Drake Public Library

Seeking Excellence

Library Support

|

Federal Funding Allows Bridges Offerings to Expand

A few months ago there was a discussion on the Library Talk conversation board about the need for more materials on personal issues on Bridges, with the hope that these might be always available for patrons in need. Well, the Bridges team listened and approached State Librarian Michael Scott with a proposal to allocate a portion of the State Library’s federal funding to make it happen. Michael accepted the proposal, and a small collection of simultaneous use eBooks and audiobooks covering several topics including mental health, addiction, abuse, and more has recently been added to Bridges. While there aren’t many titles available with the simultaneous use license, it’s a starting point that could be expanded upon in the future.

The funds have also been used to enhance the collection of graphic novels and comics. Marvel has recently partnered with OverDrive to offer 600 titles to public libraries worldwide, and the funding has made it possible to add all the Marvel titles as well as others from DC, Dark Horse & Archie. It’s exciting for us to see  this part of the Bridges collection expand!

In addition, the supplementary money has also gone to some new titles on librarianship for the library staff.  Finally, we’re excited to announce that the magazine pilot will be extended to a second year AND the State Library of Iowa has funneled a little extra money into holds list reduction and license renewals. This is wonderful for those of you who have been able to enjoy the magazine listings through Bridges!

All this would not have been possible without the State Library of Iowa’s allocation from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is a great reminder of the impact of this funding- not only on the State Library- but on Iowans who love accessing eBooks and audiobooks from their local library. Remember, if you need assistance with Bridges/Overdrive, give us a call and set a time to sit down with a librarian and your device to get started. 

|

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR 2017

The annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held at the Drake Public Library Monday, May 22 through Saturday, May 27 during normal business hours.  In years past, this event has been held in March but we are trying something new this year.  This year’s “table top” fair is being held at the end of May in order to help kick off Summer Reading Program season.

We are still looking for volunteers to help run the fair during business hours (10-6).  It is relatively simple.  Any adult with a bit of cash register experience can do it.  Its more fun with a buddy, so bring a friend!  If  you are interested, please contact us at 856-6676.  As a volunteer, you will be lucky enough to see the books that are available for purchase right away!

This year’s theme is “Happy Camper Book Fair: S’more Fun with Books!” and promises to be full of wonderful reading choices as well as a few fun novelty items.  There will be books of all types and price ranges for children pre-school through young adult.  Scholastic provides good quality reading materials that are very popular with kids and families.

This book fair helps us earn “Scholastic Dollars” to purchase books and other materials for the library.  We can earn up to 50% of our total sales!  Its been a wonderful resource for the Children’s Library and we hope that you will help support the Drake Public Library through this fun event.  Come to our book fair!

|

Thanksgiving at Drake Public Library

The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday makes me realize how very thankful I am for the Drake Public Library and for those of you who support us.  The Friends of the Drake Public Library fund children’s programming and so many other things!  Thank you for working very hard to make sure that our library has whatever we need.  Our Drake Public Library Foundation raises and manages funds through memorials and large donations.  Thank you for ensuring the future of our library and our services.

Our library Board of Trustees is a strong support for me.  Thank you for planning for the future, assisting me in developing policies, and advocating for the library throughout the community.  The City of Centerville provides funding for the library and I am thankful to have strong leaders within the City Council, the Mayor’s office and administrative team to help me and support the library.

The staff at Drake Public Library has some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.  Thank you, Beth, Julie, Kristin, Pam, Chaz and our volunteers John, James and Nikki, for being reliable, knowledgeable, patient and kind.  I am very lucky to have these coworkers and friends.   Finally, our patrons…because without you, we wouldn’t be here!  Thank you for kind words, patience, timely suggestions, interesting conversations, and of course tasty treats!  Our patrons are some of the best and the staff at the Drake Public Library is very thankful for all of you.

happy-thanksgiving-wishesPlease enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.  We will be closed on Thursday and Friday so that our staff can enjoy time with their families.  Thank you!

 

JeNel

|

Volunteer at Drake Public Library

If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer at the library, there are a few options available.  Did you know that we have a very dear patron who delivers materials to and from the nursing homes?  She will be retiring this month but we will make sure that our beloved patrons get their reading materials and dvd’s.  If you would like to help us, I promise that it is very rewarding.

Perhaps you would like to help out during our summer reading program or storytimes.  Kristin is always grateful for helpers who are willing to cut out shapes, pass out materials or help with clean up.  Maybe you’d like to volunteer as a special guest at one of our storytimes.  Let us know!

We also have a group of patrons who come in periodically to wipe down the books and dvd cases in the children’s area.  As you can imagine, our littlest patrons can sometimes leave things a little sticky, even under their parents’ watchful eye.  This is a wonderful service to us as we sometimes don’t have a chance to work on such a large project.  This can be done at any time that we are open and we provide the materials needed to keep our books and dvd cases in tip top condition.

We appreciate our volunteers so much!  They help us be the best library possible for our community.  As our friend, Aesop says, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted.”

|

Fun Fundraising! Pi Day and the Book Fair

March 14, 2016 is better known as Pi Day (think 3.14159) and the Friends of the Drake Public Library will be holding their own Pie Day.  Help us celebrate this never ending day…and Einstein’s birthday, by stopping by the library and purchasing a fresh, homemade pie!  All pies are graciously baked and donated by many of our dedicated patrons and FDPL members.  All pie bakers should drop their pies off at the library Monday morning after we open at 10:00am.  The official start time to purchase pies is 1:59pm, but we will not turn away early birds.  🙂  All proceeds from the sale of these yummy pies will benefit Drake Public Library.

This week, March 7 through March 12, is our annual Scholastic Book Fair.  Patrons are having fun browsing the many children’s book titles on display at our book fair.  This is a great opportunity to purchase books for yourself or a young person in your life.  You can also purchase a book from our Wish List and donate it directly to the Children’s Library.  Our online book fair is also set up and running through March 18 at bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/drakepubliclibrary .

There are so many ways to support your Drake Public Library and now you can show your support through shopping!

 

|

Raffle winners prize list

 

 

 

 

Friends’ Fall Raffle Winners

Cindy from Pizza Hut presents Jane with the buffet gift certificate.

Cindy from Pizza Hut presents Jane with the buffet gift certificate.

Virginia and Colene hold the picture donated by Nancy for the raffle.

Virginia and Colene hold the picture donated by Nancy for the raffle.

Lora and Mary draw names for the scarves donated by Mary.

Lora and Mary draw names for the scarves donated by Mary.

Jane, Lora, and Colene. Jane won the Walmart $100.00 gift card.

Jane, Lora, and Colene. Jane won the Walmart $100.00 gift card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lora and Wendy draw for the winner of the bag donated by Wendy.

Lora and Wendy draw for the winner of the bag donated by Wendy.

|

News from the Children’s Department

Iowa Public Television Announces 2015-2016

Ready for School Communities

Education specialists work to strengthen math and literacy skills of young Iowa children

 

Johnston, IA – Iowa Public Television’s (IPTV) commitment to early childhood education continues with the expansion of its Ready for School initiative. Educational specialists will work with educators, parents, care providers and community partners in 25 Iowa communities to implement literacy-based activities for children ages two through eight years old.

 

“Iowa Public Television uses the power of media to spark children’s curiosity and excite them about learning,” said Terry Rinehart, director of Educational Services at IPTV. “Ready for School activities are designed to enhance early reading and math skills for young children. This roll-out to twenty five new communities furthers IPTV’s efforts to serve families across Iowa with trusted educational content.”

 

IPTV’s third year of Ready for School will focus on giving all children equal opportunity to succeed. IPTV will provide access to high-quality educational media resources including online games, instructional materials and educational activities that help children increase their school readiness and success. The Drake Public Library Children’s Department has been provided 3 iPads as a part of Ready for School, a collaborative project between Iowa Public Television and the Drake Public Library. The multimedia content and related activities are based upon the work of educational children’s programming from PBS, such as The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!, The Electric Company, Odd Squad, Martha Speaks, Sid the Science Kid and Super WHY!

 

The program builds from the successful pilot testing of these methods and resources in Storm Lake, Perry and Waterloo that IPTV began in 2008. The initiative has been validated by scientifically-based research funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Ready for School has been deployed in fifty other Iowa communities prior to this year.

 

The 25Ready for School communities for 2015-2016 are:

 

Allamakee Community School District

Anamosa Community School District

Atlantic Community School District

Cedar Rapids Community School District

Centerville Community School District

Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District

Des Moines Independent Community School District (2)

Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District

Fairfield Community School District

Green County Community School District

Howard-Winneshiek Community School District

Maquoketa Valley Community School District

Moravia Community School District

Mormon Trail Community School District

Mount Pleasant Community School District

Newell-Fonda Community School District

North Fayette Community School District

North Union Community School District

Oskaloosa Community School District

Postville Community School District

Saydel Community School District

Spencer Community School District

Starmont Community School District

Wayne Community School District

 

Learn more at Iptv.org.

 

For more information about Iowa Public Television, please contact Susan Ramsey at 515.725.9703 or Susan.Ramsey@iptv.org.

 

###

 

P.O. BOX 6450 l 6450 Corporate Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50131 l515-725-9800

Iowa Public Television is Iowa’s statewide public broadcasting network. IPTV provides quality, noncommercial programming to make a difference in the lives of Iowans. As one of the last locally controlled media enterprises in the state, IPTV is committed to telling Iowa’s stories like no one else can. Our mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans enables IPTV to present an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than 2 million viewers a month turn to IPTV for programming that reflects a range of interests for Iowans in all demographic categories. Iowa Public Television offers three programming channels statewide: IPTV, IPTV LEARNS and IPTV WORLD. Iowa Public Television stations include: Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; Channel 36, Red Oak. Information on programming channels, reception and more can be found at Iptv.org.

 

|

Whatever floats your goat…………

The coins are counted, the goat is home, the kiss is just a memory.

Greger Barth won the contest sponsored by the Friends of the Drake Library. The contest raised $438.77. All proceeds will go to the library. Thanks to our candidates, Mr. Barth, Jan Spurgeon, Mark Waits and Pete Lind.

 

|

Foundation Facebook Facts

By Winona Whitaker
Secretary, Drake Public Library Foundation

Drake Public Library Foundation has launched a Facebook page. Not that any of us on the board is a social media expert, but we know that this is the cultural norm. Facebook is the way to reach people, whether we like it or not. So we learn to like it. We use what is available to us. We do what is required of us. We learn to use Facebook.
As chairman of the Outreach Committee, I became the administrator of the page by default. I took that assignment seriously. Before launching the page, I read about Facebook and how, as a non-profit organization, we can reach donors using the service. Following these instructions was not the most difficult part of the project.
The most important part of setting up the page was deciding what it was going to be. A page about Drake Public Library Foundation alone would be very sparse. Our activities do not lend themselves to photos or updates. We are more of a long-term organization looking for contributions as beneficiaries of estates, annuities and life insurance policies.
A Facebook page about library activities or raising money for the library would be redundant; Drake Public Library, Drake Public Library Kids, and Friends of the Drake Public Library have Facebook pages of this type. We don’t want to repeat what is already available.
So rather than being a page about the library, we want to be an extension of the library. We will attempt to make our page a place where people can find new information every day, a place that is fun to visit but informative as well. We will find articles, photos and websites that might interest patrons of the library so that those patrons don’t have to search for these things themselves.
Initial posts on the Foundation Facebook page range from links to other library Facebook pages and websites and articles about literary works to library memes and famous and not-so-famous quotes. We want to reach the academically inclined as well as those entrenched in pop culture. We hope to attract people who enjoy prolix polemic on literary subjects as well as those who want short, quick bursts of information or profundity.
And we will periodically remind our readers that our library needs money to function.
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/drakepubliclibraryfoundation. Like it if you like it, share it if you so desire, comment on it if you have something to say. And when you plan your charitable giving each year, name beneficiaries for investments or create a will, remember Drake Public Library Foundation.
Above all, keep reading.

|

Dog days of Summer

Two boys creating Lego sculptures

 

Join us on Thursday July 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. for a visit from Honey Creek State Park Naturalist. She will be presenting “How to be an environmental Hero” free of charge in the meeting room at the library.

 

Friday at 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Friends of the Drake Library will be cooking out at Fareway in Centerville, Iowa. They will have a menu of delicious food that can be assembled for lunch! Proceeds go directly to the Drake Public Library.

 

 

Bulldog and girl.

Bruno the bulldog visits a young fan.

 

The hot temperatures make staying cool a real chore. Remember you are welcome to use the library as a cooling station. We welcome you during our operating hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Stay cool and drink plenty of liquids!

 

 

 

 

Here are some pictures from our recent events: American Girl Doll Tea Party, Doggie Day, and Lego afternoon.

 

A girl and her American Girl Doll

Young boy and dog.