Welcome to 2011 at the Library!

It's a new year at the library and we would like to thank all our patrons and supporters for what we know will be their faithfulness during the coming twelve months. As usual, we will be available to schedule the meeting room for clubs and groups; we will be happy to schedule class tours (one for home schooled children is already on the calendar this month); we hope to start developing an e-book collection; and we just want to see all of you who come in to check out books, movies, audio books, video games, music Cd's and magazines. Don't forget that we have fifteen public access computers. Time is limited only when all computers are in use, and the very least amount of time you can use a computer is half an hour. (The longest amount of time is all day!

Our hours are:
Monday - 1:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Tuesday - 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Wednesday - 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Thursday - 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
Friday - 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Saturday - 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Sunday - CLOSED

Internet computers begin going down one half hour before closing.

Patrons who wish to get a library card must provide a photo ID. (Parents must provide their own photo ID when co-signing forms for their children.)

Regular books, movies, and audio books go out for three weeks for residents, six weeks for those patrons designated 'county'.

New fiction, music Cd's, magazines, and video games go out for one week.

Preschool Story Hour occurs every Wednesday morning at 10:00 A.M.

Summer Story Hour is for children from birth through 5th grade and occurs every Wednesday during the summer for 6-8 weeks. (Beginning date will be selected later for 2011.)

The Friends of the Library sell donated used books. They are always interested in finding new members. Call the library (445-9711) for contact information.

To all of you who use the library, we appreciate you! For those who have yet to discover us, we hope you come by soon.

Happy New Year!

Reading is good for stress!

'Tis the season. . .to be stressed. I love Christmas. But the week before is intensely stressful. I am one of those people who get packages in the mail just in time to get there, am wrapping gifts for stockings at midnight on Christmas Eve (unless I focus on doing it bits at a time for two weeks, which requires thought and personal reminders and, oh, yes, stress because I haven't done it yet), holds the family dinner and wants everything to look as perfect as possible, even though the tidy results of all that cleaning last for about thirty seconds after everyone walks in the door.

I saw the title of an article today on the cover of December/January 2011 issue of Natural Health magazine. It was "Instant Calm - A simple cure for days that feel crazed". I focused on that for a moment before I snorted. We can all eliminate stress instantly. It's simple. That's why so many people suffer from so much stress, right?

All the things I have read about dealing with stress require us to do something. Meditate. Eat right. Eliminate caffeine. Exercise. Sleep more. Sleep less. Make a list and don't lose it. Prioritize. Eliminating stress requires those who are already trying to keep up to do something else to eliminate the consequences of what you are doing. Does this seem counterproductive to anybody except me?

Well, I read the article. You never know. It might actually have one teeny suggestion I could implement without making a special trip for new vitamins, changing my bedtime or giving up coffee and chocolate, especially in the middle of the holiday season. As usual, it suggested vitamins that aid in calming, exercising, being in the sun 20 minutes a day without sunscreen or sunglasses, prioritizing, giving up caffeine, and meditation.

But wait. Under 'cultivate active rest', reading was listed as a form of meditation that gives focused attention to the moment! Finally, something that I do every day. Reading relieves stress and I don't have to feel guilty about it. I can remind myself, and anyone else who questions this expenditure of my time, that too much stress causes long term health problems and reading can help that.

So pick up a good book this holiday season - one you actually want to read - and enjoy yourself. The library will be happy to help you reduce stress.

They are tough on overdues in Texas!

A 25 year old woman in Bayton, Texas, was taken to court after she did not return overdue library books for seven years. She didn't show up in court and was jailed on contempt of court charges, in addition to the charges for the overdue books. This was on the day before Thanksgiving. Her reason for not returning the books was that they were burned in a fire, which she said her landlord and the fire department could verify. But she never told the library and she did not show up for court.
A detective in the Bayton Police Department said this case is uncommon, but he also added, "It's a part of the deal, part of the agreement that you enter. It's just like anything else. . .you can't take something that doesn't belong to you and just hold onto it."
This is a rather extreme reaction to overdue books, although if you bring up the subject with almost any librarian, they will probably start grinding their teeth before unclamping their jaws and responding in a reasonably civil manner. Library books and materials are returned late everywhere. Usually it's just a matter of forgetting about it, receiving a notice from the library or finding the things yourself, returning the materials and paying a fine. Librarians understand that. When you are busy and the kids are in sports and the dog is at the vet's and your husband has the flu, library books are about the last thing on your mind. But at some point, most people with overdue books return them which makes everyone happy. There is no reason for a librarian to grind their teeth over the run-of-the-mill overdue book.
It's the patrons who have them out for years that cause the angst. It's when someone comes in and says, "What do you mean we owe $112.00 in fines? We couldn't return them, we moved to California! But we're back now. Are you SURE we can't check out?" It's when the library sends overdue notices and gets them back because the person has vanished. It's when a brand new book or DVD or video game gets checked out and apparently the patron thinks it now belongs to them forever. "Cool! The public library is free!"
Yes, you can check the materials out for free. But you can't keep them. They are paid for by the funding entity (city, county, school system) and legally belong to them. Besides, if you check something out and don't bring it back, you can't check anything else out. Think of what you might be missing! And think of what other patrons are missing because you didn't return it.
We appreciate our patrons. The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library is used by a large part of our community and you should know that we are not going to go as far as the library in Bayton, Texas, when books are overdue. (No need to change your name or leave town.) Just keep turning in those things you have checked out so we can keep checking out new things to you. It's what we are here for, what we like to do, what we hope you enjoy, over and over and over.

Public Libraries Administered by Private Companies

There is a new trend in this day of cost cutting. (Actually, it's not brand new, but it does have to do with cutting costs.) Public libraries owned by cities and municipalities and formerly funded and operated by the same, are being turned over to private companies to operate. It's all about the bottom line. Theoretically this saves the city or municipality money. This is actually true. The private company looks upon the library as a money pit. This means fewer employees are hired, hours open to the public are cut, book budgets are slashed and the bottom line is a lot lower.

Unfortunately, this does not add up to real public service. A patron told me a story the other day about the library in his daughter's Texas town. It is going to be turned over to a private company to operate. Not only would the hours be cut and the people doing the work be more like clerks than librarians, the actual library administrative work and decision making would be done from the company's office in the east. That meant there would be no librarian on the premises to make purchasing decisions, be familiar with the needs of the public using the library, be acquainted with a single person who entered the building, have any idea if the lighting was adequate, if the books should be shifted, if another book shelf could be fit in to hold more in certain sections, if things like reference books were properly updated or even if the floor was vacuumed and the doors were unlocked on time to let people in.

The patron's daughter had seen what happened to a library in another town close by when it was turned over to a private company. No new materials (books, DVDs, Cd's, etc.) had been purchased for two years. Yes, it was a money saving deal.

Public libraries have traditionally been supported by public money. Yes, they have their business aspects. Bills have to be paid, physical plants (the actual building) have to be kept up, contracts signed, equipment purchased, building codes and federal requirements, such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, have to be met. Patrons are a lot like customers, and librarians have to use the funds at their disposal to serve the largest patron base possible. But there is a lot more to libraries than the business side. There is real public service where trained people familiar with the collection and with computer usage do their best to help others. They may be paid with public funds, but that is appropriate, since they are providing a free public service. If you live in a small town, it is comforting to know who you are going to be dealing with when you go to the library. The librarian does not live in another state. You can actually talk to him/her face to face.

As for the patron's daughter, she has taken her children to the next town and gotten library cards at that public library - because that is what it still is, a real library that serves real people.

Raton Science Cafe : "Giant Waves and Rogue Waves"

The Raton Science Cafe will meet at the library Thursday, December 9, 2010, at 7:00 P.M. The topic will be Giant Waves and Rogue Waves. A collection of the best 90 slides from five different sources will be shown. Giant waves can be surf waves, tsunami waves, and rogue waves. Their power is illustrated by many photographs of damageed ships and oil rigs; and in a few instances - the actual rogue waves. A handout shows 21 of the favored locations of rogue waves. Viewers may also have a CD-ROM copy of the presentation. If you are interested in reading up on the subject beforehand, the library holds a copy of "The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean", a best-selling non-fiction book by author Susan Casey. The presentation will be followed with food and drink refreshments.

Dennie R. Gum has published a new book!

Dennie Gum, the assistant librarian at the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library, has published a new book titled, "Unknown Lover". This is a modern romance involving three friends and their struggles and personal decisions regarding their attachments for one another. Dennie has previously published "Winter Dreamer" and has a third book in process. We are proud to have her books available to the public. If you wish to read "Unknown Lover", call and reserve the book. The library has two copies, both of which are flying off the shelf as our patrons enjoy this story by our very own library employee.

Vote "Yes" for Bond B for libraries on November 2, 2010!

As libraries are more used and needed in this time of economic recession, their budgets are being cut because there simply isn't enough money to go around.
On the statewide election ballot Bond B, if passed, will provide $7,000,000 to go to New Mexico public, school, tribal, college and university libraries to update their collections, equipment and databases. This money is not distributed until the library has purchased and paid for books and materials, computers (including parts, and needs to make the patron computer experience as up to date as possible), and online data bases that charge for their information. The State of New Mexico checks all submissions for reimbursement from libraries to make sure that the funds are used properly before each library receives any of these funds.
At this library, we have been able to purchase new computers, new headphones, new parts such as increased memory, as well as many books, DVDs, audio books, music and periodical subscriptions. While the city does provide many things for the library, including funds for the books and materials, necessary budget cuts have left us with only the GO Bond funds to keep our public access computer network up and running.
Not only will public libraries benefit from much needed funds, but the school libraries throughout Colfax County will also benefit. The following figures are based on charts prepared using existing distribution formulas, population figures and existing libraries in Colfax County. These figures give you an approximate idea of how much money libraries in this county will receive if Bond B passes on November 2, 2010.
Public Libraries
Arthur Johnson Memorial Library $11,233.68
Eagle Nest Public Library 3,080.30
Fred Macaron Public Library (Springer) 4,200.30
Shuter Library of Angel Fire 3,983.44

Public Schools
Cimarron Municipal Schools $10,501.60
Maxwell Municipal Schools 6,098.27
Raton Public Schools 11,329.76
Springer Municipal Schools 8,201.66
Moreno Valley High School 3,127.45

TOTAL FOR COLFAX COUNTY: $61,756.46

Please vote "Yes" for Bond B and help all the libraries in the county provide the much needed materials and computer services for our citizens. Every penny of it is needed.
Thank you!

The Raton Science Cafe Meeting on Oct. 14th, 2010

The Raton Science Cafe will present the DVD, "The Electromagnetic Spectrum". Earth Science Week is October 10 -16, 2010. This year's topic is "Exploring Energy". The electromagnetic spectrum is one of many types of energy, with light being the most common example. This 35 minute DVD will cover radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light waves, ultraviolet light waves, x-rays, and gamma rays. Although we call the latter two types 'rays', they are really waves. The video explains how these waves are formed by man or other processes, their unique properties, how we use them, and other fascinating facts. We thank Ms. Susan Welch, of the New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, Socorro, NM, for the large packet of educational material she has provided. It will be donated to Raton High School after the meeting.
The presentation will be followed with food and drink refreshments.

Donations Welcome!

The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library has always accepted donations. The most frequent donations have always been books. We also accept magazines (which are placed on the Friends of the Library sale shelf, but are given away free of charge), as well as DVDs and audio books. These donations have added enormously to the reading, viewing and listening pleasure of library patrons over the years. While we cannot put every book, movie and audio book we receive on the shelves, we do go through each donation item by item. Those not added to the collection are given to the Friends of the Library. The FOL sell these donations and the money made by this independent support group is used entirely for the library's benefit.
In the past we have received donations in the form of art, items to display, a DVD player and holiday decorations.
Recently we have received book shelf donations from Mr. and Mrs. Steven Havill. We have used these shelves to expand the youth fiction section, the adult fiction section and the large print section.
And, as always, we accept monetary donations from generous individuals and groups whose pleasure in and support of this library has made it possible to serve our many patrons with even more materials in a pleasant environment.
Thanks to all of you who have thought of us as recipients of your donations.

Pre-School Story Hour - Introduce Your Child to the World of Story Books!

Young children love to have someone read them a story. The magic of a story book is one of the best gifts you can give a child too young to read to themselves. Early introduction to books (with lots of pictures!) teaches a child early about reading. Since reading is something they will do their whole lives, whether it is in school, for fun, with a book, or on the computer, the library would like to help awaken your child's interest in reading. Come to Pre-School Story Hour every Wednesday morning at the library, 10:00 A.M., and bring your pre-school children of any age. Not only will they listen to and look at great story books, they will interact with other children and make a project to take home each week. Just one hour a week in the world of books will do your child a world of good!