FROM THE DIRECTOR – LIBRARY HOURS FRANK KASPROWICZ & … · Carly's Voice: Breaking through Autism by Arthur Fleischmann Asperkids: An Insider's Guide to Loving, Understanding and

SEPTEMBER 2012 PAGES VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2

LIBRARY HOURS& LOCATIONS

MAIN LIBRARY100 South Fifth Street610-655-6350Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday9:30 to 7:00Thursday, Friday9:30 to 5:30Saturday9:30 to 3:00

NORTHWEST901 Schuylkill Avenue

Tuesday12:00 to 5:00, 6:00 to 8:30Thursday9:00 to 12:00, 1:00 to 5:30Saturday10:00 to 3:00

NORTHEAST1348 North 11th Street

Monday9:00 to 12:00, 1:00 to 5:30Wednesday12:00 to 5:00, 6:00 to 8:30Saturday10:00 to 3:00

SOUTHEAST1426 Perkiomen Avenue

Monday, Wednesday12:00 to 5:00, 6:00 to 8:30Saturday10:00 to 3:00

WEBSITEwww.reading.lib.pa.us

610-655-6360

610-655-6361

610-655-6362

A PUBLICATION OF THE

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FROM THE DIRECTOR – FRANK KASPROWICZReading Public Library was created in 1763 when a group of wealthy men formed a subscription library for the citizens of the city who could afford to pay a fee to borrow books. It was a rather stormy beginning. From its first day of existence the Library struggled to stay afloat and alive. Money was and remains an issue to keep the Library viable, but despite a lack of adequate funds RPL thrives in many ways. Next year, 2013, marks the 250th anniversary of the Library. It also marks the 100th anniversary of the Main Library building at 5th and Franklin Streets. Both of these landmarks are worthy of recognition and celebration.

So our next project is one that will focus on the physical structure of the Library rather than the materials and programs: improvements and repairs to the Main Library, a project long overdue for our aging building. Thanks to the efforts of our Board of Trustees and the Reading City Council and Mayor, renovations on the Main Library will begin sometime after October of this year. The renovations are extensive and expensive—but necessary.

The actual repairs and improvements will include the full restoration of the Main Branch. It will begin with scraping the existing paint; next will come the restoring of the damaged plaster and repainting the new plaster. The tiles that are currently below the carpeting will be removed, and the carpet will be replaced throughout the entire building.

In the Children's Department on the second floor, the story time amphitheater will be removed and replaced with much-needed shelving.

These improvements to the structure of the Library will definitely include some inconveniences for both staff and patrons. Parts of the Library will be inaccessible sometimes because the focus of the renovation is on those areas of the Library, and the books and other materials must be protected, which means under cover. And sometimes the computers will not be available for the same reason.

It is also likely that at the very end of the project it will be necessary to close the Library for nine days: from one Saturday through the following week to the next Sunday. There are some parts of the renovation process that require the Library's closing.

SEPTEMBER 2012 • PAGESVOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 TWO

The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has led to more and more families seeking help from the library after a diagnosis of this condition. Reading Public Library has recently expanded its collection of books and resources on ASD for diagnosed individuals, their family members, their teachers, their caregivers, and also for a general audience seeking more information on this baffling disorder. Books on this topic in the branch libraries and the Main Children's Department have a special spine label so they can be easily identified.

All Reading Public Library locations have copies of the Directory of Community Resources compiled by the Berks County Chapter of the Autism Society of America. This directory, which is available for in-house use, lists local providers of services for families affected by autism including: diagnostic services, medical services, early intervention services, assistive technology resources, social skills services, recreational services, and many others. In addition, the Main Library and the branch libraries have copies of an autism and Asperger's Syndrome pathfinder, a Reading Public Library guide that lists staff-selected books on ASD; audiovisual materials; online resources; and Facts about Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Reading Public Library increases its autism collection every month, striving to provide up-to-date and relevant materials on all aspects of ASD, and we are eager to help you find the ASD resources you need. Look for these new additions (added in the past year):

The Autism Revolution: Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All it Can Be by Martha Herbert. M.D., Ph.D. and Karen Weintraub

I Wish I Were Engulfed in Flames: My Insane Life Raising Two Boys with Autism by Jeni Decker

The Essential Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Eileen Bailey and Robert W. Montgomery, Ph.D.

Children with High-Functioning Autism: A Parent's Guide by Claire E. Hughes-Lynch, Ph.D.

School Success for Kids with Asperger's Syndrome by Stephan M. Silverman, Ph.D., & Rich Weinfeld

Carly's Voice: Breaking through Autism by Arthur Fleischmann

Asperkids: An Insider's Guide to Loving, Understanding and Teaching Children with Asperger's Syndrome by Jennifer Cook

O'Toole

The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism by Kate Winslet

The entire project will include a number of phases, and we anticipate that the renovations will take about 5 to 6 months to complete. But these incon-veniences will result in a better space. When the renovations are completed, the Main Library will be a much more welcoming place to visit.

We are eager to begin these changes and improvements so that we can create a better, more comfortable, attractive environ-ment. We ask only that our patrons be patient while this exciting transformation takes place. We know that it will be worth our time and effort and your patience and understanding.

Te m p o r a r y i n c o n v e n i e n c e . Permanent Improvement.

FROM THE DIRECTOR[continued from page 1]READING PUBLIC LIBRARY AND

AUTISM: WE'RE CONNECTED

Who’s Who?

Below is a list of the first names of the seven authors who had the highest circulation rates at

RPL in 2011. We have given you the author’s first name; you have to fill in the author’s last name. Answers are at the bottom of

the page. Good luck!

1. Sandra _ _ _ _ _2. Danielle _ _ _ _ _3. James _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _4. Norah _ _ _ _ _ _ _5. Patricia _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _6. Mary Higgins _ _ _ _ _7. Stuart _ _ _ _ _

Answers to Who’s Who?1. Sandra Brown 2. Danielle Steel

3. James Patterson 4. Norah Roberts5. Patricia Cornwell 6. Mary Higgins Clark

7. Stuart Woods

PAGES SEPTEMBER 2012 • VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 THREE

Reading Public Library patrons who are new subscribers to the 2012-2013 Broadway on Sixth Street Series will get a special pre-

show bonus surprise with their subscription. The blockbuster season includes such classics as Fiddler on the Roof, Spamalot,

and Dreamgirls as well as three other smash hit shows.

Space is limited for this exciting season of professional entertainment, so call 610.898-7229 and mention the word

LIBRARY to receive your special surprise.

ANDREW CARNEGIE SOCIETY ESTABLISHED

The Board of Trustees of the Reading Public Library has created the Andrew Carnegie Society to recognize planned-giving donors who have designated the Library as a beneficiary in their estate planning.

Membership in the Society occurs whenever a donor makes a planned testamentary gift of $1,000 or more. Donors may designate the Library in their will or make the Library the beneficiary of an asset such as a life insurance policy or retirement plan.

Also, if a donor has already designated the Library as a beneficiary under a will, insurance policy, or retirement plan, please notify us so that the Library may recognize and honor you as a member of the Andrew Carnegie Society.

For more information on the Library's planned-giving options, including the Charitable Gift Annuity Pro-gram, please call 610-655-6365.

In addition, the Reading Public Library utilizes the Berks County Community Foundation’s Charitable Gift Annuity Program as an additional method of planned-giving qualifying for the Andrew Carnegie Society. Under the Annuity Program, the donor receives a guaranteed income stream and the Library receives the residual value of the Annuity upon the donor’s passing. Plus, the donor may be eligible for an immediate tax deduction upon the granting of the gift. The minimum donor investment in a Charitable Gift Annuity is $10,000.

FOUR SEPTEMBER 2012 • PAGESVOLUME 7 NUMBER 2

TECH SERVICES

In the basement of the Main Library at Fifth and Franklin Streets is a too-small room that houses the Library's most sought-after possessions: The latest new books, DVDs, CDs, and any other materials the Library has purchased for its patrons. It is there—in the Technical Services Department-- that staff members do anything and everything to prepare those new materials to appear on the shelves of the four Branches and our outreach to senior citizens—and as soon as possible! But preparing those materials is a time-consuming process and one which requires attention to detail.

A lot of people probably assume that books (and other materials) magically arrive at the Library ready to be taken from boxes and immediately put on the shelves. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Below is a summary of the adding-materials-to-the-catalog process.

• First, materials have to be ordered. Staff members order from various vendors, including Amazon.

• When the materials arrive at the Library, they are checked off the packing lists enclosed in the boxes and individual order slips stay with the books until they leave the department for their ultimate destination.

• The actual processing includes stamping the location on the materials; and adding barcodes, security stickers, spine labels, and covers. Most AV materials are also repackaged.

• The books and other materials are assigned call numbers, which allow patrons to find the materials they are looking for on the shelves.

• Finally the materials travel to the appropriate Branch or find a space on the shelves at Main.

And that is just one of the processes that Tech Services staff members perform.

In addition to adding materials to the catalog and the Library, staff members mend worn books by reattaching pages and covers; and replacing plastic book covers and lost spine labels. They also replace

broken or lost cases of DVDs, CDs, etc. The supervisor keeps track of all purchases, including those made through special grants.

And of course when materials have been weeded from the collection to be removed permanently, Tech Services has the job of removing those materials from the catalog.

Tech Services is a department that is never finished. Staff members are always at work on some stage in the process of preparing materials for patrons to use or removing old materials from the Library and the catalog.

To give you some idea of the enormity of the job, last year a total of 24,883 materials were added to the collection, and 13,967 items were removed! And all of this work is completed by four employees with the help of six volunteers. Kudos to Virginia, Martha, Christine, and Alison!

DOWNLOADeBooks & more

http://www.reading.lib.pa.us

PAGES SEPTEMBER 2012 • VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 FIVE

WHAT WE’RE READING

Listed below are brief comments on books that staff members have read and recommend. We hope you find something you'll enjoy.

“The main character in Linda Castillo's first novel, Sworn to Silence, is a woman who was formerly Amish and is now a chief of police in a small town in Ohio's Amish country. Her character is intriguing, and the plot is a real page turner. Once you pick up this thriller you won't want to put it down. The only thing you will want is to read Castillo's other three books in the series.” — Linda

“Maybe it's because I am slowly dragging my own little house out of the previous owner's 1960 harvest gold and avocado green decorating, but I laughed out loud reading The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews. Ugly wallpaper? Check! Nasty carpets? Check! Working out your frustrations with a sander? You bet! This is chick lit with power tools!” — Bronwen

If you are a history buff and enjoy reading nonfiction books, then you should read this gem. Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard is

a must read historical thriller that educates and entertains the reader. It describes the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the end of the Civil War and the hunt to track down John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. I could not put this book

down. — Pam

“I was looking for some recipe ideas for a forthcoming banquet and picked up David Kingsmill's Home Bistro. A Toronto restaurant critic turned consultant Kingsmill is irreverent, sharply opinionated, and a joy to read. He peppers his recipes with anecdotal evidence of what ingredients work best and scientific research on cooking techniques. And his recipes look pretty good too. So in between recipes for beef bourguignon and caponata, you find out why shark and skate can taste of ammonia (they have urea in their blood that turns into ammonia if the fish isn't bled as soon as it's caught), why inexpensive cuts of meat can be very expensive in a restaurant (it takes hours to cook down the connective tissue and that means hours of paid labor), and why it's way more fun

to be an amateur chef at home than a pro at a restaurant (once the executive chef has set the recipe, it must be made the same way consistently every night. “At home you can cook darn well what you please”)” — Mike

“I just finished the recently published memoir, Why be Happy When You Could be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson. Winterson is the author of the highly acclaimed and groundbreaking novel, Oranges are Not the Only Fruit. Her memoir is fiercely beautiful…and honest, and brave. It's the story of a life saved by literature. The pages of this book glow with Winterson's strength and hope. I strongly recommend it.” — Emily

“Reading is to the MIND what exercise is to the BODY.”— Joseph Addison

SIX SEPTEMBER 2012 • PAGESVOLUME 7 NUMBER 2

A SPECIAL GIFT

Callan McNulty is the oldest of three boys in the Emily and George McNulty family and a budding artist and scholar. He will return to Swarthmore College in September to continue his studies as a sophomore. But for the rest of the summer he will be behind the Circulation Desk at the Main Library, serving customers and shelving books. He is, in fact, part of the RPL family.

During the first months of this summer Callan took on another job: creating a unique and loving gift for his maternal grandparents. Throughout his life, Callan's grandparents sent him cards for holidays and birthdays; lots of cards. And Callan saved them. So when his grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary approached, he decided to create an unusual gift.

Callan took all of the cards and cut them into thousands of half-inch squares. Then he began his gift: He created a portrait of his grandparents using the squares as his medium. He borrowed a photo of the couple and began the tedious job of choosing and pasting thousands of squares on canvas to mirror the photo he used as his inspiration.

“I hope he gets it finished before the anniversary,” his mother said. “It is a huge project and I would not even know where to start it. It is really amazing to watch him work at choosing the squares and creating the picture.”

Callan's brothers helped him at certain parts in the project, which was larger than anyone expected. “...I had tubs of differently colored tiles and several feet of paper covering the dining room table. We had to eat in the living room,” he admits.

The picture was a huge success which is proved by the report that his grandparents gaped open-mouthed and speechless at the unveiling. It is surely a gift they will always cherish.

SEPTEMBER 2012TEEN CALENDAR

Sept 4 Yu-Gi-Oh Club 3:30-5:30pmSept 5 Listen Up! 4:00pmSept 6 Express Yourself: 4:00pm

Ruler RackSept 7 Wii - Want to Play! 4:00-5:00pmSept 8 Movie Day! 12:00pmSept 10 Manga Monday: 4:00pm

Anime ButtonsSept 11 Remembering 3:30-4:30pm

Sept 11Sept 12 Listen Up! 4:00 pmSept 13 Express Yourself: 4:00pm

Bottle Cap MagnetsSept 14 Wii - Want to Play! 4:00-5:00pmSept 15 Movie Day! 12:00pmSept 17 Comic Book Club: 4:00pm

Trivia! How GeekedOut RU?

Sept 18 Yu-Gi-Oh Club 3:30-5:30pmSept 19 Listen Up! 4:00pmSept 20 Express Yourself: 4:00pm

Vanity MirrorsSept 21 Wii - Want to Play! 4:00-5:00pmSept 22 Movie Day! 12:00pmSept 24 Manga Monday: 4:00pm

Developing CharactersSept 25 Yu-Gi-Oh Club 3:30-5:30pmSept 26 Listen Up! 4:00pmSept 27 Express Yourself: 4:00pm

Message BoardSept 28 Wii - Want to Play! 4:00-5:00pmSept 29 Hunger Games 10:00am

Party

PAGES SEPTEMBER 2012 • VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 SEVEN

PA FORWARD

Libraries have always been places where people go to learn something new, to relearn something they've always known but forgotten, or to find a good book to read. But today a library is a place that provides patrons with much more than a good book to read or an encyclopedia to research ancient civilizations. It is a place that can help people improve their quality of life, their com-munity, and their state.

T h e P e n n s y l v a n i a L i b r a r y Association has created an exciting initiative to focus on the literacies, the basic skills and knowledge, Pennsylvania citizens need to excel in today's world. Libraries throughout the state are devising innovative programs and activities to help citizens succeed in each of the five essential literacies and have fuller, more productive lives. These actions will result in Pennsylvania's achieving one of the highest literacy rates in the country! The name of this initiative is — fittingly— PA FORWARD.

• Basic Literacy includes the absolutely necessary skills to perform the fundamental tasks, activities and responsi-bilities of a productive mem-ber of society.

• Information Literacy provides citizens with 21st century skills such as using online resources and other technological advances.

•includes the information and skills necessary to participate in and contribute to their community and society.

• Health Literacy helps citizens to understand and employ the institutions and individuals necessary to live longer, more productive lives.

• Financial Literacy encourages consumers—including both individuals and businesses—to contribute to the economic health of their own community.

The attainment of these literacies by Pennsylvania citizens will create a more productive, informed, successful citizenry—thanks to the foresight and commitment of Pennsylvania libraries.

Support l ibrar ies : Support Pennsylvania.

Civil and Social Literacy

Remember to save your Redner’s tapes for

the RPL!

Bring your register tape to the Main Library or any of

the three branches and put it in the box at the

circulation desk.

Shop at Redner’s and help raise funds for the RPL!

The Reading Public Library is very grateful to those donors who contributed to make Summer Reading a special time this year:

St. John’s Lutheran Church • Fulton BankKnies Insurance Group • R.M. Palmer Company

Law Foundation of Berks County

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 2 PAGES SEPTEMBER 2012

AT THE LIBRARYWe sent a staff reporter to the Main Library to ask some patrons what they like most about RPL.

“I come to the Library to use the computer and get DVDs. And the air conditioning doesn’t hurt either!”

Amanda Smith

“There is SO much access to so many different things. And it’s free and it’s WONDERFUL!”

Susan Heck

“I am visiting from Arizona to research my family. Everyone I met on the staff was so friendly and helpful. I was impressed by that.”

Lori Bowers

“I like the ease of access— mostly how easy it is to locate sections of books or articles.”

Garrett Harkleroad

“I love the diversity, and I like getting a bang for my non-buck. People don’t get this: You can do this for free!”

Stephanie Kurtz

COCKTAIL & CLASSICSSAVE THE DATEJoin us on Friday, April 12, 2013 for a special evening celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Reading Public Library. The evening will feature food from local restaurants and caterers. Silent auction items will include signed books from top authors. Proceeds benefit the Reading Public Library.