The New Jersey Library Association’s annual conference begins with pre conference sessions on Monday, April 27, 2009.  There is still time to join us and register onsite in Long Branch next week.

The NJLA Public Relations Committee is working on a green project @ conference in conjunction with Peggy Cadigan of the New Jersey State Library.  We will be collecting canvas tote bags and canned food supplies for the Monmouth County Food Bank.  Donations will be delivered to the food bank on each day of the conference.

If you plan to attend the conference bring your old conference bags and any other canvas bags you would like to donate along with canned foods for the food bank. 

If you don’t have any conference bags lying around to recycle, you can always make your own.

If you have a free weekend, you can get really fancy.

Whether attending conference or not, you might want to give some thought to recycling bags in your daily life.

Hope to see you @ conference!

Here’s a quick look at Earth Day happenings @ West Deptford Free Public Library.

Recycling fun for children.

Earth Day additions to the WDFPL Art Gallery Exhibit .

Stop by the gallery to check out the exhibit and view the Water Planet video in person.

The West Deptford High School Ecology Club fills library display cases with informative exhibits.

The West Deptford Ecology Club promotes recycling within the high school, and ensures that the area is a clean and environmentally sound place for students to frequent. Under the direction of teacher Miss Beak, the club also teaches area elementary students the importance of ecology and recycling. The club hosts an annual spring clean-up with volunteers to clean the school grounds. Members also get the chance to travel to exciting places including Costa Rica to learn about ecology in other parts of the world.

Check out the many new green books and videos on the shelves @ WDFPL.  Materials can also be put on hold online via the library catalog link.

A few years ago WDFPL was lucky enough to host the following presentation.  I want to take a moment today to thank Manny for sharing his inspiring story in 2007.  The full 1 hour presentation can be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of WDFPL’s Adult Services web page.

While cleaning up computer files today, I ran across a 2005 ppt my daughter created.  She developed the slide presentation in WDFPL while seated at a study table waiting for mom to finish up a few details at the library.  Jessica never finished the ppt presentation and is probably still holding a grudge because WDFPL has yet to implement the PowerPoint instructional class she suggested.  

The graphics used in Jessica’s view of the tragedy are actually too graphic for me to comfortably post here. 

Upon reflection, she may have provided the original idea for the video.  I should probably share that with her.

Library users have enjoyed a week full of contests, book discussions, programming, reading, studying, Internet use and new library cards.

In honor of this week’s service, let’s close the week with a glimpse of what happens inside in the Library of Congress.   It looks like the Library of Congress is also a busy place.   

The Library of Congress has added many new videos to it’s YouTube Channel,  just in time for National Library Week.  Check it out!

Much thanks to Gene and Bette-Ann Schoeberlein, VITA Coordinators for the West Deptford Free Public Library’s tax assistance program.  Gene and Bette-Ann along with their knowledgeable staff of volunteers generate tax returns for many thankful individuals through this popular public service program. 

Those taking advantage of the program were especially appreciative this year, perhaps due to the tough economic times.

I share a few of many handwritten thank you notes on display by the VITA volunteer work area in the library. 

“Again, I praise God for your help in doing my income tax.  The VITA program has been such a “Blessing” to me & mine throughout the years.  Thank you for all of your assistance and time and effort you’ve given each year to me and mine in preparation of our tax returns.  God bless you and your wife and the other volunteers in VITA!”

and 

“Thank you so much for the extra time you and your wife spent assisting me with my amendment.  You make filing my taxes easier and a pleasure.”

Here’s a close up look @ Gene in action!

Today is National Library Workers Day!

Stop by WDFPL and visit us today!

Who knows, you might enjoy working in a library too!

• We took an old Dell GX240 with Windows XP just ‘retired’ and kept around for spare parts and connected it to a spare large CRT monitor.
• The DVD was copied to the C:\ drive for two reasons: the DVD drive didn’t work on the old computer and the reading the DVD from the hard disk would be faster and less taxing on the old computer than reading from the DVD drive.
• MPlayer, an open source movie player was downloaded and installed. (http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html)
• A shortcut was placed on the desktop and in the Startup folder for mplayer with the following command line switches

-fs -loop C:\GlobalWarning\VIDEO_TS\VIDEO_TS.IFO

-fs means full screen and -loop means loop and play forever until stopped.

• Since we placed this shortcut in the Startup folder, the DVD will begin playing when the computer boots.

BTW, we videotape some of our adult programs; we have about 20 DVDs right now from past programs. This kiosk DVD player is working so well we might show an old program every other week or so to let our patrons know the program DVDs can be checked out.

WDFPL would most likely accept a large LCD display if anyone is so inclined to donate. They are more energy efficient that the CRTs, however today’s libraries work within their means.

Feel free to view the video display here if you are busy and do not have a chance to visit the library this month in person.

Learn more about our environment by visiting the South Jersey Environmental Information Center @ WDFPL.

I always look forward to learning something new when Chris Taitt stops by the West Deptford Free Public Library. 

Last night’s visit was no exception. 

Chris slid out his latest project, a refurbished laptop and demonstrated a new way to make the cursor move along with a few other neat tricks. 

Wii had lots of fun.  Thanks, Chris!

Here’s Johnny Chung Lee’s version.