The 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival will feature award-winning authors, poets and illustrators in several pavilions dedicated to categories of literature. Festival-goers can meet and hear firsthand from their favorite authors, get books signed, have photos taken with mascots and storybook characters and participate in a variety of learning activities.

The Wyoming State Library will participate in the Pavilion of the States, which represents reading- and library-promotion programs and literary events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. trusts and territories.

General Description:

The Wyoming Humanities Council seeks a part-time Administrative Assistant (20 hours per week) to manage and coordinate office activities, including the fundraising and mailing systems, and other computer technology systems.  The Wyoming Humanities Council is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and consists of a staff of six.  It offers a supportive work environment and professional development opportunities.  The main council office is located in Laramie on the University of Wyoming campus.  EOE.

Responsibilities:

The Administrative Assistant reports directly to the council’s Executive Director and has responsibilities for office management and general communications assistance for staff, board, and WHC constituencies, including reception services, meeting and board meeting coordination, clerical and program assistance, annual fundraising campaign coordination, and computer technology/database management.  Specific responsibilities may include maintaining records and data bases, monitoring and ordering supplies, facilitating mail systems, providing information about the council and its programs, implementing the annual fundraising campaign, making all arrangements for board meetings, implementing public relations efforts (including website efforts), assisting program coordinators and the fiscal manager, and word processing.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required in communications, business, arts/cultural management, or a humanities discipline.  Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and ability to work with the public. Experience with or interest in nonprofit or cultural organizations.  Strong computer technology skills and familiarity with data base/mailing list/fundraising/nonprofit organization software required.  Experience with basic records maintenance, nonprofit development/public relations/fundraising, reception and scheduling techniques, and supplies, equipment, and/or service ordering and inventory control preferred.  Willingness to travel occasionally is desirable.

Application Requirements:

Applicants are required to submit cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 references by June 1, 2012 to: Marcia Wolter Britton, Executive Director, Wyoming Humanities Council, 1315 E. Lewis Street, Laramie, WY 82072 or e-mail to marciab@uwyo.edu.

Wyoming first lady Carol Mead greets a group of children Tuesday during the “Wyoming Reads” celebration at the Natrona County Public Library in Casper. More than 1,000 elementary students from Natrona County received a free book to take home during the event, and many also received their first library card.

Alan Rogers | Star-Tribune

Matt Jorgensen said his mother would have loved seeing the 1,101 first-grade students who read and listened to stories at Tuesday’s Wyoming Reads event in her memory.

He recalled the shelves of books about teaching and theory in her office at the University of Wyoming/Casper College Center.

“But she had some books just for us, and we’d grab them and lie down under her desk,” he said, in an excited tone of voice. “She’d come and read with us every once in a while.”

His father, John Jorgensen founded the annual reading celebration and the Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation to honor his wife’s passion for literacy and children after her death in 1996. He was thrilled all five of his children and a grandson could attend this year’s Wyoming Reads together.

The Natrona County event started 14 years ago as Casper Cares, Casper Reads and became a statewide event seven years ago as Wyoming Reads.

“The enthusiasm and energy never grows old,” said John Jorgensen, wearing a Dr. Seuss tie.

During the event at the Natrona County Public Library and the Nicolaysen Art Museum, each first-grader in the Natrona County School District received a book they had chosen earlier this year. More than 7,700 books were distributed to first-graders across each of the state’s 23 counties.

The books were a highlight for Maisynne O’Bryan and several of her Verda James Elementary School classmates. She showed off her copy of “King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub.”

“It’s one of my favorites because the king won’t get out of the bathtub,” O’Bryan said. “He will eat breakfast in the tub.”

Tyler Kessel of Mills Elementary School chose “Charlie the Ranch Dog” because it reminds him of his dog who died. After listening to local celebrity readers and eating a picnic lunch, he most liked the fairytale about the Good Queen Sue presented by Natrona County High School actors. His favorite part was when the Grinch knocked down all the books because he couldn’t read, and he liked the way John Jorgensen narrated with story with a funny voice for the character. Thanks to magic and help from the audience, the Grinch learned to read and Good Queen Sue gave him a book of his own.

“It was all about reading, because the princess liked to read,” Kessel said. “I love to read.”
Source: Casper Star Tribune

In Laramie, the event features story times with “Celebrate Readers,” a program with guest readers from the community and the presentation of a fairy tale about “The Good Queen Sue.”

The fairy tale is a tribute to Sue Jorgensen, in memory of her commitment to literacy and to children. Each participant in the Laramie event will be given a coloring book of the fairy tale, illustrated by Zachary Pullen. The students will also receive a hardback book of their own, donated by the Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation.

There will book bags filled with goodies supplied by the Albany County Reads program Community members who volunteered to be celebrity readers include Laramie firefighter Gus Stonum; Miche Rigone Roth, social worker; Mary Foianini, nurse; Sue Sandeen, former sixth-grade teacher; Mike Hamel, director of personnel for Albany County Schools; and Jacquie Stonum, Cathedral Home.

The guest readers will be reading from the titles selected by children across Wyoming. The books they will read are “Looking for a Moose,” by Phyllis Root; “The Sweetest Fig” by Chris Van Allsburg; “A Sick Day for Amos McGee,” by Philip Christian Stead; “King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub,” by Audrey Wood; “Charlie the Ranch Dog,” by Reed Drummond; and “Interrupting Chicken,” by David Ezra Stein.

The Wyoming Reads celebration is made possible by contributors throughout the state including McMurry Foundation, Tonkin Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, Casper Rotary Club, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Friends of the Natrona County Public, Casper Kiwanis Club, Wyoming Community Foundation, Wyoming State Library and a number of generous individuals.

Laramie Women’s Club and Daughters of American Revolution also help organize this event locally. The annual literacy celebration was established by John Jorgensen, of Casper.

He established the Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation in 1996 and the “Casper Cares, Casper Reads” event in 1999 to honor his late wife.

“She was always very dedicated to children and to literacy,” John Jorgensen says in a release. “She believed that until someone can read, they can’t really do anything else.”

The Casper event was renamed “Wyoming Reads” when it expanded to a statewide celebration in 2006. Through the fundraising efforts of the Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation, enough money has been raised again this year to give every first grade student in Wyoming their own hardcover book.

For more information on Wyoming Reads, please visit www.natronacountylibrary.org/wyreads.html.

source: Laramie Boomerang

View the entire calendar here.

May 14th

Nuts & Bolts of Social Media

May 15th

Proposal Writing Basics

eBooks: New Models, New Tools & New Approaches–A Discussion of Emerging Options

Mobilize your library with SirsiDynix BookMyne!

Made in a Library: A free online innovation Symposium

May 16th

Breezing Along With the RML

NCompass Live: Addressing Your Roots – Searching the 1940 Census

Libraries and the Era of the Learner: A Vision for the Future

QR Connections: QR Codes in Libraries

Content Management Systems: Drupal

Get On the Bus: Federal Documents

May 17th

Building a LibraryAware Community: Making Print Materials Work for You

May 18th

3M Cloud Library eBooks

Copyright Series

Maddie Hansen, center, and Bailey Brumley try to help their team from Lakeview Elementary answer one of the questions posed at the fourth annual book battle at Campbell County High School South Campus on Tuesday. Lakeview Elementary won the book battle in a sudden-death, tie-breaking round against Conestoga Elementary. REILEY WOOTEN

source: The Gillette News Record

Manager, Circulation/Reference

Description

Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of community residents? Are you ready
to work collaboratively with a dynamic staff? If you answered yes, the Sweetwater
County Library System headquartered in Green River, Wyoming, is currently recruiting
candidates for the position of Manager, Circulation/Reference for the Sweetwater
County Library located in Green River, Wyoming.

Located in beautiful southwest Wyoming, Green River is the second largest city in
Sweetwater County. Sweetwater County is home to 10,500 square miles of high desert
adventure and offers excellent recreation opportunities, affordable housing and a variety
of cultural activities to choose from.

The Sweetwater County Library System has nine branch libraries and serves a diverse
population of 43,806 in the southwest corner of the state.

The Manager, Circulation/Reference is responsible for providing high quality Circulation/
Reference services and the smooth operation of the department. This position is also
responsible for supervising and evaluating the library staff within the division.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in Library Science (or equivalent) from an ALA accredited institution
• 4 years of relevant experience or
• The equivalent combination of education and experience

Salary Information

Salary is $39,858 annually; based on a 35 hr/wk. Additional benefits include retirement
plan, health insurance, vacation and sick leave. The state of Wyoming does not have a
personal income tax.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a letter of application, resume and library employment
application by June 1, 2012 to the Library System Director, Sweetwater County Library
System, 300 North 1st East, Green River, Wyoming 82935. Review of applications will
begin on June 1st and will continue until the position is filled.

For a full job description and library employment application, please email Scott Kinney
(skinney@sweetwaterlibraries.com ) or visit the Library System’s website at http://www.sweetwaterlibraries.com/jobs/.

As always, find all of our jobs in our jobs section of the website.

View the entire calendar here.

May 8th

Lerner Fall 2012 Librarian Preview

May 9th

3M Cloud Library eBooks

Celebrate Law at the Library 2012: Part 2 – Legal Resources

Grantseeking Basics

Rediscover the Nineteenth Century

May 10th

Get On the Bus: Federal Documents

Christian Fiction Spring Book Buzz

May 11th

3M Cloud Library eBooks

Dear Colleagues,
The Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference Planning Team is excited to announce the opening of registration for the 2012 conference in Raleigh, NC, and the availability of a preliminary conference schedule!  Both items can be found on our website on the following page: http://arsl.info/registration/

Also on that page you will find instructions as to joining the association (which will save $55 off the cost of full-conference registration for non-students), and instructions that will help you navigate our online store when purchasing your conference registration.  You may pay online, or select the billing option.

We hope you’ll peruse the preliminary schedule to see all of the exciting speakers and sessions we have planned, and stay tuned as more details are finalized.  As always, if you have any questions about the conference, please contact us at arslannualconference@gmail.com.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Raleigh!

Tena Hanson
ARSL Board Member and Membership Development Committee Chair

–
Director of Library Services
Estherville Public Library
613 Central Ave.
Estherville, IA  51334
712.362.7731
thansonlibrarian@gmail.com
www.esthervillepubliclibrary.com

Board Member, Association for Rural & Small Libraries (Chair, Membership Development)
Executive Board Member, Iowa Library Association

The Wyoming Center for the Book awarded Heritage Christian Academy (Big Piney) student Sarah Shafer first place in Level III (grades 9-12). Bailey Guernsey from Sage Valley Jr. High School in Gillette placed first in Level II (grades 7-8). Grace Nightingale from the Sixth Grade Academy at the Laramie Jr. High School placed first in Level I (grades 4-6).

Approximately 70,000 young readers across the country participated in this year’s Letters About Literature competition, a reading promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, presented in partnership with Target Stores.

All three first place winners advanced to national competition and will receive a $100 Amazon gift card from the Wyoming Center for the Book and a $50 Target gift card. Second place winners received a $50 Amazon gift card and third place winners received $25. (List of winners below.)

Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, sponsored in partnership with Target Stores. For more information about Letters About Literature or other Wyoming Center for the Book activities, contact Tina Lyles, Coordinator, at 307-777-6338, tina.lyles@wyo.gov, or visit http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/.

 Letters About Literature 2011 Wyoming winners

LEVEL I (grades 4-6)

First Place:  Grace Nightingale, 6^th grade Laramie Jr. High School, Laramie.

Second Place: Amy Lou Gabriel, 6^th grade, Laramie Jr. High School, Laramie.

Third Place: Lexi Pulley, 6^th grade, Laramie Jr. High School, Laramie.

LEVEL II (grades 7-8)

First Place: Bailey Guernsey, 8^th grade, Sage Valley Jr. High School, Gillette.

Second Place: Elisha M. Smith, 7^th grade, Cody Middle School, Cody.

Third Place: Jane Thurow, 8^th grade, Laramie Jr. High School, Laramie.

LEVEL III (grades 9-12)

First Place: Sarah Shafer, 10^th grade, Heritage Christian Academy, Big Piney.

Second Place: Brookley Norris, 12^th grade, Worland High School, Worland.

Third Place: Brittany Andreasen, 12^th grade, Pinedale High School, Pidedale.