A comparison of more than 11 years of Public Library Survey data suggests that service changes in U.S. public libraries are having an impact on visitation and circulation, as record numbers of people now use public libraries nationwide. Several findings from the survey include:

*** The availability of Internet terminals in public libraries rose sharply between 2000 and 2007, increasing by 90 percent on a per capita basis. This dramatic increase is one example of the way U.S. public libraries are expanding their range of services to meet patron demand.
*** Between 1997 and 2007, per capita visits to public libraries increased nationwide by 19 percent. During the same period per capita circulation increased by 12 percent. This growth in demand for library services occurred even as people increasingly turned to the Internet to meet other information needs.
*** The study identified very different trajectories between urban and rural communities for select service trends, highlighting the importance of local context for identifying patron needs and improving services.

2nd Annual Cookie Contest

The 2nd annual library/4H Cookie Contest was a big success! With 17 dozen cookies, the judges had their work cut out for them. A great time was had by all (but we all ate WAY too many cookies!). Between the ages of 8 and 13? Start choosing your recipe for next year . . .

2009 Teens' Top Ten

More than 11,000 teen voters chose Paper Towns as their favorite book in the 2009 Teens' Top Ten! The online poll took place from Aug. 24 through Sept. 18, with the winners announced during Teen Read Week by WWE Divas Brie Bella and Nikki Bella.

And the winners are:

1. Paper Towns by John Green (Penguin/Dutton)
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
7. Wake by Lisa McMann (Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse)
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Griffin)
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Disney-Hyperion)
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Come check 'em out!

The best card in your wallet this holiday season!

"Based on the best-selling book series, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is the highly anticipated next installment to the movie Twilight.

With over 53 million books in print, hundreds of fan sites, and numerous critical accolades and awards, Twilight has become a worldwide sensation and cultural phenomenon that has defined a generation.

In New Moon, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested."

Read -- or reread! -- the Twilight series, available @ your library, and you'll enjoy the movies even more!

Source: The American Library Association www.ala.org

Come to the Library!

"Stories were built for these hard times"

Jon Phillips, publisher and editor of Bookmarks Magazine, wrote an interesting editorial recently about the intersection of reading and our current economic situation. Some highlights:

"Bruce Springsteen said that, in hard times, "people go to storytellers". . . . We turn to novels and stories for solace, entertainment, and enlightenment."

"Reading -- it's great for you, and it's easy on your wallet. Stories were built for these hard times."

To read the full article, check out Bookmarks Magazine -- at your local library!