Diary of Anne Frank - One City One Book

View complete interviews with Holocaust survivors, as well as local religious leaders and other Greensboro residents talking about the impact and significance of Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. Hosted by the Greensboro Public Library.

The Public Likes Libraries

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Public Agenda Alert -- June 13, 2006
* Long Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century
http://www.publicagenda.org
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* Long Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century

Americans prize public library service and see libraries as potential solutions to many communities’ most pressing problems, from universal access to computers to the need for better options for keeping teens safe and productive. But few Americans are aware of the increasingly tenuous financial picture faced by many libraries.

Public Agenda examines attitudes about libraries in our latest study, "Long Overdue," prepared with support from the Americans for Libraries Council and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The report includes the results of a national survey of the general public as well as interviews with national and local civic leaders.

Libraries came out on top when the public assessed the performance of local institutions. Forty-five percent give an "A" to their local community for maintaining well-run libraries, far ahead of any other community institutions, including schools, parks and police.

The public also has a clear sense of what is crucial in a local library. More than 8 in 10 Americans believe that keeping services free should be a very high priority. Having enough current books for children, enough reference materials, friendly, knowledgeable library staff, and good programs for children and teens are also considered absolute essentials for libraries. The public also endorses the further development of libraries' Internet and other computer services, which is particularly noteworthy given that most respondents are already "wired" at home or at work.

Those who think public libraries are primarily used by folks who can't afford bookstores are clearly mistaken, with higher-income families even more likely to use public libraries than low-income families.

Four areas of opportunity for libraries resonated with the public and leaders alike: (1) providing stronger services for teens, (2) helping address illiteracy and poor reading skills among adults, (3) providing ready access to information about government services, including making public documents and forms readily available and (4) providing even greater access to computers for all.

Find out more about "Long Overdue," including free downloads of the full report:
http://www.publicagenda.org/research/research_reports_details.cfm?list=99

Hear a story!

Hey, everyone!

Dont' forget that on

Thursday, October 26, 2 -3, LRC301 (open area on the bottom floor)




The GTCC Friends of the Library will host Ron Jones, an award-winning North Carolina storyteller.




This event will refresh your spirit in an OPENMinds sort of way.
Please do give yourselves an hour from your busy schedules.
Cookies and tea, too!



Here is what Ron writes about himself:

Storyteller
http://www.rijones.com

I like to tell people that I grew up on a dairy farm in North Carolina in a whole family of storytellers. Living in a large family of six children, parents, grandmother, and extended family members- aunts, uncle, cousins- there was always time for a story and a willing teller. Among my earliest memories are gatherings on our porch or in the yard under sprawling oak trees listening to my grandmother tell stories. Even when working around the farm, you might get an impromptu story from an idle farmhand while sitting on the fence waiting for the cows to amble into the milk barn. So I feel that I come to my love for storytelling honestly.

For the past thirty years I have been sharing stories and songs with audiences of all ages. In schools, libraries, and at storytelling festivals throughout the southeast I have been telling traditional and contemporary folktales, classic fairy tales, as well as original stories and songs. I often involve the audience with participation stories and sing-a-longs. I believe strongly in the rich oral tradition of storytelling and the common experience it brings to us all.

With an under graduate degree in theater, I spent several years as an actor touring with educational theater companies throughout the southeast. After receiving a Masters Degree in Library Science, I spent over twenty-two years as a Children’s Librarian and Coordinator of Youth Services for the Wake County Public Library System in Raleigh, NC. During my time with the public library I developed storytelling programs for children of all ages, founded and coordinated one of the longest running storytelling festivals in NC, and conducted storytelling workshops, as well as teaching storytelling at Meredith College in Raleigh. I left Wake County to become the Youth Services Consultant for the State Library of North Carolina in the Department of Cultural Resources. During that time I worked with libraries, schools, and other organizations throughout the state to develop and improve programs and services to the youth of North Carolina. After five years with the State Library I left in 2000 to pursue storytelling and writing full time. I received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the NC Public Library Director’s Association, the 2000 Emerging Artist Award by the Durham Arts Council, and awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by former NC Governor James B. Hunt, III.

I have been an active member of the local and national storytelling community. As a founding board member and past president of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild, I have worked closely with other storytellers throughout the state to promote and support storytellers and the art of storytelling. I served for five years as the NC Liaison to the National Storytelling Network in Jonesborough, TN.

For the past four years I have been performing throughout the southeast and New England presenting storytelling programs in schools, libraries, museums, and at conferences and festivals. I am currently touring STORIES BY THE BOOKS a storytelling program for adults with eight original stories focusing on the power and impact books and reading can have on our lives. I have just released a new CD of stories and songs for children entitled I’d Rather Be a Dog…and Other Stories. I am currently working on a CD of stories for older children and adults.

GSO LRC Featured Shelf Update!

The GSO LRC Featured Shelf has recently changed-the flavor this month is Mystery. Come along and capture suspects, stop crimes, and put the murderer away! Solving the crime is easy when the Featured Shelf is Mystery. The more hardboiled, the better! Remember, the CSI members have nothing on you when comes to breaking the case. With the Mystery Feature, you are the Sleuth in charge.

Essay Contest

Write a winning essay on diversity and get yourself published!

Finding Statistics Just Got Easier!

If you need to find out the number of people who speak Greek in North Carolina*, you're in luck! The GTCC Library recently began subscribing to an online database called Statistical Warehouse that makes finding statistics on any number of issues relatively painless. From languages spoken at home, to reported income, crimes, causes of death - you can find statistics on all these and many other demographic, social, health, and economic indicators.

Use this resource to find statistics for a paper or other research. Select relevant statistical facts and figures to support your argument or provide background information in a paper or project. Take a look at Statistical Warehouse and see what interesting facts and figures you can find.

* In 2000, 6,404 people in NC spoke Greek at home (from Statistical Warehouse, extracted from 2000 census files).

Constitution Day

GTCC will commemorate Constitution Day on September 18th with a series of classroom and related activities. The day marks the anniversary of the signing of the U. S. Constitution on September 17, 1787; the commemoration is part of federal law. September 18th is the day of classes closest to the actual anniversary of the signing.

On Monday noon, September 18th, Dr. Edward Sharpe will present "Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Impact of the Bush Administration on the Operation of Constitutional Checks and Balances." This keynote talk and audience discussion will take place in the Applied Technologies Auditorium at noon.

High Point and Greensboro News

From: Keith Burkhead

Hi all,

Well, this has been the hottest week of the summer so far, but the start of the fall semester is right around the corner. With that in mind, here is the summer edition of the Extension Campus LRC News.

News of Interest to Greensboro and High Point Faculty and Staff

• Learning Express-It's Still Here!

As you begin to make your academic plans for the fall, don't forget about Learning Express. Learning Express is a database that supports several academic programs, and is especially helpful for Developmental Eduction and Adult Basic Education Classes. Its free and can be used from any Internet capable computer, including your computer at home.

Use of Learning Express does require than an account be created through a GTCC computer, and just to confuse you further, :D to use Learning Express from home requires that you register for to use the library databases from home.

You can work on this yourself or point your students to the library webpage at http://webster.gtcc.cc.nc.us/library/

or you can bring your class to the library and I'll be happy to work with you and your students on setting up these accounts.

• Remote Access to Library Databases

While I'm on the subject of remote access to Learning Express, let me also mention that many other library databases offer this feature. These too require that you register to use the library from home but once that is done...the user is good to go.

You can do this yourself by going to the library webpage at http://www.gtcc.edu/library/ and choosing Use the Library from Home, then filling out the form on the next page.

Or, I would be happy to assist you with this personally.

Incidentally, if you have previously registered for this service and/or have had your classes do this, they will need to reregister for the fall term. The remote access logins and passwords change each semester.

• Library Hours for the Fall, 2006 Semester

Here are the HP and Greensboro Campus Hours for the fall semester.

Day Hours-Both Locations

Monday-Thursday

Open 9:00 AM-12:00 PM, closed 12:00 PM-1:00 PM, open 1:00 PM-3:30 PM.

Evening Hours

Greensboro

Open Monday and Wednesday Nights-6:00 PM-9:00 PM

High Point

Open Tuesday and Thursday nights-6:00 PM-9:00 PM

We realize these hours may not suit everyone's needs. We appreciate your patience and understanding with this matter.

• Library Instruction for Your Classes Available

We will be happy to work with you to arrange a session on use of library resources for you and your students. I am usually available to do sessions at Greensboro. I will be available on Wednesdays at High Point. Other days at High Point will be trickier, but let us know your needs and I am sure we can work something out.

Library Locations and Contact Information

Greensboro

Location-Adult Education Center, second floor, Room 224.

Phone extensions-4225 or 4203.

High Point

Entertainment Technology Building, second floor, Room 216.

Phone extensions-4112 or 4153.

Email for both locations-bkburkhead@gtcc.edu

News of Interest to HP Staff and Faculty

Amy English, the HP Campus Librarian, left GTCC at the end of July for greener pastures. We'll miss Amy and wish her well. While we are in the process of getting her replacement selected and trained, I'll be staffing the HP library on Wednesdays, and JT library staff will be rotating through on the other days. We realize this is not the optimal arrangement and will have Amy's replacement handling the day-to-day staffing of the HP LRC as soon as possible. We hope this will be not-to-deep into the fall semester.

News of Interest to GSO ICET Staff and Faculty

The ICET books that were sent from Jamestown to support the ICET programs finally went on the shelves right at the end of the spring 2006 semester. I shared that information then but....I know I try not to think about work when I'm not here, and I imagine it was the same for you folks off during the summer. :D So, just in case you missed it, the ICET books that were housed in storage for a while are on the shelves and ready for use by you and your students.

That's it for this edition of the Extension LRC News. Please share this information with anyone you feel would benefit from it, and please let me know of anyone who should be added to or removed from the list.

Thanks,
KB

Learning Resources-Come See What We Can Do For You!

Just A Recommendation!

I have just finished reading a wonderful book! Normally, I wouldn't recommend a book, as everyone's taste in reading is different, but this is a book for everyone! The title is Life Is So Good, and it's the remarkable story of George Dawson, the grandson of a slave who learned to read when he was 98!!! Not only is it a good read, but it's encouraging to people of all ages who have struggled through life. Teachers, if you have students who are discouraged or think they'll never make it, tell them the story of the man who went back to school at 98!

Off-Campus Access to Library Databases

You can now quickly and easily retrieve the off-campus login information, usernames, and passwords for accessing several GTCC Library database services by logging into Blackboard (instead of registering via the Use the Library From Home web page).

To access this off-campus login information, follow these instructions:

1. Login to Blackboard.
2. When the My GTCC Blackboard screen appears, click on the GTCC Library tab near the top of the screen.
3. When the next screen appears, click on the 2nd link - Library Databases - Login Information & Passwords.
4. When the next screen appears, click on the Click Here button.
5. When the next screen appears, click on the Click here once more for your passwords button.
6. The next screen to appear will be the Off-Campus Login Information web page which contains the usernames and passwords to several GTCC Library database services.