Alpine Public Library News

Alpine Public Library recognized three of its volunteers with awards at the 2008 luncheon for Volunteer Big Bend on Monday in Alpine.      Chris Ruggia was the first recipient, for his service on the Board of Directors as a former officer of the board and chair of various committees, as well as being “the go-to guy for graphics and Web Page design and maintenance.”

The second recipient was Marilyn Terry, who has served as President of the Friends of the Alpine Public Library. Her many hours of volunteering included organizing several book sales, at locations ranging from Re-Reads to the Center for Big Bend Studies Conference.

The third award-winner was Gail Lewis, for her service to the Friends of the Alpine Public Library. From the remarks delivered at the luncheon, “she particularly enriches the lives of the library’s homebound patrons by taking the time to understand each home-bound patron’s interest and takes them books and books on tape on a regular basis.”

This week the Alpine Public Library also recognized significant donors to the institution, with a spotlight on Kathy and Albert Bork, Anne and Malcolm Calaway, Elizabeth Foley, Nina Foley, Jim and Macy Chionsini, Kay and Don Green, Joan and Herb Kelleher, McDonald’s of Alpine (and Irma Campbell), Mary Jane and Vic Morgan, Carol and Pete Peterson, Jan and Harold Skaggs, Mary V Stringfellow, Becky and King Terry, Texas Disposal Systems, West Texas National Bank and Big Bend Telephone .

What are caves?  How are caves formed?  What creatures live in caves?  What is spelunking?

Children ages 6-10 — Come on a cave exploration every Wednesday morning in June from  10:00-11:00.

Learning centers and story time for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners.  This is a “hands on” program and often messy, so please wear play clothes!  Every Tuesday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 in June-August.  For children ages 0-5 years.

Four Marathon residents attended the Texas Library Association Conference in Dallas April 14-18. Carol Townsend, librarian of the Marathon branch of the Alpine Public Library attended classes on library management and summer reading programs. Friends of Marathon Public Library president, Steve Griffis, who is also West Texas sales representative for University of Texas Press, manned an exhibit booth at the conference. Library volunteers Sky Townsend and Arlene Griffis worked in the UT Press booth and Arlene attended some classes, as well. 

On Wednesday Carol and Arlene attended the Author’s Luncheon where Carol was recognized as one of eight recipients of a Tocker Foundation grant which issues stipends to librarians from small communities, thereby enabling them to attend conferences such as TLA. The two women also attended the Bluebonnet Award Luncheon on Thursday, which honored author Lucy Nolan whose book Down Girl and Sit: On the Road is the winner of the 2007-2008 Bluebonnet Award for children’s literature. 

During the conference Carol and Arlene were able to purchase approximately 100 new books which will be added to the shelves of the Marathon Library. Carol would like to thank Carole Henthorne and Lynn Lindsay for keeping the Marathon Library open while she attended the conference.

Marathon Public Library has received “We the Peolple Bookshelf” from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. The collection contains the following books:

Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution

Abraham Lincoln the Writer

Amistad

Breaking Through

Elijah of Buxton

Flowers for Algernon

Freedom Walkers

The Gettysburg Address

Give Me Liberty

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography

Lyddie

Many Thousand Gone

Pink and Say

Saturnalia

That all People May Be One People

The Ugly Duckling

Four Books in Spanish:

Pink y Say

Lyddie

Senderos Fronterizos

Flores Para Algernon

We wish to thank Arlene Griffis for applying for the grant for us. This is the third year Marathon Public Library has received this book grant. We also have new books recently donated so please come by the library to check them out. We are a great little library with wonderful community support.

Carol Townsend
Branch Manager
Marathon Public Library

Workforce Solutions/Upper Rio Grande and the Alpine Public Library have teamed up to offer the community free basic computer classes starting April 14th at the library from 6-8PM. The course will meet three days a week (days to be determined at the first meeting) for two weeks. New classes will continue to be formed as need and funds permit.

Participants will learn an introduction to computers including parts of the computer, how to search the Internet and how to set up and use an email account. Classes will be instructed by Ninfa M. Rodriguez, Career Counselor at the Workforce Solutions/Upper Rio Grande who will be able to accommodate both English and Spanish speaking students.  Applications for the classes are available in Spanish or English and can be picked up at the Alpine Public Library or Workforce Solution Center in Ward Plaza office #4. Seating per class is limited to six participants on a first come first serve basis, to ensure that participants get plenty of one-on-one instruction.

For further information please contact Anitra Clausen,Director, or Valerie Richard , Circulation/Reference Manager, at the Alpine Public Library at 432-837-2621. You can also contact Ninfa M. Rodriguez from the Workforce Solutions/Upper Rio Grande at 432-837-9800 extension 2762.

Great Pictures from SLM classes at the Ft. Stockton Library. We all had a great time learning together/

Carol/MPL Branch Manager

Anitra Clausen and Carol Townsend attended Small Library Management class at the Ft.Stockton Public Library on April 7^th and 8^th, 2008. There were two graduates from the class, Carol Townsend, Marathon Public Library and Julie Layton, Dell City Library.       

  LIBRARIAN COMPLETES STATE TRAINING PROGRAM 

Carol Townsend, branch manager of the Marathon Public Library, has joined the ranks of some 450 librarians statewide who have graduated from the Small Library Management Training Program, administrated by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. This two-and-a-half year commitment included the completion of five core courses covering topics Administration and Planning, Collection and Development, Reference Services and Technology. 

The small Library Management Training Program enhances the management skills of library staff members in smaller communities who have not had formal library school coursework. According to Dawn Vogler, library management consultant and coordinator of the program, the training sessions are intensive, stimulating, and exhaustive. “It’s quite an accomplishment to successfully complete the program,” she notes. “The participants leave the program with a greater confidence and with some very practical skills they can apply within their libraries right away.” 

Participants are encouraged to apply the theories and practices learned to their own unique situations, and to network with other librarians in their region. Carol Townsend’s active involvement in the State Library training program represents an substantial commitment of time, energy and personal expense. She received over 50 hours of continuing education credits for her participation.Marathon Public Library branch of Alpine Public Library

Carol Townsend/Branch Manager

Many of you have already discovered our newest additions to the Reference section. A few of our newest titles to browse are:

·        Texas State Directory 2008

·        Exploring Texas with Children

·        Guinness World Records 2008

·      2008 Peterson’s 4-Year and 2-Year Colleges as well as Peterson’s College Money Handbook

·        Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-2007

·        Old Farmer’s and Texas’ Almanac 2008

·        Hiking in Big Bend National Park

·        More How Stuff Works

·        Gallaudet Dictionary of Sign Language

·        Roads of Texas

·        World Almanac for Kids 2008

 Came Lujan our 1st place winner in the Marathon Public Library “Spring Break Poster Constest.

Came won an art kit with posters of dinosaurs and markers. His poster says “Giddy up! Let’s go to the library!”

 Posters will be displayed around Marathon to view.

Everyone is a winner. 

1. Came Lujan
2. Courtney Stringer
3. Gage Ganter
4. Alexis Bowers
5. Elizabeth Hernandez
6. Jesse Lopez Jr.
7. Karl Stringer
8. Erica Kelly
9. Kallie Duncan
10. Britton Marin
11. Sarah Arenas
12. Bailey Marin
13. Colee Charlesworth
14. Mason Priest
15. Kenton Duncan
16. Rachel Kelly
17. Kyler Duncan

Other Posters: #1-#17

Thanks to Connie Springfield for being our judge this year and to all the children for their wonderful posters. All children will receive a “Certificate of Participation” for their posters. Please come by the Marathon Public Library to pick them up.

Carol

MPL