best.”

The incredibly hard-working Friends of the Albany Library are holding another book sale this Saturday, July 19 from 10-4 p.m. at the Library. All the items for this sale are 50 cents each and include a selection of fiction, non-fiction, vintage, children’s books, home and crafts and a large amount of “treasure hunt”.

In our eco-friendly community, the sharing of books through a book sale (or for that matter through borrowing at the Library) seems like a great activity - no travel, lots of adventure possibilites, controlling resources, etc.

So - reduce your carbon footprint this weekend. Buy some books, support the Library and stay home and read!

This column appeared in the Journal on July 4, 2008. Past columns can be read at juliewinkelstein.com

“…The Diversity Leadership Institute strives for the development of a cadre of enlightened library and information professionals who recognize and respect diversity leadership as a basic tenet of our profession, and within society overall.” Valerie Bell, Chair ALA Committee on Diversity          

I have just spent five days at the American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim. There was so much to take in – the workshops, the exhibit hall, and the thousands of librarians walking the streets, filling the hallways, chatting on the shuttle buses, and engaging in listening, learning and exchanging ideas.

            At a conference like this, there are programs for all kinds of librarians and every kind of interest. Usually I choose from a variety of offerings – whatever catches my interest. But this year I somehow ended up moving from one diversity event to another.

            I started out at a preconference called “Diversity Leadership Institute: Fundamentals of Diversity.” Sponsored by the ALA Office of Diversity, this all day institute included speakers on topics such as “Diversity @ Our Libraries: Using Institutional Assessment to Transform Our Libraries” (Clara Chu, UCLA); “Diversity and the Bottom Line: Making the Business Case for Diversity (Mark Winston, UNC-Chapel Hill); and, “Hitting the Mark: Recruiting Strategically for Diversity” (Patty Wong, County Librarian, Yolo County). Putting all the information together, we were presented with the compelling story of why and how libraries of all kinds should be reaching out and diversifying their work force.

One of the most powerful images of the day for me was a quote presented by Chu, from a Margaret J. Wheatley’s book, “Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World.” Wheatley compares organizations to spider webs and notes that “If a web breaks and needs repair, the spider doesn’t cut out a piece, terminate it, or teach the entire web apart and reorganize it. She reweaves it, using the silken relationships that are already there, creating stronger connections across the weakened spaces.” In other words, she goes on to say, a system is capable of solving its own problems, and if a system is suffering, “this indicates that it lacks sufficient access to itself.”

            Starting with this idea, Chu carefully guided us through an explanation of how to use assessment to ultimately increase the diversity in an institution.

            Winston talked about the importance of not relying solely on an emotional or social justice argument for “investment in diversity.” Instead, he suggested using a more business-like approach, pointing out that large for-profit corporations have found a competitive advantage and financial success by doing just that.

            One of Wong’s points was “diversity in the broadest sense: women, people of color, LGBT, people with varying abilities…” When I later attended the Diversity Fair, I encountered the same far-reaching interpretation of the word. There were services for older adults, people with disabilities, underserved populations, tribal college libraries and more. Handouts included Maureen Sykes’ Tip Sheet: Library Services to Students with Autism; and the Transgender Resource Collection of the Oak Park Public Library (Illinois), along with their great annotated book list, called “Free to Be He and She,” which is a list of books featuring non-traditional gender roles.

            I also enjoyed the exhibit hall, where vendors displayed an amazing variety of products related to libraries. Probably my favorite find was a book-cleaning machine: books are fed onto a conveyor belt through a glassed-in case, past natural bristle rollers and out the other side. I asked the young vendor, who spoke fluent Italian and less English, if it sanitized the books. Yes, he told me, and it removes mushrooms, too. Fungus? I inquired, after thinking for a moment. Yes, he responded, smiling - fungus.

The other day a woman told me that the first stop after she picked up her grandson from the airport for a two week visit was the Albany Library. She had a shopping bag that they were both filling with DVDs, CDs, and even some books. The grandson then used the Library’s Internet for a while (we have visitor passes).

This got me thinking about the ways we share experiences, especially across generations. One son living far away from home this year suggested strongly that I watch Into the Wild. I resisted thinking that it was about a child’s decision to reject their parents, and found that it was really about what pulled the young person towards something else (no happy ending there). I watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind with another son who had never seen it. He agreed that it was a masterpiece and depicted a time when adults were excited and open to benevolent aliens. And just this past week, we all listened to a George Carlin CD - laughing together at his routines about air travel, and saving the planet.

Viewing together, listening together and reading together are ways we continue to share and connect.  Take a different kind of trip with your family and loved ones this summer……

How many countries’ founders used language as colorful as this in their formative documents? If you haven’t read the Declaration of Independence lately, this holiday weekend is the perfect time to do so. The USA.gov Website offers links to the text of the document, a quiz for kids, and tips for everything from barbecuing safety to flag etiquette. Enjoy!

Comedian George Carlin died last week at age 71.  Though he was probably best known for his routine, “Seven Words You Can’t Say on TV” — which led to a landmark Supreme Court case — I remember him best for his conceptual humor.  For example, commenting on the familiar adage, “Some people see the glass as half empty, some see it as half full,” he said that he saw it as too big.  He was a master at word play, as in my favorite piece of his, on the difference between baseball and football, which closed with the observation (edited a bit here) that the object of football is to “penetrate the enemy’s defense with a ground attack and bullet passes and bombs,” while the object of baseball is “to go home, and be safe.”

The Library owns many books and recordings of his work, as well as movies that he appeared in.  To see our holdings, search the catalog (under “Author”) for ”Carlin, George.”  You may have to place a hold on the item you want — a lot of people are remembering him fondly these days.

P.S. George Carlin’s routine about baseball and football appears in his book, Braindroppings, which the Library owns in print, on CD, and as an E-book.

This column appeared in the Journal on June 20, 2008. Past columns can be read at juliewinkelstein.com

“This room is named in honor of Edith Stone (1888-1984), longtime Albany resident who was an avid reader and lifelong library patron. She left her estate to the Albany Library, in the hope that generations would learn the same love of reading that had so enriched her life…” From Albany Library plaque

I recently received an email about a frugal librarian – Carol Sue Snowden - who, when she died at 57, left more than a million dollars to her local public and school libraries. In addition, she left $10,000 to libraries she used growing up, including her grade school, high school and local libraries. The June 14 “Columbia Dispatch” story (dispatch.com) described her friends and colleagues as “stunned to learn that she was a millionaire.”

          I found more stories about librarians leaving large sums of money to their libraries. Norman Oder’s March 19 “Library Journal” posting describes a $2 million bequest to the West Hartford Public Library in Connecticut, from 82-year-old Thomas Kilfoil – who worked at the library until he was 79. “It seems fitting to give something back to an institution that gave me so many happy and fulfilling years,” Kilfoil is quoted as saying. And Joan Oleck, writing for “School Library Journal” on December 18,2007, tells the story of town librarian Evelyn R. Kmit, who recently left the Williamsburg, Massachusetts Meekins Library $300,000 to be used “for the promotion of reading among the town’s children.”

          There are also many stories about library patrons who have unexpectedly left bequests to their local libraries. The Albany Library has received at least two of these – one from Edith Stone many years ago and one recently from an Albany resident. In both cases, these were people who regularly used the library and appreciated its value as a community institution.

          This kind of planned giving is described by William R. Gordon in his “American Libraries” (January 2006) article, “Gifts that Speak Volumes: Shared Values can Lead to Lasting Library Legacies through Planned Giving.” He gives two examples: one a $1.3 million gift and another, a $1.2 million one. In both cases, the donors have expressed their preferences for how the funds will be used. The first person wanted his money to be used for “special projects, programs, acquisition of materials, building improvements, and services to people with disabilities” – a wide range of topics. The second person wanted all the money to be used for programs and services.

          Gordon’s article goes on to talk about the importance of planned or deferred giving and to give tips to library leaders who are interested in pursuing this kind of fundraising. It is a thoughtful and educational article and I learned a lot. He makes one point in particular about the motivation behind this kind of bequest: “Planned giving choices reflect our preferences about what kind of message we would like to leave behind us. We want our legacies to align with values that we cherished and that we hope will live on beyond us…”

          I appreciate this approach. When we are young, we hope the message we leave will be through our work, whether it is paid or volunteer. But as we get older, I think we come to realize there will be life after we are gone, and it’s never too late to make a mark. Giving to a local public library has the potential to impact thousands of people, whether it is through buildings, materials, programs or services. When I think of the importance of what librarians do on a daily basis, I can see just how wise these people were. Leaving money to a library has got to be one of the best investments in the future one can make.

The Library’s adult summer reading game this year is ”Timeless Reads.” The website clarifies that timeless books are ones that have stood the test of time. Many of the books selected by the group of librarians are classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee and others are just fun to reread such as The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel.

The recommended booklist is available at www.aclibrary.org. At the Albany Library, we added a list of time travel books to vary the choices.

However, since we seem to have fewer entries than last year, and great weekly prizes such as $15 gift cards to Starbucks, Peets, Target, etc., I am proposing that any book that takes you into that timeless place of reading qualifies for the contest.

So - open up those time machines and go somewhere without expending gas or energy. Model what it looks like to be lost in a book.

First drawing for prizes is this Monday at 4 - and every Monday through August 18

Now that the last few strenuous weeks of dances, field trips, locker cleaning, and yearbook signing are over, you Albany teens may be wondering what you’re going to do with all your spare time.  Here are some ideas: On Tuesday, June 17, bring your friends to the library for an afternoon of Dance Dance Revolution, music, snacks and fun. While you’re here, sign up for the teen summer reading program. You’ll get prizes just for reading, and can enter to win an iPod Shuffle. Come back and rock out with an afternoon of Guitar Hero on Tuesday, July 15. We’ll wrap up the summer with a very special after-hours event in August. Stay tuned!

This column appeared in the Journal on June 6, 2008. Past columns can be read at juliewinkelstein.com

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams… The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you plant in your community can grow across the world…” Dolly Parton (imaginationlibrary.com)  

A couple of months ago I visited with Jinx Stapleton Watson, who recently retired from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. During our conversation - which covered children’s books, literacy, social justice issues and many other topics - she mentioned she is a member of the Library Committee for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Since my knowledge of Dolly Parton was pretty much limited to knowing she sings and there is a place called Dollywood, I did some research about it when I got back from my trip.

I started on the National Childcare Information and Technical Assistance Center website (http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov), a service of the Child Care Bureau and a “national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that provides comprehensive child care information resources…” I discovered the Imagination Library is one of many children’s book distribution programs, including the Books for Kids Foundation, Beginning with Books, Raising a Reader, Reach Out and Read, and many more. It is wonderful so many organizations and individuals continue to understand and support the connection between books and lifelong literacy.

From the NCCIC website I was led to the Dollywood Foundation, which supports the Imagination Library. I found out Dolly Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1996 for preschoolers in Sevier County, TN, where she grew up. In 2004 Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen established the “Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation,” which supports the efforts of other county Imagination Libraries in the state. Since October 2004 more than 4.9 million Imagination Library books have been delivered to Tennessee children and all of the 375,000 children in the state now have access to the Library. Each child who is registered receives a free hardback book in the mail every month, starting at birth and continuing until age five. In fact, in many communities hospital nurses register children for the program on the day they are born.

Since Penguin Group is a partner, the Library Committee chooses the books from the publisher’s extensive children’s titles. The first book is Watty Piper’s “The Little Engine that Could” (illustrated by Loren Long) and the final one is “Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten,” written by Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff.

The success and popularity of this effort led Parton to offer to pay for books in communities outside of Tennessee, starting with Branson, Missouri and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Since then, cities and counties across the United States, and in Canada and the United Kingdom have started their own Imagination Libraries.

On the Imagination Library website are step-by-step instructions on replicating this program. Local sponsors, like United Way, Chamber of Commerce, schools, education foundations and local businesses decide to bring the program to their community. According to the website, no town is too small or state too large to be involved, and the Dollywood Foundation supports them with publicity, mailings, book selection and ongoing collaboration opportunities.

Forty-two states have Imagination Libraries, including Alpine County and Turlock, California. I was happy to see that the one in Alpine County is sponsored locally by Alpine County Friends of the Library. As I mentioned in a previous column, it might be natural to think of bookstores and – in this case – book give-away programs as competition for libraries; however, it is joint efforts like this that lead to higher literacy rates and an increased pleasure in books for the children in our communities.