Good News

This page is full of good news from our customers or newspapers. Read on to hear about some great programs we are a part of. (organized by reverse date)

As a homeschooling family, our library is an amazing asset to our childrens' education. Not only do we utilize the books and movies, there are extensive educator materials and fantastic events and programs. We spend as much time as possible at our library. It is a friendly, inviting location where our children feel welcome and enthusiastic about learning. Do not underestimate the value of our local libraries.

You have NO idea how happy you have made my husband by posting the recipes from the tea party….. :o)

The girls had a ball – thank you for hosting!!!

~Keely

Dear Ms. Campbell, I would like to thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come read your favorite story to the Jackson School children. our Community Read Aloud Day was a great success because of you!

They really enjoyed the stories that you read. The great enthusiasm you displayed helps us to teach our children the importance of reading. It also shows them that the school and community share a common goal in working hand in hand in educating our young people. Plainville is fortunate to have such a caring role model volunteering in our schools.

Senator Brown, December 1, 2008

Dear Ms. Campbell, As your State Senator, I would like to congratulate you on the success of the Friends of the Plainville Public Library book sale, as well as extend my gratitude to you for your contribution to this event. You are an inspiration to the community and should be very proud of your participation. It is an honor to represent such an involved and contributing citizen.

If I can ever be of any assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Scott Brown, State Senator

Thank you from Food Pantry, November 16, 2008

Dear Librarians, On behalf of the Plainville United Methodists Church, I would like to thank you very much for donating food to the "Living Bread Food Pantry." Our Pantry helps several needy people every year, and in the past year we have seen several more people in the Plainville Community who need help. We could not operate without donations from concerned people like you. Your food donations came at a time when we really needed help. We very much appreciate all your efforts. You donations make a big difference in keeping up with the demand for food needed by our community.

Libraries Obsolete? Try "Busier than ever"

...Public Libraries are thriving as never before. Faced with the rising prices for fuel, for entertainment, for travel and - of course - for books, more and more people are turning to those brick and mortar institutions. But this renewed interest in library services comes just when, with impeccable timing, local governments have determined that a likely place to cut costs is the public library budget.

In The Sun Chronicle's story on libraries "Free and Reliable (Aug. 17), Robert Maier, head of the state Board of Library Commissioners, noted that library use throughout the state has grown every year and this year it should boom. "With the conditions of the economy we can expect the current year to be even bigger," Maier said. "People taking steps to save money wherever they can and the public library is a great place to save money by borrowing books, cds and dvds. It's not only true in Massachusetts.

At libraries across the nation, traffic is up, fueled by the lure of free computer use, according to Gannett News Service analysis of state and federal data. "Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated again and again," [Jeff Gilderson, of Oshkosh Public Library said] "People have predicted the obsolesence of public libraries many times... but we continue to be flexible servants of our community's needs."

Children in the Sun Chronicle area didn't have much of an excuse for doing nothing this summer, with an abundance of free activities, live performances, movies and - yes - reading organized by local libraries participating in the statewide summer reading incentive program, ReadsinMA.org. Each community put their own spin on this year's theme, "Wild Reads" and came up with clever idea for children in groups ranging from preschool through middle school. ...

Plainville incorporated yet another digital craze into its summer program as "Webkinz" loaned out for a week at a time. Children were able to log on to the web site to "adopt" pet animals, which they had to care for by providing a suitable home, food and drink and playtime. Wildly popular with younger kids, "Webkinz" dovetailed nicely with Plainville's new take on summer reading "Read for a Cause".

Readers voted on which of four endangered species would be sponsored by the library in association with the World Wildlife Fund. Adoption certificated and plush versions of the animal winners were given to their human winners at an ice cream social.

Check out the library's high-tech tools

Web access to journals, e-books, music is free and easy

As a young reporter, I practically pitched a tent at the local library. In the 1980s, there was nowhere else to find the books, magazines, and documents needed to properly flesh out a story. Today, you can do the same research at home, pecking on a keyboard.

You're probably thinking Google, and you're right. But for deep research, you can't beat a well-stocked library, with its books and specialized databases. Yet you can access many library resources without stirring from a chair. Using online services that cost nothing, you can scour academic journals, borrow best-selling audiobooks, and download music legally. You can even type messages to a nationwide network of librarians who will help find the answers you seek.

All you need is a broadband Internet connection and a library card. At the library's website, typing your card number gives you access to the online offerings. Even if your local library isn't state of the art, it probably belongs to a regional library consortium that provides online service. And there's always the Boston Public Library, which issues cards to any resident of Massachusetts, and to researchers in other states. Sign up for a card at the library's website, www.bpl.org.

Say you're doing serious scholarship, the kind that requires research in academic publications. The Boston Public Library provides online databases that index thousands of them, from Scientific American to the most arcane technical journals. Some publications only offer article summaries, but you can download entire articles from about 33,000 newspapers, magazines, and journals. It's a godsend for out-of-town researchers. "If you live in Springfield, you don't have to drive all the way to Boston, and you can do everything straight from home," said Scot Colford, the Boston library's Web services manager.

The only thing better than a good library is a good librarian to act as a guide. You can find them online at www.massanswers.org, a service that provides round-the-clock access to trained researchers. The Boston library and nine regional public library groups run the service, in cooperation with librarians as far away as California. Visit the site and type a question. Not only do the researchers provide assistance in real time, when I used the service recently a friendly librarian in Falmouth kept searching for more data after we logged off, and e-mailed me the results.

Still, there's no good online substitute for the library's vast supply of books. Not yet, anyway. But libraries are working on it, by offering thousands of "e-books" for reading on a computer screen, or CD and MP3 audiobooks.

"The availability of titles in this space is exploding," said Steve Potash, chief executive of OverDrive Inc., a Cleveland company that markets digital media to libraries. OverDrive currently offers about 200,000 e-books, audiobooks, videos, and music recordings, and a large part of the catalog is available from public libraries in Boston and other Massachusetts communities. Yet hardly anyone around here has noticed. Potash said that while usage is growing rapidly, no more than 5 percent of Boston library cardholders have ever downloaded one of his company's e-books or recordings.

Yesterday, Potash tried to generate interest in OverDrive by rolling up to Boston's City Hall Plaza in a "digital bookmobile," a giant tractor-trailer full of computers that demonstrate the company's technology. But promotional gimmicks can't compensate for OverDrive's biggest limitation - its incompatibility with the world's most popular portable audio player, Apple Inc.'s iPod.

To prevent unauthorized copying of OverDrive audiobooks or e-books, library patrons must download and install software that allows them to download a book or audio file and play it for a limited time - say, two weeks. After that, the file is locked and unplayable.

OverDrive uses e-book reader software from Adobe Systems Inc. which runs on Apple Macintosh computers as well as those running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows. The e-books can also be read on some hand-held devices, like the Zen from Creative Technology Ltd. or Sony Corp.'s Reader Digital Book.

But the security program for audiobooks and music recordings relies on software from Microsoft Corp. It runs on Windows PCs and a variety of portable music players from companies like Creative and SanDisk Corp. But the software isn't compatible with iPods, or with Apple's Macintosh computers, so millions of potential listeners are locked out.

It's not a total lockout, though - many titles can be burned onto standard audio CDs, which can then be converted to MP3 files and played on an iPod. And in March, OverDrive began offering 3,000 titles in pure MP3, with no antipiracy lockdown. That means users can play them on any device. It also means that patrons could use the files illegally, by keeping them indefinitely or distributing free copies to friends. But a handful of publishers, eager to get their audiobooks onto iPods, have decided it's worth the risk.

Between the e-books, audiobooks, databases, and research assistance, there's more reason than ever to visit the local library, even if you don't actually go to one.

Just a quick thank you for tonight's Halloween family night out!

My girls are 3.5 and 4.5 as always they love going to the library but tonight was a treat! They really enjoyed playing games, making things at the craft tables for Daddy (had to work tonight) and yummy treats!! Everyone was so helpful!

I really appreciated the "dry run" at getting them into their costumes too!

The library really puts thought into these events and it is greatly appreciated by our family.

Our daughter loved the books that were in the basket we got from your Silent Auction. So glad we were able to bid high enough to get it. Congrats on all your hard work on keeping such great programs for our library. - The Sharkeys

On behalf of Osborne Nursery and Landscaping, Inc. the official drop site for the U.S. Marine Reserves, TOYS FOR TOTS program, I would like to thank your employees and customers for their generous donation of toys for this year's collection. With your help and others like you, we were able to donate over 4,500 toys. With the help and support of people like you, together we have made a difference in a child's life. Imagine how many children will smile. Thanks again for your support. Happy New Year to you and your members and their families as well. Sincerely, Eric Osborne

Dear Plainville Public Library, We here at Riverdale High School would like to honorably thank you for your care and consideration in your gifts and aids to our school. A lot of the displaced students here came to this school with nothing but lint in their one pair of pants. Your donation to us has enabled these students to have hope in their educational success. Instead of having to worry about how their schoolwork will get done, that worry was erased, and now the students can focus on learning, and getting life back to normal. Thanks!

Cheyenne M. Buelterman, Riverdale High School, 12th grade, Jefferson, Louisiana.

BONDING BY THE BOOK: Plainville encourages everyone to read small-town tale as part of centennial. By Jim Hand, Sun Chronicle Staff

PLAINVILLE- The public library is helping to kick off the town's centennial celebration by encouraging everyone to read the same book. Librarian Melissa Campbell said the library has received 40 copies of "hope was Here" by Joan Bauer. Campbell is giving some of the books out to officials and prominent citizens, asking them to read it and pass it along to a friend. The library has copies to to lend to the public and others can be obtained through a regional borrowing system. Annie's Book Stop on Man Mar Drive is also selling the book at a 20 percent discount.

Campbell said the goal is to get everyone in town to read the book between April 3, when the centennial celebration begins, and June 25 when the town holds a parade. "Hope was Here" is about a young girl who moves to a small town in Wisconsin that is not too dissimilar to Plainville, Campbell said. The girl's aunt runs a diner much like Don's Diner in downtown Plainville. "It's about a girl who tries to find her place in the community and the real meaning of hope and family and love," Campbell said. The book is geared to young adults, but also make a great story for parents to read to younger children, she said.

Hi! This is to thank the library staff for this great service, for the many happy reading hours - special delivery. [I am moving but] I've already checked out the library in New York. Many Thanks! Sincerely, Naomi Windham.

On Behalf of Osborne Nursery and Landscaping, Inc., the official drop site for the Marine Reserves, Toys for Tots program, I would like to thank your employees and customers for their generous donation of toys for this year's collection. With your help and others like you, we were able to donate over 3,800 toys! With the help and support of people like you, together we have made a difference in a child's life. Imagine how many children will smile! Thanks again for you support. Happy New Year to you and your members and their families as well.

This summer Katelynn, a 7-year old patron, who was escorted to the library programs by her grandmother, saved up her allowance and donated half to the library. In appreciation for this donation the new Magic Tree House book, Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve, has been ordered and her name will be placed on a nameplate in the book. In addition, the remaining funds will be used for the Halloween Party on October 27th. Katelynn's grandmother told Melissa Campbell, "This library is the best library this side of heaven." A very special thank you goes out to Katelynn and her grandmother.

Dear Library Staff, What a great job you did Monday night! All the kids really enjoyed themselves. It's always fun to be at the library and make noise! Thanks so much - Anthony & Zachary Tyree, Jacob and Aimee Schofield. PS See you next year!

PLAINVILLE
Going beyond book learning
State aid lets library reach out to community with host of programs and services
By Beth Berlo, Globe Correspondent, 7/26/2001
Take a closer look the next time you step inside a Plainville business or town office and, depending on how observant you are, you could win one of several prizes including a yearlong family pass to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence.
Beginning Monday, the Plainville Public Library strategically placed 12 ''books'' around town. The books are actually hand-painted signs that read ''Plainville Public Library.'' The idea is to find all 12, keep a list, and submit it on an entry form that can be picked up at the library.
The Scavenger Hunt is an effort to build library awareness and strengthen ties with local businesses, according to library director Melissa Campbell. ''We put the idea out there as a way to get involved and to remind people that summer reading is not just for kids,'' Campbell said.
The Scavenger Hunt is one of dozens of projects funded through a $20,000 grant received in January from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The grant has also been used to buy business and financial resources in print and CD-ROM, Campbell said. In addition, six business workshops were made possible from the grant, on topics such as e-commerce, marketing procurement, how to start a business, and time-management skills.
The board is a state agency responsible for organizing, developing, coordinating, and improving library services throughout Massachusetts. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries, and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional systems. The board also ensures that every state resident has equal access to books, electronic information technologies, and research databases.
Built in 1988, the Plainville Public Library now has more than 60,000 items in circulation and 30,000 items in its collection.
The library kicked off its summer reading program last month by offering a discount program to its Friends of the Library book sale, weekly prize drawings, story hour for toddlers, arts and crafts for older children, and ice cream socials.
For its summer finale, the library will hold a Family Movie Night on Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. The movie is a yet to be chosen G-rated flick, library staff said, and the children will have plenty of popcorn to munch on.
The Scavenger Hunt, though in its first run, is something Campbell hopes will become an annual event. ''We believe summer reading is important because it keeps minds active all year long,'' she said.
Campbell said she worries that a growing number of adults, either because of hectic work schedules or the widening availability of electronic entertainment, have moved away from reading entirely.
''So many adults think they read constantly because they read e-mail and work-related material all the time,'' she said. ''But we need to make adults more aware that reading is something enjoyable and that it can take place just for fun.''
Most adults grow tired of the daily barrage of information on the Internet but return to it nonetheless with increased frequency, she added. ''There's just no replacement of the feel of a book, and turning its pages, and wondering what's going to happen next,'' she said.
Reading books is important for adults all year long because ''the imagination increases your brain function,'' Campbell said. ''So many authors today remember when they went to the library as a child and sat in a corner and read a book. I just hope kids now have the same memories later in life and not one of just coming in and looking things up on the Internet.''
All Scavenger Hunt entries are due back to the library Aug. 28. Forms with the 12 correct locations will be entered into an Aug. 30 drawing, which, in addition to the Roger Williams Park pass, includes several runner-up prizes.

This story ran on page W1 of the Boston Globe on 7/26/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.
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