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Rapides Pa r i sh
L ib ra ry
Inside this issue:
News From the Side
Lines
2
Health Tips 2
Surviving Martin
Library Re-carpeting
3
Finding Their Roots 3
Librarians Change
Lives
4
Kudos to the Refer-
ence Department
4
EBooks for Children & 5
And much more!
Volume 26, Issue 5 May 2012
We are advancing steadily with
our plans for the transition to the new
Martin Luther King, Jr., Branch. I just
heard from Dr. Bill Morrison from the
School Board with news that he is com-
fortable with our plan to have an exit
from our drive through lane into the
school’s adjacent parking lot. This will
enable customers to pick up items or
use the book drop from their vehicle,
and then exit through the lot. We’ll
have to put down a lot less concrete,
thanks to that. We have decided on
4,800 sq. ft. for the new King, a bit
bigger than Hineston or McDonald, to
accommodate a larger population in
the service area. So far as I know, the
survey of the property is the only step
that has to be taken before we go
back to the School Board to finalize
the deal.
As you may know, the Police Jury,
not the Library, actually owns all Li-
brary property: land, buildings, vehi-
cles, etc. For that reason, we have
turned over the sale of the current
King Branch building to them. We
hear that there are actually some po-
tential buyers.
From the Top
Yolanda Skinner was se-
lected as our new forty-
hour Preschool Outreach
Program (POP) Manager
at Westside Regional. She
began her new duties on
Monday, Apr i l 22 .
Yolanda brings five years
of POP experience to this
position. She was hired as
a POP Clerk in October
of 2007.
Way to go, Yolanda!
Ripple Page 2
News from the Side Lines by Laura-Ellen Ayres
really helped me get my
brain back – reading,
even when it is very slow
reading (which is where I
was that day) seems to
help your brain to find its
way back. Tammy V.
brought me another bag
in the rehab hospital, and
Jan made a home deliv-
ery!
I hope by the time you
read this that I will be
spending at least some
part of each workday in
my office acting like I’m
Usually, I have an arti-
cle in Ripple, but, due to
the heart surgery that
made me feel like I got
stomped, I guess I am
skipping this month!
However, I have so
many of you to thank. I
know I will forget some-
one; please don’t feel
offended – my brain also
got fried. Apparently,
people came to visit in the
hospital and I have NO
RECOLLECTION of it at
all!
Anyway, I asked Jana
to send a picture out of
the beautiful roses the
Staff Association sent.
They were so amazing!
They had what looked
like a design of ribbons
that went all the way
through the petals. Every-
one commented on them.
Thank you to all of
you who came and vis-
ited. I really appreciated
seeing your faces! Wes
and Tammy V. brought
me a bag of books, which
More than 36% of workers report that they’re typically “stressed out” during their work-
day, based on the 2011 “Stress in the Workplace” survey of 1,546 workers by the American
Psychological Association. For most workers, it’s the everyday, annoying hassles that make up
the bulk of work stress – communication failures, poor teamwork, delays, and numerous other
obstacles that interfere with work.
Other stressors are harder to control. Frequent changes in technology, job insecurity and
an unpredictable economy produce confusion and worry. Above all, we’re required to per-
form responsibly and effectively. That includes learning to tolerate stressors big and small.
“Everyday,
annoying hassles
make up the
bulk of work
stress.”
Health Tips by Steve Rogge
normal. I lastly want to say that I
have been very aware of the
prayers and best wishes that
everyone has sent my way. Thank
you so much!
These steps may help:
1. Talk with colleagues or friends you trust about the work issues you’re fac-
ing. They may provide insights or offer ideas for coping.
2. Stay flexible. Frequent change in the workplace is normal and potentially
positive.
3. Be vigilant about your health. Get regular exercise and plenty of sleep,
and eat a healthy diet. When you feel strong, you’ll cope better.
4. Believe in yourself. When you feel uncertain about the future, recalling
past achievements can help restore your confidence, hope and sense of
control.
5. Keep your perspective. Ask yourself, “Is this thing worth stressing about?”
In most cases, it won’t be. When you see the difference, you can control
the stress rather than let it control you.
(from the TopHealth newsletter)
Please take the quiz associated with this article (Health Tips Quiz #4) by
Wednesday, May 22, 2013.
Page 3 Volume 26, Issue 5
Surviving Martin Library Re-carpeting by Donna LeBlanc
Martin Library staff and customers recently had the experience of a life-
time. (I’ll call it that for now.) PLAN A: The committee gathered in early Febru-
ary and made arrangements for a 2 day closure to re-carpet the building
later that month. We were greatly surprised to learn that what was planned
as a 2 day closure would increase to a 4 day plan and eventually work into a
3 week completion before we re-opened again March15th.
Plans were made for Pam and JoAnne to work at other branches while we
were closed. Press releases went to the newspaper and TV stations. We be-
gan alerting customers of our closure, and kept reminding them daily that we
would be closed for 4 days…until…asbestos was found in the main part of
the library and we went to PLAN B! Team Wes and Lisa, Team Les, Jason and
James, and Martin staff were alerted as to how this change would be accom-
plished. Remember the saying “the best laid plans of mice and men often go
astray”? Well, the plans did just that, but gradually this enormous task was put into action. Lisa asked for inmates to help us pack
books and move furniture. Our maintenance crew worked daily to move boxes and furniture. I watched the organization of these
people in amazement. I realize now why Wes and Lisa are called into action with every move. They are phenomenal in organizing
all the books which needed to be boxed and labeled.
I was given permission to stay in the building during the asbestos removal. The hazmat group ar-
rived once the free-standing bookshelves and furniture had been moved. A team of three men and
two ladies covered all other books with ceiling to floor drapes. Once that task was completed the
main area was blocked off so the asbestos removal could begin. I could watch through a screen to see
how this process moved along over several days. There was even a shower set up in this room for the
hazmat team to clean up and get out of their suits each day. Les took some great photos of the work
the hazmat team did.
I unboxed crates daily and drove our request items to Main so the staff could call our customers for
their reserve materials. It seemed rather eerie in the library at times and was cold once I could no
longer adjust the thermostat. The enormous task of returning furniture and books to the shelves was
daunting! However, WE SURVIVED and reopened as planned on March 15th to the delight of both
customers and staff. I’m not sure I’d opt to do this again anytime soon but the experience was certainly
“exciting” at times!
Finding Their Roots by Jana Fryday
Kenneth Cloud (sunglasses) and Oddist Lambrecht (to
Kenneth’s left) drove all the way from Oakdale to the
Boyce Branch Library to attend a genealogy class taught
by David Manning (blue striped shirt) on Friday, April 19,
2013.
Mr. Manning’s class was part of the Boyce Library Fair
and Used Book Sale. Also pictured are Venita Boothroyd,
Betty DeWitt, Brenda Manning, Deborah Rachal, Alice
Pharris, and Brenda Tillman.
“After asbestos
was found in the
main part of the
library, we went
to PLAN B!”
Kudos to Reference Department by Jimmy Holsomback
me expressing his thanks
for the assistance that he
got from RPL.
Congratulations and
kudos to all of those in our
reference department
who did the research on
this.
Attorney F. Jean Pharis
called me last week and
asked if we had present/
future values of money
indexes. Our reference
staff at Main (Brenda
Rodriguez, Jonathan
Westbrook and Steve
Ledet) got their heads
together and started re-
searching the subject.
Mr. Pharis had al-
ready searched the inter-
net for the information
and was unable to find
the data, but our staff
was able to provide ex-
actly what he was looking
for! He sent an email to
Ripple Page 4
Librarians Change Lives by Amanda Patterson
mom’s half-sister’s name. I then
took to the internet, searching
the white pages in the Stan-
dish, Michigan area, and by
11:30 my mom was united with
her biological father’s daugh-
ter, her half sister Janet A.,
over the telephone.
Aunt Janet is 70 and
my mom, Loleta, is 46. I have
forever changed the lives of
these two women. My mom is
glad she asked again and my
Time has passed since my
mother, Loleta B., asked me to
help her search for her biologi-
cal father. I had searched for
him in the past and came up
empty handed, but that was
before I had five years of li-
brarian skills under my belt. On
Feb. 21, 2013, she had seen
people were posting picture of
themselves holding In-search of
posters for their relatives on
Facebook. In hopes that this
time it might work, she gathered
all the information she had been
given by her half-brothers and
sisters, which wasn’t much. She
only knew his name was
Sherman A. and the cities
where he had run a hardware
store (Sterling, Michigan) and
lived (Standish, Michigan) 46
years ago.
With this information, I set
out searching on Ancestry.com. I
found a man with this name and
city of residence on the 1940
Census. I took the information:
his approximate age (now
101), his wife’s name, and the
name of one child in hopes to
find his other children or grand-
children. I then created a page
with this information, posted the
information on other Facebook
pages, the newspaper in that
area, and the news channel as
well as a Standish, Michigan
group page.
That Saturday, Feb. 23,
2013, on the Standish, Michi-
gan group page, I had a hit
from a 3rd cousin named Karen.
Then my mom and she went
through some history details to
confirm we were on the right
track. She was able to get my
“I have forever
changed the
lives of these
two women.”
aunt Janet is thrilled that she’s
not the only girl. She is also
grateful that their father’s red
hair wasn’t wasted on just the
two boys. We keep in contact
via Facebook, and this July we
will attend the Allen Family
Reunion.
Bouquets of Thanks
To: Brenda Rodriguez
From: Linda
Thanks for always being
willing to do absolutely any-
thing you ask of her with a
smile.
To: Donna Crawford
From: Steve
Thanks for her good sugges-
tion for short customer com-
ments in Ripple.
To: Donna LeBlanc
From: Steve
Thanks for dealing with
someone on the sexual of-
fenders registry.
To: Karla
From: Jana
Thanks so much for printing
all those annual reports for
me!
To: Les and James
From: Amanda P.
Thanks, you guys, for coming
to the rescue with the bolt
cutters since I locked my keys
in my locker.
To: Mary Murry
From: Steve
Thanks for having grace
under pressure.
To: Pam Martin
From: Steve
Thanks for taking on the in-
terim job at Westside while
still helping out with Gunter.
To: Starla and Lakeisha
From: Steve
Thanks for your insights into
the new branch design.
Page 5 Volume 26, Issue 5
EBooks for Children and Teens by Tammy DiBartolo
EBooks have become extremely popular with our adult readers. Many of our “senior” custom-
ers have invested in a Nook or Kindle. They comment that they love the ease of not having to
leave home to check out or return a book.
When eBooks first came out, there were not a lot of books that teens or children would be
interested in. However, recently that has changed, particularly in the area of non-fiction books.
The library has recently purchased several non-fiction eBooks for children and teens. There are
several benefits to the eBook version versus the print version of these books. These eBooks are
available 24/7; they can be read from a Smartphone, computer or tablet; and multiple customers
can access the same title at the same time. Many of the titles have an interactive component com-
plete with movement, audio and photos. All the books have audio so that the child can “read with
his ears” too.
While I was researching eBook use by children and teens, I ran across a report in Teens and
Technology 2013, which was done by the Pew Research Center at Harvard University.
These were the current findings by the group:
93 % of teens have a computer or access to one.
23% of teens have a tablet computer.
37% of teens have a Smartphone, up from 23% in
2011.
One in four teens are “cell-mostly” internet users.
There are other advantages of eBooks. There is no need to
buy multiple copies of a title. They don’t take up shelf space, and
they don’t require staff time to prep them before check out.
It is a constant challenge to stay current with the latest technology
but we will continue to do our best. The purchase of eBooks is a
step in the right direction.
We will send everyone information regarding the access and use of the eBooks in the very
near future. Stay tuned!
“The purchase of
eBooks is a step
in the right
direction.”
Thinking of Others by Faith Johnson
In one of our monthly meetings, TAG members discussed sending some of
our members to visit the hospital as one the group’s volunteer projects.
On March 28, 2013, this project came into fruition. A few of the Tween
Advisory Group members along with a Teen Advisory Board representative
went to Rapides Regional Medical Center Women’s and Children’s Hospital
pediatric floor to spread a little cheer.
The tweens and teens took Easter boxes filled with toys, coloring books,
crayons, stickers, and more to sick children. The smiles on the children’s faces
when they opened their Easter boxes were priceless.
The children and their family members thanked TAG members for think-
ing about them. We also left extra boxes behind just in case they received
more patients on the floor during the Easter holiday.
The children had to admit it did not take much time to spread cheer, and
we all left feeling good about giving to others.
Ripple Page 6
Obesity in Children by Margie Mealer
teresting, but as soon as Dr.
Boles started her presentation,
they got interested. Perhaps
the image of the 1,377 lb. man
had something to do with it.
Perhaps it was the startling
statistics about diabetes in
Louisiana. Whatever it was,
they got involved, and I could
not have been more proud of
them. They asked questions,
made comments and even
As part of our Library Fair
and Book Sale, Dr. Velva Boles
came to speak about how obe-
sity, especially childhood obe-
sity, can affect African Ameri-
can communities. We put out
flyers and talked it up, and I
thought we would have a good
turnout. Once again the Boyce
community scared me. Five min-
utes before we were supposed
to start, no one was here, ex-
cept for my speaker and Mr.
Brian Coleman, who was here
to report on the event for the
Alexandria News Weekly news-
paper.
I called a few people to
remind them, and someone said
they thought Stephan Fontenot,
the Boyce Recreation Director,
was going to bring some of the
children from the Activity Cen-
ter. Five minutes later, Stephan
comes in with not just a few, but
22 youth from the town. He
told them it was important for
them to know what not being
active could lead to, and that
we were fortunate to have a
speaker like Dr. Boles come to
our community. He told them
that they did not have to come,
but he was closing the gym for
the hour of the program.
Most of them did not seem
to think it was going to be in-
“Perhaps the
image of the
1,377 lb. man
caught the
teens’ attention.”
cheered her college mascot
(the Wolf Pack) at the end.
Was this the audience I
expected? No, but I think this
was probably the best way of
getting the discussion about
obesity and diabetes going in
this community.
Dr. Velva Boles teaches teens at the Boyce Library.
TAG members show off the Easter boxes for children at
Rapides Regional Medical Center.
Page 7 Volume 26, Issue 5
National Library Week: April 14-20 by Joy Luttrell
We here at Westside appreciate our customers. From the wee preschoolers to our retired
customers, there is an atmosphere of community here at the library.
This morning the children’s tower rang out with the kids singing “If You’re Happy and You
Know It,” one of my favorites. (My other favorite is “I Like Being a Kid.”) It looks like rain, so
folks are coming in to stock up on books and movies. Tax season is almost over, and we have had
a rush for forms—thank you irs.gov—and online filing. Our study rooms are used by students of
all ages and by writers, doctors, and moms who home school. They are perfect for when you
need a quiet place to meet and/or study.
The eBook revolution hasn’t stopped our customers from stopping in for the latest James Pat-
terson, or for a book on how to plant your spring garden. Audio books are very popular with the
traveling crowd. I get a lot of stories from people who are traveling out of town and want a
good book to listen to. It makes the trip go by, and the miles are
more enjoyable.
The customers who make me smile the most are the ones who
ask me if I can recommend a good book. It is one of the reasons I
come to work . . . that good book or great author that I can rec-
ommend. It’s the afternoon, and parents and children come in,
often greeting their neighbors and relatives. Teachers greet their
students from days gone by.
The library is a reflection of our community; there is no doubt
in my mind. It is a place to learn, and a place to rest and gather
your thoughts. It is a place where you can get your business done,
and then grab a book for entertainment. It is a place where you
can meet and share your favorite book with your child (for in-
stance, Duck on a Bike).
“The library is a
reflection of our
community.” Shelley Atwood checks out books at
Westside Regional.
At the Library . . . ACQUISITIONS
ADULT
AUDIO BOOK
BOOK
BOOK CLUB
BOOKMOBILE
CATALOG
CHECK IN
CHECK OUT
CHILDREN
CIRCULATION
COMPUTER
CUSTOMER
DEWEY DECIMAL
SYSTEM
EBOOK
FINES
HARDBACK
INTERLIBRARY LOAN
LATEF EES
LIBRARY
MAGAZINE
M P THREE
OUTREACH
OVERDRIVE
OVERDUE
PAPERBACK
PROGRAMMING
REFERENCE
RESEARCH
RESERVE
STORYTIME
SUMMER READING
PROGRAM
TECHNICAL SERVICES
VOLUNTEERS
YOUNG ADULT
Beautiful Libraries (From wikipedia.com and beautiful-libraries.com)
411 Washington Street
Alexandria, LA 71301
Rap ides Par i sh L ibr ar y
www.rpl.org/staffsite
YOUR BUSINESS TAG LINE HERE.
Phone: 318-445-2411
Mobile: 555-555-5555
Fax: 318-445-6196
Email: [email protected]
May 2013 Birthdays
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3
Mary
4
5 6 7 8
Steve R.
Vickie
9 10
Lisa
11
12
13 14 15 16 17 18
19
Rebecca
20 21 22 23 24
Jane
25
26 27 28 29 30 31
The Library at Melk Abbey, Austria The Bodleian Library, Oxford
University, England
The Long Room, Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
The Artis Library, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands The Bibliothèque Sainte Geneviève, Paris,
France Vilnius University Library, Lithuania
Service Years:
Candace Hamilton—5 Years
Melissa Guild—5 Years