Improvements abound!

Socastee Library Inventory via GG's Candid Camera

So much has been going on at the library since my last post that I've become a negligent blogger but I'm publicly dedicating myself to updating this blog at least once, hopefully twice a month! Blog or blog begone? I choose BLOG! I suppose I struggle with wanting to put out the "perfect" product when it's much more important to just stay in touch via the blog with our staff and patrons! Perfection be gone, this is how I roll...

As a library system, we've worked hard for our branches to inventory their collection every three years to keep the data in our library catalog correct -- there is nothing more frustrating for our patrons or staff to look for materials that may be missing from the collection! Congrats to Little River Library, who raised the benchmark and set the new inventory standard of completing the process during closed weekend hours plus an already or scheduled closure on Monday! This improvement could only have been accomplished with the additional assistance of Technical Services staff who also sacrificed their weekends to help at Little River. The new process enabled staff to work more efficiently and safely by eliminating the need to inventory during open hours with the necessary wiring taped to the floor and only a team or two of staff working while the rest provided library services to the public.

It worked with a smaller collection at Little River but could the same result be accomplished at a larger library? Enter Socastee Library, ready to inventory and willing to try, and YES! they were a smashing success again with the assistance of the Technical Services staff, now known as the "Dream Team". I'm so proud of staff for devising a better plan especially because it will impact the patrons in such a positive way. Many thanks also to our patrons for accepting the Monday closure when needed to inventory.

My next blog will feature my recent (okay the past few months since my last entry!) reads and recommendations along with the exciting ground breaking for the new North Myrtle Beach Library.

Humble beginnings

This is the first of what I hope will be many (hopefully informative and possibly entertaining!) musings on what I'm reading and most importantly what's rocking with the branches. Sharing branch information will provide a forum of ideas for staff, patrons, programs, events and the Friends' groups that may be implemented at other locations.

The Library is celebrating the successful completion of yet another fantastic Summer Reading Program that provided a wide variety of educational and whimsical programs that included magicians, exotic animals, local community helpers, storytellers and musicians! While Youth Services staff busily prepared and implemented programming for children and teens, I want to congratulate all staff on the fantastic team effort they provided to keep the library running smoothly in support of the extra activities and increased circulation! Some locations were even able to provide Adult Summer Reading Programs, which Claire Campana presented as a program with two other librarians, at this year's ALA Annual Conference in Chicago! Thanks also to Stephanie for coordinating the performance of the newly formed Conway Library teen band, Unfiltered, at the Teen BBQ in Conway and to Manny for being the featured performer at several location's Summer Reading Program finale and awards ceremonies!

As most of you know, not only does GG stand for my initials, it's also what my four grandchildren call me as an abbreviation for Grandma Geri! I have finally finished Twilight, the first book of Stephanie Meyer's series about vampires, in the same amount of time it took my granddaughter Kiley, to read ALL of them! Work always seems to get in the way of reading although I've had more than one person tell me it must be nice to have a job where you can "read all the time"!  Wishful thinking, but I do try to fit in some reading during my usual half hour or so lunch and once I started reading Twilight I was as mesmerized as she was by the budding friendship/romance of Bella and Edward and Bella's realization that there was definitely something a bit different about Edward and his siblings at their Forks High School in remote, cloudy Washington State. Once I started reading, I'd try to ask Kiley questions "If Edward is a vampire how can he go to school during the day? and "What happens to him when he's in the sunlight?" She smiled secretively as she told me, "Just keep reading, GG, you'll find out if you keep reading!" And so I did!