Rochester Public Library's blog

Pangea Day Film Watch a worldwide event – May 10, 2008 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Rochester Public Library.

Rochester Minn. On Saturday, May 10th, Rochester Public Library will participate in a worldwide event by hosting a Pangea Day Film Watch. Join us from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. in Meeting Room. B (on 2nd floor) as we join thousands from many lands who will be observing what organizers are calling "this first global campfire, harnessing the power of new technologies to bring people together through film."
For more information, visit www.pangeaday.org.

The Rochester Public Library Foundation's annual gala fundraising event consists of nine educational and informative speakers, followed by a silent auction and refreshments. The cost is $50 per person if registered by January 4th, 2008; $60 per person after that date. Attendees may select two class choices to attend at 7:00 and 8:00 pm. Wine and hors d'oeuvres are served throughout the evening. Proceeds are used to support the mission and vision of the Rochester Public Library Foundation. Please visit the website: www.rochesterpubliclibraryfoundation.org/witwine.html or call 287-2626 for regis

Think there is nothing to do in Rochester? Think Again. Did you know that in October there will be over 85 arts events in Rochester?!

Mayor Ardell Brede, the Rochester Downtown Alliance, the Arts Council and the Arts Administrators Round Table (AART) invite you to celebrate the arts in Rochester this October! October is National Arts and Humanities month and was dubbed “ARTStober” five years ago by Mayor Ardell Brede to increase awareness and appreciation for Rochester’s vibrant and varied artistic community. Celebrate ARTStoberfest this year by experiencing the arts. A special kick-off event, art walk, skyway art contest and a series of surprise AART attacks are planned throughout the month in addition to those events previously scheduled by local arts groups. Visit www.artstoberfest.com or www.downtownrochestermn.com for a calendar and information.

Von working on car

Von Sheridan’s hobby is fixing up cars. He has worked on a 1978 Trans Am and a 1978 Formula, and has also repaired his family’s cars when possible. Recently his daughter was in an accident; fortunately she wasn’t injured, but the car was nearly totaled. Rather than paying expensive car repair bills through a service department, Von repaired the car himself. This summer Von was working on a 1997 Ford Taurus and he realized that what he needed to continue was a wiring diagram of the car’s sound system. His neighbor had once told him that the library had Chilton car repair manuals, and although he hadn’t stepped foot in the library for years, he decided to go and try to find the Chilton manual for the 1997 Taurus.

The Amuzing Race fund raiser was a resounding success for the Rochester Public Library Foundation. Thirty-five teams participated in the race that was held on Saturday, June 9. The race started at the library with registration and orientation. The teams received their first clue in the auditorium and were told to hold the envelope containing the clue up above their heads so that everyone could open the clue at the same time. Promptly at 8:30 a.m. the race began. Many teams - you know who you are - raced out of the auditorium to their cars, ready to race on to the next destination. After reading the clue, those teams ran back into the library because that first clue was actually a task that had to be completed within the library before getting their next clue.

Changes are a comin’…..

Part of the strategic planning for 2007 has included implementing merchandising techniques. Under the strategic issue of “Access to RPL Services, Programs and Collections,” our goal is providing adequate facilities for needed library services. Our action plan for 2007 states: Evaluate and implement merchandising techniques to increase access and add appeal to the library’s collections.

So what does merchandising really mean in a library? One of our goals as librarians is to make our collection accessible. For many, that means that materials are in the right place, in the right order, so that they can find the specific item they are looking for. But for many who come in to browse, all those books with the spines facing out are unappealing (the publishers create eye-catching covers for a reason!) and it is difficult to find something that really interests them. So we asked ourselves, “Can we do both?”

A grateful patron informed us recently of how the library’s reference desk helped him out of a difficult situation.

I was enjoying a wild time in Vegas with my girlfriend when everything fell apart. I had deftly managed to avoid taking her to one of the drive-thru wedding chapels by promising to buy her a glittery “Welcome to Vegas” T-shirt that we saw in the window of the closed Monte Carlo gift shop at 2:00 a.m. So, later that morning, on the way to the airport, we stopped at that gift shop to make good on my promise. As I opened my wallet I was filled with angst! My Visa was gone! Like a flash of lightning, I remember throwing my Visa in disgust at a bar tender who had overcharged me for our drinks just 10 hours prior. I remember signing the receipt, but I didn’t remember retrieving the Visa. “It’s at Treasure Island,” I gasped to my girlfriend. “You go find the Visa and I’ll finish buying the souvenirs,” she smiled with patience and understanding. I left her alone, unfortunately, to buy her own Vegas T-shirt.

It’s still the same. www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org but after February 1st the library’s homepage will have a new look and enhanced features.

Sporting a more contemporary look designed by Corporate Web Services (CWS), a local design company, the new website will offer multiple access points to information and services with consistent navigation across the pages, align more closely with ADA accessibility standards, and be easier for the staff to update and keep current.
Enhancements to catalog pages will allow users to start a search from the main page, take fewer page views to find and reserve items, and give quicker access to a cardholder’s account information.

"Books for Babies"

Reetu Gurung

Reetu Gurung was born in January at Methodist Hospital. During their stay in the hospital, her mother, Purna Gurung, was very grateful to receive a special gift from the Friends of the Library. “Being a new mother, I received several packages of information from the hospital staff about child care, including booklets on immunizations, baby hygiene and health care,” recalled Purna. Included in the material was a package from the Friends of the Rochester Public Library, a group of community members who support the library with time and treasure. The package included Reetu’s first book entitled “Making Music” about musical instruments.

Haonan Du, grand prize winner of the YA Smmer Reading Program

Eleven year old Haonan Du is the 2006 winner of the Young Adult Summer Reading Program. Every year the library encourages teens to continue reading throughout the summer months by keeping a reading log of the titles that they read. This summer there were 209 participants and they collectively read over 3400 books! Each teen who read over ten books received a free movie pass, compliments of the Chateau Theatres. Additional prizes included combination book/DVD sets, $50 Barnes & Noble gift certificates and the grand prize was a portable DVD player.