No. 06-33                                                                                                                  August 18, 2006

• CAROL HENDRIX, Administration

I am pleased to announce that we have hired an administrative assistant, Elaine Knapp. Elaine comes with years of experience and she has mastered many tasks in her first couple of days.  Please call Elaine, ext. 23, for updates to your trustee list, any mailing list change of addresses, all accounts receivable/payable, etc. 
 

     Reminder:  Don’t forget to send me your blurb for the System Annual Brochure.  Deadline is September 8, 2006.  Thank you to those who have already submitted their information.
 

    Annual Meeting invitations have been mailed out.  Please let me know if you or any of your trustees do not receive one.

 

•  LINDA BEINS, ILL/Reference Coordinator

Recycled Reference Books

If you are interested in receiving any of these previously owned reference books for your library, email Linda Beins no later than September 1.

·        Council of State Governments State Directory: Directory III Administrative Officials (2005)

·        Foundation Directory, Part 2 (2005)

·       Editor & Publisher International Year Book: the Encyclopedia of the Newspaper Industry (2004) 3 vols.

·        Lexis Nexis Corporate Affiliations (2005) 8 vols.

·        New York State Directory 2005/2006

 Wikipedia

In March 2006, the one-millionth Wikipedia entry was posted to the site of this online encyclopedia. In 2001, when John Wales started Wikepedia, his mission was to "distribute a free encyclopedia to every single person on the planet in their own language." He is close to succeeding; Wikipedia.org is the seventeenth-most popular site on the Internet. Keep in mind that it is an encyclopedia, created and edited by anyone who might have access to the Internet. Critics contend that this egalitarian approach has resulted in some poorly written and incorrect entries. Two recent articles recount the origin of Wikipedia and the successes and pitfalls of this new phenomenon:

Poe, Marshall The hive. The Atlantic, Vol. 298, No.2, September 2006, p. 86-94. (Full-text is available through MasterFILE Select.)

Schiff, Stacy Know it all: can Wikipedia conquer expertise? The New Yorker, Vol. 82, No. 23, July 31, 2006, p. 36-43. (Full-text is available through General Reference Center)

 

Websites – About Labor Day

Read several different accounts of the origin of Labor Day from the:

1) U.S. Dept. of Labor website, http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm,

2) PBS Online, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/september96/labor_day_9-2.html,

3) http://www.historynow.org/06_2005/historian4.html by Joshua B. Freeman, Professor of History, Queen’s College.

 The Census Bureau offers Labor Day Facts.

 (A little detour) The New York State Department of Labor - Job Seeker Resources offers a variety of employment-related information, including civil service examination dates, resume and cover letter templates, and an online version of the Occupational Outlook Handbook.  One special feature is Resources for Students with career exploration, a free test preparation site and financial aid information.

 

Question of the Week
Last week’s Questions of the Week has been extended to give you more time to explore ReferenceUSA.

1. How many board certified plastic surgery practices are really in the 90210 (zip code)?
2. Which Canadian provinces have a Krispy Kreme Donut store?
3. Where does my brother-in-law Mark Beins live?
4. Can you get a good bagel in Birmingham, AL?

 

•  MARISA IACOBUCCI, Adult Services Coordinator

I will be on vacation from Monday, August 28^th through Monday, September, 4^th.  I will be back in the office Tuesday, September 5^th.  If you have a pressing concern, please contact Annette Birdsall.  You are welcome to e-mail me with questions or concerns, if you feel you can wait for a response.  Thanks! 

Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week is coming up in September – 23^rd to the 30^th – and in anticipation of the week, we are once again offering a raffle for ALA banned books week posters.  Keep an eye out in your delivery for information on how to enter as well as the entry form. 

 

• DIRECTORS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL (DAC) MEMBERS:

If you have any questions or concerns regarding FLLS library service, you are welcome to contact a DAC member from the list below. 

Janet Steiner, TCPL, Ithaca
Judy Barkee, Ulysses Philomathic Library, Trumansburg
Lois Maki, Newfield Public Library
Kay Zaharis, Cortland Free Library
Mary Frank, Peck Memorial Library, Marathon
Sally Otis, Hazard Library, Poplar Ridge
Stephen Erskine, Seymour Library, Auburn
Beverly Dann, Waverly Free Library.