Success by 6 having an impact on our community

Way back in 2005 our Library first became involved in the Shared Reading Initiative.  This new program was a pilot literacy program to teach adults to interact successfully with preschool children using books and structured questions.  Success by 6, an early childhood support coalition convened and funded by United Way of Greater Cincinnati, provided major funding and management support for the Shared Reading Initiative.  The Library and the other program partners, Every Child Succeeds (a collaboration that includes Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Head Start, and United Way) and 4C (a nonprofit which focuses on early childhood education in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky), provided in-kind program support by training staff in the shared reading model; those staff will in turn work directly with 150 parents of preschool children. 

This experience changed how we approach children’s services not only at our public library but at public libraries across Ohio.  As a member of the Success by 6 Steering Council I learned that children in our community were entering kindergarten without the basis pre-literacy skills they need to read.  I also learned that most of the children who fall behind in kindergarten never catch up to their peers.  Never.  This was unacceptable to me. 

Our Library received grants to visit in-home child care providers, continued to offer Shared Reading Training for parents and caregivers and took the lead in encouraging our colleagues in all Ohio public libraries to start similar programs.

The purpose of Success by 6 is quite simple – to improve kindergarten readiness for young children in our region.  But how do we know if the work Success by 6 is doing is making a difference?  One way is through the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment – Literacy (KRA-L).  This assessment is required for all new kindergarten students.  Our children’s librarians help administer this assessment at Cincinnati Public Schools.

Success by 6 recently announced that at Cincinnati Public Schools, the scores on the KRA-L have improved since progams like the Shared Reading Initiative began.  The KRA-L assessment is not a pass/fail type of test.  It simply determines where on the assessment a particular student falls.  So, Success by 6 set a goal of having 59% of kindergarten students score a 19 or higher by the 2010 school year.  The assessment for 2009-2010 school year shows that 53.4% of incoming kindergarten students reached that goal.  Up from 48.1% in 2008-2009 and from 44 in 2006-2007.  The assessment divides students into three perfomance bands and the percent of Cincinnati Public School students in the highest performance band, score of 24-29,  has increased to 32.6% up from 28.7% for the 2008-2009 school year.

The Library is proud to have played even a small part in this remarkable accomplishment.  As a result of the hard work of Success by 6, headed by Stephanie Byrd, and many organizations in our community, more students than ever are entering kindergarten ready to read.  But there’s still work to be done.  Here at the Library we plan to continue our efforts to get books into the hands of children and to help parents and caregivers use these books to teach children the essential pre-literacy skills so they too are ready to read when they start kindergarten.

Congratulations Success by 6 on this outstanding accomplishment.  With your work you are truly improving the lives of children in our community.

Here are a couple of websites you should visit:

http://www.sb6uwgc.org/

http://www.ohreadytoread.org/

Cincinnati and literacy

An interesting study started in 2003 and updated regularly looks at literacy rates in America’s largest cities – those with populations of 250,000 or more. In the most recent rankings Cincinnati ranks 9th out of the 75 cities included in the study.   Here’s a link to the full study, America’s Most Literate Cities, on the website of Central Connecticut State University:

http://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=5391

To develop the top ten rankings the study’s author looks at several factors including newpaper readership, educational attainment, public libraries, booksellers, magazine publications and Internet resource access.  Here’s how Cincinnati ranked in each of these categories (out of 75 cities ranked):

Booksellers: ranking developed using the following criteria

1. Number of retail bookstores per 10,000 population
2. Number of rare and used bookstores per 10,000 population
3. Number of members of the American Booksellers Association per 10,000 population

Cincinnati’s ranking – 3.5 (tied with Minneapolis)

Education:  ranking developed using the following criteria

 1. Percentage of the adult population with a high school diploma or higher
2. Percentage of the adult population with a bachelor’s degree or higher

Cincinnati’s ranking 40

Internet: ranking developed using the following criteria

1. Number of Internet book orders per capita
2. Number of unique visitors per capita to a city’s internet version newspaper
3. Number of webpage views per capita to a city’s internet version newspaper

Cincinnati’s ranking 32.5 (tied with Indianapolis)

Libraries: ranking developed using the following criteria

1. Number of branch libraries per 10,000 library service population
2. Volumes held in the library per capita of library service population
3. Number of circulations per capita of library service population
4. Number of library professional staff per 10,000 library service population

Cincinnati’s ranking 5

Newspapers: ranking developed using the following criteria

1. Weekday total circulation
2. Sunday total circulation

Cincinnati’s ranking 14

Publications: ranking developed using the following criteria

1. Number of magazine publishers with circulation over 2,500 per 100,000 population
2. Number of journals published with circulation over 500 per 100,000 population

Cincinnati’s ranking 8 

We’re very proud of the Library’s number 5 ranking in this study.  It emphasizes the important role of public libraries  in a literate society.   Unlike many other studies of literacy rates which look at how many people can’t read, this study looks at how many people do read.   Happily for those of us who believe in the value of reading, people in Cincinnati do read.  A lot. 

Let’s take a look at our Library’s circulation for 2009.  We’ve had a very busy year.  But what’s bee so amazing is the huge growth we’ve seen in book circulation.  Through November 2009, we’ve checked out nearly 10% more books than we did in 2008.  This means our patrons borrowed 8.7 million books through November of this year, an increase of more than 750,000!  And as this study shows people in Cincinnati also have a wealth of bookstores to visit, read their local paper more than their peers in other cities and a number of local magazine publishers.  These strengths helped to keep Cincinnati among America’s most literate cities. 

Let’s keep it this way for years to come.  Keep reading.  Keep your Library card current.  Read the newspaper. Visit local bookstores.   We must continue to encourage literacy by making books, magazines and newspapers available and accessible locally.  At the Library we will continue efforts initiated this year to encourge reading – they obviously worked.  We’re expanding our Featured Book of the Month in 2010 to include titles for kids and teens as well as adults.  We’re also continuing the On the Same Page community wide reading program with 2010’s title The Hunger Games already announced.  Summer reading will be again offered for all ages.  Donwloadable digital books, both print and audio, are also available to borrow from the Library.  If you haven’t tried these yet, take a look at the Virtual Library section of our website.  Titles are also accessible through our catalog.  Here’s the link to the Virtual Library:

http://virtuallibrary.cincinnatilibrary.org/VirtualLibrary/

Happy Reading!

Just an Update

Happy 100th anniversary to the Price Hill Branch!  Did you get to attend this special celebration on November 28?  Andrew Carnegie was there.  Representative Steve Driehaus was also there and gave the opening remarks.  As a lifelong resident of Price Hill, Mr. Driehaus has been familiar with the Price Hill Branch since childhood.  His remarks were based on his personal experiences at the Branch and truly showed how much he values public libraries.  He reminded us that when the branch was built in 1909 William Howard Taft, a Cincinnatian, was President and his seat in Congress was held by Nicholas Longworth who later served for many years as Speaker of the House.  Denise Driehaus is the State Representative for the district that includes Price Hill and she too was there to celebrate this important occasion.  

If you haven’t visited the Price Hill Branch recently now would be the perfect time to stop in for a visit. 

Of our Library’s 9 Carnegie branches only 7 are still in use.  Price Hill was the 5th with Walnut Hills, Corryville, Northside and Norwood celebrating centennials beginning in 1906 with Walnut Hills.  The next branch to celebrate a centennial will be Hyde Park in 2012.  Avondale will be the last of the remaining 7 celebrating its’ 100th anniversary  in 2013.  The original West End Branch at the corner of 8th and Glenwaywas demolished after closing in 1947 and the former East End Branch ceased operating as a library branch in 1959 and is now owned by the Columbia-Tusculum Neighborhood Association and is used as a community center.  If you’re interested in seeing it, the building is located at the northwest corner of Eastern and Donham Avenues. 

The OLC virtual conference presentations mentioned in my previous posting are now on the OLC webpage.  Here’s the link to all the talks for you to enjoy:

http://www.olc.org/unconvention.asp

I learned at a recent presentation by Arne Almquist, Associate Provost for Library Services at Northern Kentucky University about a new program the Bachelor of Science in Library Informatics.  Here’s the link to the full degree information on NKU’s website:

http://nkuonline.nku.edu/undergraduate/libraryinformatics/index.php

This program which is completely online offers a much-needed bridge between a high school diploma or an Associate’s Degree and the Master’s of Library Science degree required by many libraries to hold a position as a librarian. 

The degree was also designed to meet a pressing need at many smaller libraries nationwide.  Research conducted by NKU found that many libraries in Kentucky (and many other states as well), have no staff with any college degree.  By offering this degree as an online only program, the staff at these libraries can enhance their knowledge of the Library profession and prepare them to pursue a master’s in library science degree.  The original program intiated in Kentucky is called “Bridging the Gap” and is funded by a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  The grant targets Kentucky’s high-poverty rural areas and offered scholarships and technology stipends to 50 library staff members already working in Kentucky libraries. 

I was very impressed with the approach taken by this grant to truly change the level of library service provided to some of the poorest areas of Kentucky.  The stipends can be used to cover nearly any cost that would keep a student from being able to complete the coursework.  And, the fact that the entire Bachelor’s degree can be completed online in only 2 years is a real motivator for those who think they cannot make the multi-year investment required to complete a Bachelor’s degree in the traditional college setting.

Kudos to Arne and everyone at NKU for this innovative and exciting program.  I hope other areas of the country, including Ohio, will take advantage of this unique program to grow the library profession and make it possible for more library staff to advance their education.

After a long break…

I know it’s been awhile since I posted anything new but after the hectic (should I say frantic) days both before and after the levy vote I really needed a break.  First, a huge and heartfelt thank you to Hamilton County for voting to give our Library local funds to keep our services available.   We really appreciate the vote of confidence and the financial support!  It’s a huge relief to know that we’ll have this additional income to help with the operation of the Library.  While we can’t predict whether or not our State funding will continue to drop, we do know that without the local funds, our Library’s services would have been significantly reduced.  So, thank you for hearing us and thank you for voting. 

Thanks also to all the volunteers and donors who made this levy campaign happen.  The many volunteers involved in this effort called voters, went door to door, planned fundraisers, delivered yard signs, thanked donors and did the many tasks required to succeed with a new, countywide levy.  Our donors provided the funds needed to print materials, mail them out, purchase yard signs, develop television ads and pay to run them, and so many other daily expenses of a levy campaign.

The hard work of so many volunteers really paid off when Hamilton County voters approved our 1 mill levy with a 73% for vote, far exceeding our wildest imaginings. 

Now we have to move ahead with our next work, but before we leave the topic of the levy altogether I want to mention something about the articles in the newspaper.  You can’t believe everything you read in the paper.  Reporters make mistakes and mistakes were made in the article concerning the branches with more DVD circulation than book circulation.  First the headline, “Library War: Videos top Books”  is just plain wrong.  At our Library, book circulation still exceeds DVD or video, in fact it exceeds all forms of audiovisual circulation added together.  And, it’s growing.  So far this year the number of items borrowed has grown by 758,406.  Of this number print has grown 708,888 leaving only 40,211 increase in all audiovisaul combined and the remainder of the increase, about 9,000 for digital books – which is still books.  These nunbers are correct, our Library checked out so far this year 700,000+ more books than in the same period in 2008!  The article then goes on to list 11 branches that circulate more DVDs than books.  The branches are identified in two places, a list at the end of the article and a map that lets the reader see the branches circulating more DVDs than books.  This map lists only 9 locations but includes three that aren’t in the list in the article.  Both are wrong.  First, there are only 10 branch libraries that check out more DVDs than books.  Bond Hill, included in the list, and St. Bernard, Westwood and Norwood, numbered on the map, all check out more books than DVDs.  Using the data center provided with the map confirms this but a reader would have to look at each branch library’s information indivdually to find this out.  Just setting the record straight.

As an FYI, the publication of this article spurred some DVDs borrowers to let us know how much they appreciate this service.

In late October Anne Keller, Executive Director of the Friends of the Public Library and I did a presentation for the Ohio Library Council’s Unconventional Convention.  This was a virtual conference with attendees watching our powerpoint and listening to our talk remotely.  This is a great idea and a great time and money saver for conference attendees.  But it was disconcerting as a presenter to stand in a completely empty auditorium and give a talk.  Until we did this I had no idea how much I rely on the audience reaction to determine how the talk is being received overall.  When we finished we had questions, which at least let us know someone was listening.  The behind the scenes people would read out the question so there was a disembodied voice reading out questions to me and Anne in our completely empty, and dark, auditorium which we would then answer.  Altogether a strange and interesting experience.  If you’d like to watch and listen OLC will be posting all six talks on their website but theya re not yet available.

The Library’s last strategic plan was developed in 2003-2004 and covered the five-year period that ended in 2008.  Because of our uncertain financial picture, the plan for 40 branches is vastly different from the plan for 20, we decided to wait until after the election to update our plan.  The election’s over and it’s now time to begin updating our strategic plan.  When we developed the last plan we did extensive focus groups, surveys, and interviews with community leaders.  We expect to have at least as much, if not more, community involvement in developing this plan.  The process is just getting underway and will take several months to complete.  Our last plan was very useful in deciding what needed to be done to best serve our community and we made many improvements as a result of the feedback we received during the planning process.  We truly did use the plan to set priorities for the Library.  We’re looking forward to seeing what’s changed since our last plan and finding out how to make more changes to continue improving our services.

 

 

 

Update

Books by the Banks was a huge success!  Thousands attended the third annual book festival held October 17 at the Duke Energy Center.  Bestseeling authors joined first time authors to discuss thier works, greet fans and autograhp books.  Couldn’t be there?  Check out the Library’s Flickr site to see photos of some of the day’s activities:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cincinnatipubliclibrary/

I had a wonderful time assisting several authors throughout the day including Jennifer Weiner, Jeanette Walls, Barbara Bradley Hagerty, Brett Harper and Garth Stein.  Despite the popularity of these authors I was still able to find a few minutes to walk around the Author Pavilion and talk with some additional authors there that day.  I even had time to purchase a few books!  For a booklover like me the event was a real pleasure.  Thanks to the many libraries, sponsors, supporters, authors and volunteers who made the event possible.  Check out the Books by the Banks website for a complete list of participating libraries and event sponsors at:

http://booksbythebanks.org/index.shtml

So many activities are underway I can’t keep track of them all.  The Big Read is finishing up this next week but there’s still time to participate by reading Mark Twain’s classic work The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  Entries for the Teen Read Week photography contest “What I Love About Cincinnati” are due by October 31.  More information can be found here:

http://teenspace.cincinnatilibrary.org/features/2009-10/

For the complete program calendar visit our website:

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/programs/  You can search by location, date or audience.  Thanks to the generosity of our many  donors, the Friends of the Public Library, the Library Foundation and the Anderson Township Library Association, most Library programs are offered free of charge.

A recent change in our hold service makes it even easier to pick up your holds at the Main Library.  Now you can specify the Main Library Drive  Up Window as your pick up location when placing your hold.  When you receive your email or call letting you know your hold is in, just go to the drive up window and your books will be waiting for you. 

The Friends of the Public Library held a book sale at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center last week.  The sale was quite successful grossing $6,600.  The members only preview evening was crowded and shoppers were buying more than usual.  The Friends Shop also had a table selling some of their items including Christmas cards featuring images digitized by the Library and printed onto card stock, banned books jewelry and book-themed puzzles and games for children.  I did a little early Chirstmas shopping while there that night.  The next Friends sale is scheduled for November 13-14 at the Madeira Branch Library.  For hours of the sale click here:

http://friends.cincinnatilibrary.org/

Mid-November will be a popular time for booksales.  The Anderson Township Library Association is holding its Holiday and Nearly New Used Book Sale beginning November 12 at the Anderson Branch Library.  Hours and details are available here: http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/support/atla.html

The Friends Executive Director, Anne,  and I did a presentation entitiled “With Friends Like These Who Needs Enemies?  Building a Strong Relationship with Your Friends” for the Ohio Library Council’s Unconventional Convention on October 22.  Ours was one of 6 presentations selected for this online conference.  The presentation has been archived and will be available online in the near future.  Anne and I had a great time presenting on this topic and hope sharing our experiences can help other libraries and friends groups work together better to the benefit of both.

Book Festival and other news

Last week I had a new experience.  Representative Dale Mallory presented a House Resolution honoring me for being named Ohio Librarian of the Year by  the Ohio Library Council.  I went to Columbus on Tuesday and Representative Mallory presented his Resolution.  I then got to address the entire Ohio House of Representatives with some very brief remarks.  Here’s the link to me at the House.  Go to 11:42 a.m. 

http://www.ohiochannel.org/multimedia/organizations/media.cfm?file_id=122324&organization_id=31#

Next weekend is the 3rd annual Books by the Banks book festival at the Duke Energy Center.  I enjoy working at book festivals and getting a chance to meet some of my favorite authors.  I always buy too many books so I give lots of them away as gifts.  Here’s the link to our website with all the details.  The festival runs Saturday October 17 from 10-4.  Hope to see you there!

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2009/booksbythebanks.html

Also next weekend is a Friends of the Library booksale at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, formerly the Clifton School.  The sale starts with a members only preview on Tursday from 5:00 to 8:00 and is open to the public Friday 10:00 to 6:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 5:00.  It’s the first sale to be held in Clifton and a great chance to see the Cultural Arts Center.  There will be a good selection of books and other items at bargain prices.  I’ll be there for the member’s preview on Thursday night ready to shop!

The Ohio Library Council has a number of Committees that work throughout the year on issues facing their members.  One of these committees is the Government Relations Committee.  This Committee is involved in any legislation affecting libraries and also plans the annual legislative day in Columbus.  I’m excited to be chairing this Committee for the next two years.  It’s bound to be a challenging time since the next State budget is likely to face declines in State revenue that must be addressed.  We’ll be working hard to keep our funding in the next budget.

Gates grant

Thursday and Friday of this past week Anne, Executive Director of the Friends of the Public Library; Amy, the Library’s Public Relations Director and I attended an advocacy workshop called Turning the Page.  This workshop is required for any Library receiving funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Hardware Grant.  The workshop was developed by the Public Library Association.   It was two full days of thinking, working and learning about nothing but how to be library advocates.  What a great opporunity for us to build some additional skills.  Our Library is receiving a substantial grant, nearly $162,000, to purchase computer equipment for the public for 17 of our branch libraries.  The grant comes with some requirements in addition to attending the workshop.  Participating libraries are required to also contribute 25% of the cost of the equipment purchase in the first year of the grant and 50% in year two of the grant.   To help libraries succeed with securing the matching funds, the advocacy workshop accompanies the grants.  Fortunately for us we have already secured our matching funds for year one but we’ll soon need to begin working on the match for year two.  The equipment we’ll be able to purchase with these funds will make a huge difference in our community.  There will be more up-to-date equipment at many of our branches, even some that were not eligible for the Gates grants.  We’re currently in the process of purchasing the equipment for the West End Branch as a pilot site for our Gates equipment. 

The new catalog, an update included in our annual maintenance with Sirsi/Dynix our catalog vendor, includes a feature I’ve long wanted.  We now have the ability to store a list of books previously read or a list of books you want to read in your account.   There are a few steps involved in setting up the initial list but once it’s there it’s easy to use.  First, go into the catalog, then log in to your account by entering your card number and PIN in the upper right hand corner of the search home screen.  You’ll see a header called Permanent Lists above the search box. Click it and enter the name for your list.  Now start searching the catalog.  When you see something you want to add to your list click on the +My List box in the search results.  It’s right above the Place Hold button.  When you want to see your list just go back to Permanent Lists and all your titles will be listed.  To place a hold on an item from your list click details then place hold.  You can also remove an item from your list.  So many people have asked for this feature over the years it’s great to finally have it available.  So start building your list to keep up with all the great new books and movies you hear about and want to read – just not all at once.

A glimpse of Library history

A question at the Mariemont branch prompted a search of the Library board minutes from 1971 and 1972.  While I didn’t find what I was looking for I did find something fascinating.  At least to me.  There in the middle of the 1972 minutes was a 24 page report entitled Report of the Special Collections in Department of Rare Books.  I sure wish I’d known about this a few years ago!  I had heard that the Rare Books Department first had a permanent space in the 1955 Main Library and I knew about a few of the special collections but this report was filled with details I’d never seen before.   Prior to the original Rare Books room many of the items were stored in a bank vault at the Provident Bank.  In addition to describing the many special collections, the report outlined a brief history of the department.  Although the report mentions no author it was presumably written by long-time curator of the Rare Books and Special Collections Yeatman Anderson.  The report also mentions the important role the Friends of the Public Library played in acquiring materials for the new Rare Books Department.  The Tower Room on the Main Library’s 3rd floor was the original display room for Rare Books.  The Department is now known as the Cincinnati Room and housed on the 3rd floor of the bridge connecting the buildings on the South side of 9th Street with the North Building.  While I can’t reproduce the enitre report here I can mention a few of the special collections developed over the years.  I am pleased to report that a recent appraisal of the collection determined that these items are in excellent condition. 

The Americana collections include the Cincinnati Collection, the Ohio Valley Collection, the Inland Rivers Library and the Discovery and Exploration Collection.  The Discovery and Exploration collection was started in 1876 when the Library purchased from the Robert Clarke and Company duplicates from the Julius Warren(Leon) and Harriet Lewis Library.  Among the fascinating items in this collection is the Basel 1494 edition of the letter Columbus wrote about his discoveries in the new world. 

There are also several author collections that relied on gifts when started in the 1950s.  Lafcadio Hearn, Mark Twain, Christopher Morley, Rockwell Kent, Sir Winston Churchill, William Faulkner, Ernest HemingwayJohn Steinbeck, Willa Cather and Charles Dickens are among the many authors represented.  In fact, the current exhbition in the CIncinnati Room features several books by Mark Twain from this collection. 

There’s also an outstanding dictionary collection – the Louis E. Kahn English Dictionary Collection.  The collection was donated to the Library by Mr. Kahn’s widow in 1961.  When the collection was started Mr. Kahn sought to acquire a copy of every English language dictionary prior to 1876.   At the time of the report the Library had 123 out of a possible 368 editions published prior to 1801.   Among these are a first edition of Noah Webster’s first dictionary published in 1806.  We do still add to this collection from time to time.

We also have the Reese C. Vidler Bible Collection.  This fascinating collection is displayed with some regularity and new Bibles are added with frequently.  The foundation of the collection was purchased from Vidler in 1925 and includes a Miles Coverdale Bible.  Most recently a copy of the first Bible in the 20th century to include illustrations of each book of the Old and New Testaments by a single ilustrator was purchased for the collection in 2000 by the Friends of the Public Library.  Barry Moser’s woodcut engravings beautifully illustrate the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible.  Mr. Moser visited the Library to discuss his work on this beautiful Bible. 

This collection was a real surprise to me, the Sports Collection.  The collection originated in the 1930s from Derrydale Press publications, the Cuvier Press Club and Library purchases.  Derrydale Press was founded in 1927 and ceased publishing in 1941.  During that time, the Press reprinted rare early American sporting books.  According to this report, the real core of the collection is the old sports books from the library of the Cuvier Press Club.   Purchased in 1937, the acqusition included a restriction that it be retained as a unit.  The Cuvier Club was a local organization of hunters and fishers.  The books were collected for thier practical uses but were beautifully bound by the club.

In 1952 the Library received a gift from Mre. Margaret Bullock Dickson of an extensive collection of books illustrated by George and Robert Cruikshank.  The collecton was given in memory of her father who built the original collection.  Known as the James Wilson Bullock Cruikshank Collection the collection contains hundreds of works illustrated by the Cruikshank brothers including a copy of Grimm’s Popular Stories and an early edition of Oliver Twist published in parts.   Additional gifts over the years have increased the depth of this unusual collection. 

There’s also a collection of books about books and fine printing.  This collection encompasses many topics including bibliographies, printing manuals, and a collection of books on the history and manufacture of handmade paper.  It is into this collection that a former staff member Mrs. Albert L. Russell donated a collection of books relating to fine printing collected by her father Allen Collier that included a copy of the Insel-Verlag facsimile edition of the Gutenberg Bible. 

The Milestone Book collection is a collection of important books that have advanced civilization over the past 500 years.  Although the collection was started long before the 1950s it was not until then that the collection began to take shape under the guidance of Mrs. Alice Plaut.  Using two important bilbiographies Downs’ Books that Changed the World and Muir’s Printing and the Mind of Man, Plaut built the basis for today’s collection.  Works in this collection include the Federalist Papers and Origin of the Species, a work of particular interest since we are currently celebrating the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. 

This paper has piqued my interest to learn more about the Special Collections housed in the Cincinnati Room and I’ll be looking to update this report from the 1970s.  I found it fascinating to explore the roots of these important collections.  Thanks to the many donors and the Friends of the Library as well as the many dedicated and knowledgeable staff for building such an outstanding collection for our Library.  It’s a true treasure for our comunity.

Artists’ Books

One of the things I love most about our Library is its wonderful collections.  There are all kinds of special collections carefully built over the years and still added to today.  One of these collections is the artists’ books collection.  I didn’t realize until I was taking a visitor on a quick tour of the Main Library on our way to lunch how very special this collection is.  As we crossed the bridge over 9th street we walked past the Cincinnati Room where our annual artists’ book exhibit is on display.  This year’s exhibit, entitled, The Keith Kuhn Memorial Artists’ Bok Exhibit – More Than Words: The Book as Art, is dedicated to former Library Services Director Keith Kuhn, who passed away in 2008. Over sixty books—many of them hand made, one-of-a-kind objects—are currently on display.  I mentioned the exhibit as we walked by and my friend was not familiar with artists’ books so we stopped in to take a look around. 

Those of you who are also new to artists’ books may not know what to expect.  Artists’ books are creative and innovative.  Humorous and insightful.  Some take the idea of a book in a whole different direction using not paper but wood, metal or other materials.  Still others are beautiful examples of fine binding by some of our area’s best.  I have a few favorites that I look for each year when the books are on display.  My very favorite is a clever play on Alexander Pope’s Rape of the Lock , called O-Maj to Alexander Pope  by Diana Duncan Holmes and Timothy M. Riordan.  The “book” consists of two volumes made up of metal trays each containing vials holding hair from Cincinnati artist and authors.  Each time I see it I’m amazed again at the creativity and sheer fun of this book.  Sorry, no picture of this one, you’ll have to come to the Main Library to see it.

Another favorite is a Gabrielle Fox book purchased by the Friends of the Public Library last year.  This beautiful book houses the poem No Land Where I Have Traveled: A Kentucky Poem by Logan English.   Ms. Fox has taken a limited edition printing of this poem and rebound it in a beautiful deep green goatskin with onlay leaf design in green and red leather.  The full description of the binding can be found in our catalog, which notes that this copy is number 16 of 450 trade copies,  but this book can only truly be appreciated when you see it.  It’s absolutely gorgeous!

At the same time our collection is on exhibit in the Cincinnati Room, the Cincinnati Book Arts Society has its annual exhibit of artists’ books on display in the Main Library Atrium.  Bookworks 10 features many beautiful books with both contemporary and traditional bookmaking techniques.

Here’s a link to take a look at a few of the books in the Bookworks 10 exhibit online:

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2009/artistsbooks.html

For more about the Library’s collection of artists’ books and to look at several of the books, click here:

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/main/artistsbooks.html

Information about the Cincinnati Book Arts Society can be found here:

http://www.cincinnatibookarts.org/index.html

Looking online is great but to truly enjoy these wonderful books you’ll have to see them in person. This years’ exhibit ends next week but our collection in the Cincinnati Room can be accessed year round.

Mostly News

Budget cuts to other agencies we partner with are forcing changes that impact Library programs and patrons.  Last year we started two homework centers called Centers of Excellence at the Price Hill and Avondale branch libraries.  We provided the space and the Urban League provided a tutor to work with the kids each afternoon.  Unfortunately, we recently learned that the Urban League is unable to fund these centers this year.  We estimate the cost for both to be around $15,000 for the school year so we’re going to look for a donor or sponsor to keep these centers operating.  We don’t have the money in our budget to cover this additional cost.  If you have any ideas, let me know.  In the meantime, these students will have to keep up with their homework without the help of the tutors. 

Another cut is to the GED program.  For the past several years, we’ve offered the GED practice test and the State would waive the GED test fee for anyone who took the practice test and passed it.  We were notified by the Ohio Department of Education that this program is over.  Now, even if you pass the practice test you have to pay a fee of $40.00 to take the GED (a reduction over the previous fee).   We’ll still offer the practice test, in fact it’s more important than ever for those who don’t have $40.00 to risk on the GED until they know they’re prepared to take it and pass.  As with the Centers of Excellence, we’d like to find a donor or sponsor to provide our Library with funding to continue the fee waiver.  We estimate the cost to be about $16,000 a year.  The change is effective September 1, 2009.

I am dismayed by both of these changes.  We know our children need the type of assistance provided through the Centers of Excellence.  It focuses their after school time on homework and brings them into the Library regularly.  The $40.00 fee for the GED makes it that much harder for those trying to improve their lives to get the education they need for better employment or perhaps furthering their education.

Cincinnati’s Commemoration of the Bicentennial Birthday of Abraham Lincoln continues on Wednesday, September 9 with a televised town hall meeting featuring special guest former congressman and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young. Joining Ambassador Young to discuss After Obama: Race and Politics in Cincinnati are local panelists:

Father Michael Graham, President, Xavier University; Jan Michele Lemon-Kearney, Publisher, Cincinnati Herald; Judge Nathaniel Jones, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Maria Molina, Manager, Latin American Development Director, Americas Consumer Relations, Procter & Gamble.

The program will be broadcast live on CET from 8:00—9:00 p.m. and will continue streaming live on CETConnect for 30 minutes. A reception and book signing with Andrew Young will be held earlier at the Main Library from 5:30—7:00 p.m. in the Huenefeld Tower Room. Copies of his book, An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and Transformation of America will be available for purchase and signing.  Please plan to join us for the reception and watch the discussion on CET.  For more information visit the website:

http://www.cetconnect.org/LincolnLegacy/