T he Delaware Arts Festival is only a few days away, and I hope you are planning to attend. Stop by the “Geek the Library” booth to let us know what you “geek” (are passionate about.) The libraries of Sunbury, Ashley and Delaware have collaborated on the “Geek the Library” campaign, and we hope you’ll become a part of it. Telling us what you “geek” is fun and you’ll be surprised at what fellow Delaware Countians “geek,” too!
“Can you recommend a good book to me?” That question is a favorite among Delaware County District Library’s librarians, but it seems to be a question many people are reluctant to ask. I sometimes think that folks hesitate to ask us to recommend a good book because they may be concerned that their request is “not serious” or not exactly asking for information.
The Delaware County District Library’s children’s staff has developed some wonderfully imaginative program for children of all ages, from infants to teens. Even though children will have great fun at these programs — and that’s what the librarians want! — the programs are based on sound fundamentals that help children learn about and develop reading skills, introduce them to language and words, and expose them to well-written and educational books. The children won’t even notice that they are learning, but they will be.
Many years ago when I was a graduate student, I learned about S.A. Ranganathan, a mathematician and librarian for India who is often called the “father of library science.” During his distinguished career, he developed the five laws of library science, and even though his laws are more than 50 years old, I think they still hold true today and have an important influence on the staff of the Delaware County District Library.
“You Belong @ Your Library.” What a wonderful theme for this year’s National Library Week celebration! Today is the last day of National Library Week, and while its observation at the Delaware County District Library may have been somewhat restrained (librarians are not particularly noted for their rowdiness, after all), the library staff certainly recognizes and celebrates the importance of public libraries in our society.
The April calendar at the Delaware County District Library is peppered with programs for adults with a wide variety of tastes and interests. At 7 p.m. Monday, April 9, the library’s Powell Branch staff will present “Gardening 101,” to discuss and share basic gardening tips and tricks. Then, at 7 p.m. April 12 at the Ostrander Branch, you can learn even more about gardening at a presentation by a Master Gardener.
As part of my job as director, I spend a great deal of time reading professional literature, keeping up with library trends, concerns and news. I recently ran across an article that I found to be particularly appropriate, in light of the many changes occurring in public libraries. The author is a library director in California, a woman who “tells it like it is” and often cuts right to the heart of the matter.
641.5. That number might not mean anything to you, but in the world of the Delaware County District Library and other public libraries in the United States, that number is incredibly important and significant. 641.5 is the Dewey Decimal Classification number for cookbooks, one of the biggest and most used collection of nonfiction books in the library.