The importance of KRL in these times: The price of grains has more than doubled in the past year. Gas will hit $4 a gallon by summer. Unemployment is up and home sales are down. When the economic sky is falling, who'll help you build a roof?
"When the going gets tough, the smart get going to the library."
That's right, your friendly neighborhood library. If you need to get a job, or just improve your current position, your library has the books, the DVDs, and even the CD ROMs you need. Want to learn another language? We have from Arabic to Swahili and everything in between. If you want to stretch those scarce food dollars, check out Eat Well For 99 cents a Meal, or get more creative with the food you can afford Swamp Cookin' With the River People, or just try something really unexpected, The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook. Your library is standing by!
Okay, all silliness aside. Last week at the CAFE meeting, we discussed how important KRL is to the people of Kitsap County. I was talking with a single mom who told me, when times were tough, how she and her daughter would visit the library for books, DVDs, and just to have a safe, warm place to go.
We thought it would be a great opportunity to remind ourselves of our purpose and how much more valuable we are, and are going to become, in the times ahead. Yes, we make a difference in people's lives. And the harder times get, the bigger difference we can make.
KRL C.A.F.E.!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Did you know...?
..that we have free public access computers?
· There is unlimited free wireless access at every branch of the Kitsap Library System.
· You have 7 hours of free internet access at your local library each week.
..that we have a very dynamic and user friendly website?
· You can apply for a library card online; your card will be sent directly to you in the mail.
· With your library card you have access to databases of accurate health information.
· You can download ebooks, audiobooks, and music using your library card with our Overdrive service.
· You can renew library items from home just by using the library’s website and your library card. You can also browse the catalog and place holds the same way.
· Our website offers numerous databases for research on almost any subject.
· We have a KRL e-newsletter on our website that you can opt-into.
· KRL can help you fix your car. We carry Chiltons and offer access to Auto Repair Reference on our website.
...that we have incredible reading resources available for your book group needs?
· There are Book Discussion Groups associated with most KRL branches Check online for times and venues.
KRL C.A.F.E.!
· There is unlimited free wireless access at every branch of the Kitsap Library System.
· You have 7 hours of free internet access at your local library each week.
..that we have a very dynamic and user friendly website?
· You can apply for a library card online; your card will be sent directly to you in the mail.
· With your library card you have access to databases of accurate health information.
· You can download ebooks, audiobooks, and music using your library card with our Overdrive service.
· You can renew library items from home just by using the library’s website and your library card. You can also browse the catalog and place holds the same way.
· Our website offers numerous databases for research on almost any subject.
· We have a KRL e-newsletter on our website that you can opt-into.
· KRL can help you fix your car. We carry Chiltons and offer access to Auto Repair Reference on our website.
...that we have incredible reading resources available for your book group needs?
· There are Book Discussion Groups associated with most KRL branches Check online for times and venues.
KRL C.A.F.E.!
We are all C.A.F.E!
We are All Part of the KRL CAFE:
Do you have a dynamic vision of how the Kitsap Regional Library can better serve the community? Do you have an ongoing affection for sharing stories and telling tales about your local library? Do you see ways that we can better tell the KRL story to help bring in new patrons that have yet to discover all the wonders and services that we offer? If so, the CAFE committee would like to extend an invitation to you to join us. KRL CAFE is looking for staff folks who would like to participate as new members of this dynamic committee in 2009. Being a regular member of the CAFE committee is not without its benefits: every six weeks you get to hang out with a group of highly enthusiastic people who have KRL's best interests in mind, not so much in a budgeting, planning or policy sort of way, but rather, in finding ways to reach out into the community to share and celebrate Kitsap Regional Library's story.
The CAFE committee is made up of an interesting cross section of library staff, with all manner of disciplines and interests and work assignments scattered among our ranks. What is truly wonderful about the energy of the group is that we bring a lot of different view points to the fore and because of that diversity we share are able to pull together a wealth of ideas that turn into projects which then come to fruition in many forms. The "Library Story" column reaches many through our KRL webpage, our "Did you know?" buttons bring forth numerous queries out in the community, and our upcoming recycled cloth bags, which will be replacing our ubiquitous plastic blue bags, will be seen all about the county and in your communities, a visible sign of our ever growing concern.
But more than anything, when we gather and share stories and come up with ideas for ways for our organization to reach out into community in subtle ways, we are not just looking at the collective energy of that small committee, but we are looking at the hearts and minds and creative energy of the organization as a whole. When we say we are looking for new faces and new ideas for CAFÉ we are looking for the collective buy-in of the organization, for inclusivity, not exclusivity.
Each and every one of us here at KRL play an important part in the success of the CAFE committee. Each of us every day somehow tells the library story, shares the wonderfulness of our mission with our various communities, puts on a smiling face and goes forth to help those that need our assistance. Every time we process a book, check-in a hold, answer a reference question, put on a story time or sit before a board, we are CAFÉ. So, look us up if you feel you would like to get together in helping us tell the library story in new and exciting ways by joining the committee in 2009 or by sending us your ideas. If not, continue to do the wonderful work you are doing. It's all appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
KRL C.A.F.E.!
Do you have a dynamic vision of how the Kitsap Regional Library can better serve the community? Do you have an ongoing affection for sharing stories and telling tales about your local library? Do you see ways that we can better tell the KRL story to help bring in new patrons that have yet to discover all the wonders and services that we offer? If so, the CAFE committee would like to extend an invitation to you to join us. KRL CAFE is looking for staff folks who would like to participate as new members of this dynamic committee in 2009. Being a regular member of the CAFE committee is not without its benefits: every six weeks you get to hang out with a group of highly enthusiastic people who have KRL's best interests in mind, not so much in a budgeting, planning or policy sort of way, but rather, in finding ways to reach out into the community to share and celebrate Kitsap Regional Library's story.
The CAFE committee is made up of an interesting cross section of library staff, with all manner of disciplines and interests and work assignments scattered among our ranks. What is truly wonderful about the energy of the group is that we bring a lot of different view points to the fore and because of that diversity we share are able to pull together a wealth of ideas that turn into projects which then come to fruition in many forms. The "Library Story" column reaches many through our KRL webpage, our "Did you know?" buttons bring forth numerous queries out in the community, and our upcoming recycled cloth bags, which will be replacing our ubiquitous plastic blue bags, will be seen all about the county and in your communities, a visible sign of our ever growing concern.
But more than anything, when we gather and share stories and come up with ideas for ways for our organization to reach out into community in subtle ways, we are not just looking at the collective energy of that small committee, but we are looking at the hearts and minds and creative energy of the organization as a whole. When we say we are looking for new faces and new ideas for CAFÉ we are looking for the collective buy-in of the organization, for inclusivity, not exclusivity.
Each and every one of us here at KRL play an important part in the success of the CAFE committee. Each of us every day somehow tells the library story, shares the wonderfulness of our mission with our various communities, puts on a smiling face and goes forth to help those that need our assistance. Every time we process a book, check-in a hold, answer a reference question, put on a story time or sit before a board, we are CAFÉ. So, look us up if you feel you would like to get together in helping us tell the library story in new and exciting ways by joining the committee in 2009 or by sending us your ideas. If not, continue to do the wonderful work you are doing. It's all appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
KRL C.A.F.E.!
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