Library Acquires Fascinating Historic Photos

Thanks to our intrepid Reference Librarian Claire Kellogg, the Library has an outstanding local history collection, including an online collection of historic photos.  Most recently, Claire borrowed over 500 historic images from Lake Grove Elementary School.  It took her and two volunteers five months to scan, catalogue and add these photos to the Library’s online collection.  The photos, which span from the 1940’s to the 1980’s, include class photos like the one on the right.  The City’s Historic Resources Advisory Board and Mayor Hoffman have presented Claire with a Historic Preservation Merit Award.   To view the historic photo collection, go to http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/special/History.htm.

“Hey It’s the Library Lady!”

Youth Services Manager Jackie Rose loves to visit local schools to entertain kids and get them excited about books, reading, and the Library.  Currently, she is performing storytelling with puppets for kindergarten, first and second graders.  She either invents her own stories or finds traditional folktales and fractures the stories in her own style so the puppets can act them out in humorous fashion while she narrates.  At the end of her program she urges kids to join the Library’s summer reading club.  Recently, Rose recently entertained a group of employees’ children at the City’s “Take Your Child to Work” day.

Fun at Open Mic Night

We kicked off a new Open-Mic series last week.  Anyone who wanted to could share their creative writing, poetry, stories, and music…or just be in the audience.  One of the performers was Library shelver Nancy Klinger, pictured above sharing her humorous poetry.  Open-Mic nights will be held the last Thursday of each month.  For more information about programs for adults, go to   http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/AdultCalendar.htm.

 Tourism Van Visit

In honor of Oregon’s 150th Birthday, Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs’ Mobile Information Van will visit our Library on May 23, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Featured events include a video presentation highlighting travel destinations in Clackamas County, an interactive mosaic art project, and a “Favorite Roadtrip Story” contest.  Anyone who submits a story will be placed in a random drawing for a digital camera.  For more information on the van go to

http://www.mthoodterritory.com/vfr/van.jsp.

It’s Always Sustainability Month at the Library

It’s true that during May we are celebrating Sustainability Month along with the rest of the City, but at the Library, “sustainability consciousness” is in high gear all year ‘round.  Recently, our Technical Services Department was pleased to report that Far West Fibers, a recycler that we use to dispose of plastic waste, will now accept additional plastic items, such as broken cassettes, that the library used to have to ship to a distant recycler.  More good news:  West Fibers has a new Lake Oswego location.  Our volunteer, who has been transporting plastic recycling each month since July 2007, will have a much shorter drive now.

Video Games

Since January 2008, our Teen Department has had a growing collection of video games.  In April, we purchased game cartridges for the extremely popular Nintendo DS handheld gaming system.  Our Technical Services wizards report that getting the postage stamp-sized electronic cartridges into durable and secure Library packaging was a significant challenge, essentially requiring a custom case to be prepared for each item.  It’s worth the effort because our video games are in hot demand.

“What Are They Reading?”

Our Library visitors checked out 115,473 items during the month of April.  Our fiction for adults was checked out 11.3% more than in April 2008.  Other Library collections that flew off the shelves more in April 2009 as compared with April 2008 are as follows:  mysteries 8.1%, science fiction 12.8%, nonfiction 1.3%, DVDs 3%, teen graphic novels 20.3%, teen audiobooks 26.1%, children’s readers 7.7%, and children’s easy nonfiction 59.5%.  The entire teen collection was checked out 10.1% more than it was in April 2008.