6 July 2015 It has been awhile since I have written to my blog but it has been a busy time.-----First, we are almost at the halfway point in the Summer Reading Program. There is still plenty of time and lots of fun to be had.-----This Wednesday we have the robotics club coming in for demonstration. Phone the library at 649-1648 for the show times and to see if there are still openings. Due to the popularity of this show we are forced to restrict the number of attendees to 100. ---We have kicked off our renovation project. This project includes: A new roof for the library and new carpeting on the main floor. The front steps are going to be repaired and we will be replacing any furniture that is in bad repair. As far as technology, we are going to upgrade our phone system, upgrade the routers and junctions for the Internet replace all of the computers except for the ones at the circulation desk as they were replaced last year. We will also be adding to more computers for the adult area. We are also going to bring in a professional firm to help us reconfigure the floor plan for the library as the current configuration was done before libraries had computers for patron use. We are also going to replace two of the furnaces and upgrade some of the cabling and electrical wiring. The reason for such extensive work is because of age. The roof, carpet and furnaces are all nearing 30 years of age and they are at the end of their effective life times. The computers are running either Windows XP or Windows 7. There in no support or upgrades for Windows XP and so it is obsolete. Part of the reconfiguration of the library floor plan will include putting a catalog workstation in the adult area so that patrons can search our catalog without having to walk up to the front of the building. This project will run approximately $208,000. The library has set aside $60,000 and grants have been written to cover most of the other expenses. The thing to remember about grants is that they cannot be considered in the project budget until the check arrives. So we are asking our patrons to consider donations toward this project. If grants and local donations exceed the amount needed for the project, the excess of local donations will be deposited in the Vicksburg District Library Foundation. ------Our grounds keeper, Bill Brumley has retired and he has moved to a townhouse in Vicksburg. He was a pleasant addition to our staff and we will miss him greatly. Cheryl Lee, one of the Library Board members, is a Master Gardener and she is taking over the library landscaping as her project. -----This fall the library will be hosting an Osher Life-long Learning Institute (OLLI)class on writing. More details will be made public when the Fall class schedule comes out.-----I will keep you updated on the renovation project in future postings. Until next time, remember,"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it is too dark to read." Groucho Marx.

10 February 2015

10 February 2015----------There is a lot of good news this month. First off we are now in the second half of winter. The sun rises earlier and sets much later. The second part of the good news is we now have a new Children's Services Librarian! Stephanie Willoughby is a Vicksburg resident and is leaving her job at the Kalamazoo Museum. She is looking forward to working with the children and officially starts on 16 February. Over the rest of the month she will be learning the procedures of the library, planning storytimes and preparing for Summer Reading. Stop in and say hello to her beginning next week.----------Speaking of storytimes, they are scheduled to restart on Monday, March 2. More details about the storytimes will be publicized as soon as the programs are put together. We are also getting near the mid-point for the Adult Winter Reading program. There is plenty of time to register and get a slip in for the main drawing. It is very easy, read, listen or watch a book, audiobook or movie from the Vicksburg District Library and score a point for each book, movie or audiobook. After 15 items checked out, you get a slip for the big drawing. For every five books, movies or audiobooks you read after that and you get another chance for the drawing. The more materials you use from the Library, the more entries in for the big drawing. The prizes this year are gift certificates for the Main Street Pub, the Vault and Rise n' Dine. Enter now and get reading, watching and listening.---------- This year we are in an awkward situation as far as tax forms. We have received the Michigan Tax Booklets which include the most popular Michigan tax forms and we also have the home heating credit forms. The Federal Tax forms are a totally different situation. We had placed our annual order back in November but late last month we were informed that because the IRS mailing and distribution program had been cut by $300 million. The message we received told us not to expect any tax forms to be delivered this year. Since the first of February we did receive 100 1040 Forms but no instruction books. We have printed off three copies of the instruction books for forms 1040, 1040-A and 2040-EZ. Two of the copies are available for checkout for one week with a $1.00 fine per day if not returned on time. The third copy is for use in the Library. We ask that you be patient with staff this year when looking for tax forms because we may not have received them----------For February the Library is once again inviting you to go on a Blind Date With a Book for Valentine's day. There are many books wrapped in red paper, pick it up take it home and read it. Let us know what you think of the book and if you would read anything else by the author of the book you chose. These books have been donated to the library so you do not need to check them out and you can keep them if you so desire.----------The annual budget meeting of the Library will be held on February 19. The budget meeting is part of the regular meeting. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. and the public is always welcome to attend.-------Until next time, keep warm and keep reading.-----John

7 January 2015

7 January 2015----------It has been nearly two months since I have written on my blog and a lot has happened. First, Kristy has taken the position of assistant director/tech librarian at Parchment. This is a big move for her and we wish her great success in her new position. This of course means that we are without a Children's Librarian. We have posted the job position and we have 8 applicants so far. The application period ends at 5:00 pm on Friday, 16 January 2015. We will interview the week of the 19th and hope to have a new person starting no later than 2 February 2015. Kristy was an excellent children's librarian and we all miss her.----------The Library Board is organizing a Fund Raising Committee to raise funds for some renovations to the Library. The addition was completed in 1986 and in the 29 years since we find that the Library needs to replace and upgrade the building. The two major projects are for a new roof and new carpeting. Between the two the cost is approximately $125,000. The next level of upgrading is in our computer network. Most of the computers are over five years old and when the addition was built the idea of having computers in the library was the stuff of science fiction. We want to not only upgrade our network hardware but also replace the current computers so that we will have 10-12 public access computers instead of the eight we currently have. The phone system was also installed in 1986 and the technology is not compatible with the new phone technology. To upgrade the phone and computer systems is about $30,000. The front entrance to the Library has to be repaired. You may have noticed that the center guardrail is loose and we have yellow tape and warning signs on the railing. Over the years the mortar and caulking on the brick work has come out. The stairs will need to be replaced as pieces of the stairs have broken off. While we are having the work done to the front stairs we are also going to have the brickwork on the stairs and ramp areas repaired. The estimate for the work is about $15,000. This is a rough estimate as the weather turned bad before the engineers could get a more precise estimate. Finally, we will need new computer carrells to place the additional computers as well as new chairs. Other furniture will be examined and pieces that need to be replaced will be ordered with the new computer stations. Depending on how much furniture we need the costs are pegged at $10,000. From experience it is always wise to add and extra 10% to the costs to cover unexpected expenses which would be $17,000 for a grand total of about $187,000. We are looking for people to work on the fundraising committee. We need everyone from those who can stuff envelopes, people who know of organizations that donate to community projects, people who would like to speak to groups and people who are available to help in any way they can. This is a community effort to do some repair and renovation work on the Library building.----------Andrea has become our new head of circulation and adult services. She will be ordering adult fiction materials as well as running the book discussion group. She is also the Library Webmaster or is it Mistress? She will continue to write articles for the South County News and continue to help patrons work with their wireless devices.----------So here is to the start of a new year may it be happy and prosperous.-------- John