Mastering the A B C D's of Marketing

Attention, Building interest and trust, Conversation, Deal!
It's not all about slick advertising but rather understanding the needs of your clients. Kevin Dervin of KPD Marketing will present an interactive workshop, Mastering the A B C D's of Marketing, on Wednesday, May 4 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Central Resource Library. Registration requested; 913-495-7514.

As always, libary programs are free and open to the public. To find other business-related workshops, books, resources, and services, check out http://www.JoCoBusiness.net.

Art & Science through Project InSECT: Artist in residence, Jessa Huebing-Reitinger

The Johnson County Library is honored to host Jessa Huebing-Reitinger as artist in residence at the Central Resource Library. Jessa works with her husband James to produce Project InSECT, a traveling art and science exhibition with a mission to educate the public on the science of entomology and conservation through the medium of performing visual arts.

Throughout the month of May, Jessa will be painting at the Central Resource Library, near the back window by the periodicals section. She’ll paint Tuesday through Saturday from May 5 to June 4, 2005. Jessa and James will also be presenting programs throughout the month, including an open house for educators, a program on the business of art, and great events for kids to come and learn more about bugs and why Jessa has devoted her life to painting them. More of her paintings are on display April through May at the Central Resource Library, and images of her work are available from her Web page: http://www.projectinsect.com.

Information about Project InSECT and associated library programs is available from our Web page at: http://www.jocolibrary.org/projectinsect.

We’ll be posting more information about Project InSECT throughout the month, but here’s a sneak preview: for her work to be completed at the library, Jessa has chosen to paint the state insect of Kansas: a honeybee.

Wi-Fi goes live at Central Resource Library

Wireless access is now available at Central Resource Library, as well as the other four branches. We're developing a frequently asked questions page regarding wireless access, but in the meantime, please visit our Web page to find guides, signal maps, and instructions at: http://www.jocolibrary.org/wireless. Or, submit your questions through our online form.

Enjoy the freedom of Wi-Fi at your library!

Wireless is here! BYOC (Bring your own computer)

The Johnson County Library now provides wireless access at a number of library locations, including:

Antioch Library

Blue Valley Library

Corinth Library

Leawood Pioneer Library

The next library to go-live with wireless will be the Central Resource Library. Once Central is live with Wi-Fi, we'll launch our promotional extravaganza. (Honestly, the staff is tickled pink to have wireless available. It's a service we've been wanting to provide to patrons for a long time.)

Maps to signal areas within the libraries, instructions for using the library's wireless connection, and answers to common questions are available at http://www.jocolibrary.org/wireless.

Bring your own computer or other wireless-enabled device and log on to our free Wi-Fi!

When was the last time you really thought about a Grecian Urn?

Poetry makes us stop, notice, and think. It engages all our senses and encourages us to dive down deep and explore mortality, love, philosophy, religion, politics, nature, and even the most mundane and everyday objects. Explore the world of poetry online through our database of the month: Columbia Granger's Poetry Database. There are over 400,000 poem citations and nearly 50,000 full-text poems. Additional information includes over 1,000 poem commentaries, nearly 500 biographies, and a glossary of poetic terms.

You can search by poet, poet category, subject of poem, poem title, and first/last line of poem. Find poems on specific subjects, or, find poets by country, time period, or ethnicity.

It’ll come as easy as leaves to a tree…

Films & discussions at your library

In partnership with the Johnson County Museum, the library will be hosting a series of movies in conjunction with the Museum's current display "To Protect & Serve: Law Enforcement in Johnson County." The next film will be shown on Saturday, May 7, 2005 at the Central Resource Library from 2-4:30 p.m. After the show’s over, join a discussion led by UMKC film scholar, Tom Poe. No is registration needed. For more information, call the Museum at (913) 631-6709 or the Library at (913) 495-2466.

The library's license to present feature films does not allow us to promote the film titles outside of the library. But if you’re wily, you can figure out the titles from the descriptions. Fliers are also available at the Central Resource Library or patrons are encouraged to call the library at (913) 495-9100 for more information about the movies.

Book Clubs to Go

Who doesn’t love a juicy literary discussion? Ever thought of starting a book club of your own? Here’s your chance: check out one of the library’s Book Clubs to Go kits. The kits contain 10 copies of a book and an information sheet with tips for book discussion groups (not to mention a snazzy carrying bag).

A full listing of the titles available is posted on the library’s Readers’ Corner Web site. Titles include classics such as East of Eden by John Steinbeck, old favorites such as The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, and new and fabulous books such as The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty. (btw… Although Laura Moriarty was born in Hawaii, she’s still a bit of a local girl. She’s a graduate of KU’s Creative Writing program, and her smash debut novel is about a young girl growing up in Kansas in the 1980s.)

Grab a kit, some friends, and go! Book Club to Go kits are available at the Central Resource Library. Please call (913) 495-9100 to check for availability.

Storytelling Celebration

Join the sixth annual metro wide Storytelling Celebration from April 25 - 30, 2005. The theme this year is "Reach for the Magic of Stories". This year's featured storytellers include nationally known artists such as Leeny Del Seamonds, Diane Furlatte, Steve Otto, and Tim Tingle.

Enjoy listening to professional storytellers at the Johnson County Library and throughout the Kansas City area.

Thinking of Starting a Business?

Do you dream of being your own boss, setting your own schedule, and running your own business? Learn resources and tips that will help make that dream a reality on Wednesday, April 27, from 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the Central Resource Library. (Registration requested; call (913) 495-7514 or (913) 764-6300)

The Central Resource Library has a regular series of free business programs presented by area leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and other experts. Upcoming topics include marketing, pre-business basics, and franchising. Find programs, industry resources, and related library services all from the library’s JoCoBusiness.net Web page: http://www.jocobusiness.net

Online health information you can trust: www.JoCoHealth.net

Did you find a tick on your son’s arm or notice a strange rash on your daughter’s leg? Did your doctor diagnose a new condition, and now you want to know more? Learn how to find information about diseases, symptoms, medications, and treatments via JoCoHealth.net--a reliable source for health information, services, and local resources available through the library's Web site.

To learn more about JoCoHealth.net, visit our booth at the Johnson County Community College’s Wellness Fair on Thursday, April 21, 2005 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The annual Nell Mitchell Wellness Fair is held on the indoor track of the Gym and features wellness activities such as chair massages, postural analysis, blood pressure screenings, body mass index calculation, stress management analysis, and more.

Taking the road less traveled…National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month, and a terrific time to enjoy great poetry and to express yourself by writing your own. Explore the resources the library has to offer, share your own poetry, and attend local poetry events.

The library celebrates poetry all year long with the monthly Writers Place Poetry Reading Series. As part of the series, on Tuesday, April 19, 2005, students from Haskell Indians Nations University will be sharing their poetry at the Central Resource Library. Join us the third Tuesday of each month and enjoy locally and nationally-known poets.

The results are in: citizens say Johnson County is great place to live and work

View the results of the recent Johnson County citizen survey. Of all county services, the library highest in terms of overall satisfaction (90 percent), and ranked second to the Department of Motor Vehicles in terms of familiarity (91 percent) and reported usage (79 percent). If you have suggestions for how the library might continue to improve and better meet your needs, please share your ideas.

Share your talent and design a bookmark for the library: all ages encouraged

National Library Week is almost over, but there's still plenty of time to enter the annual Bookmark Design Contest (PDF) sponsored by Friends of the Johnson County Library. Entry forms are also available at all Johnson County Library locations. Winners receive $25 gift certificates and their bookmarks are printed and distributed at all library locations. Contest ends April 30, 2005. So, get your color pencils, crayons, and paints ready, and create your bookmark today!

Check out the winning entries from 2003 and 2004.

Studying for a big test or licensing exam? Your library is here to help...

Getting ready to take the SAT, ACT, MCAT, GRE, LSAT or other academic test? Want to review American history and civics before you take the U.S. Citizenship exam? The library’s online resources aren’t limited to full-text articles, newspapers, and books (although those are pretty cool, too). LearningExpressLibrary provides practice tests and tutorials designed for students and adult learners. Academic and licensing tests are available, with immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and individualized results analysis. If the “real” test is timed, LearningExpress’s practice test is timed, too. LearningExpress is available from your home, school, office, or anywhere with an Internet connection. All you need is a Johnson Couty Library card and PIN (personal identification number).

Reference book junkies rejoice

Looking for scientific illustrations for a report? Want to learn more about a concept you heard about on the news or in class? Stumped on a crossword? The library’s subscription to xreferplus gives you a giant reference library with online access to full-text, full-image reference books (over 169 titles are currently available). xreferplus includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri and books of quotations, not to mention a range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy, literature to law.

Hint 1: to search for images, use the advanced search option.

Hint 2: to get help on a crossword, use the "crossword solver."

This title and other online e-books are available from the Johnson County Libray’s E-Book Collection.

All your favorite magazines and newspapers—free and online from your library

Why subscribe to a bunch of magazines and newspapers when you can get them electronically through your library for free? Through online databases such as MasterFile Premier, you can access popular magazines such as Consumer Reports and Wine Spectator from the comfort of your home, with only a library card and PIN (personal identification number).

Reduce clutter in your house, save money, and still read the articles you enjoy by using the library’s collection of magazine and newspaper databases.

Something for everyone: databases @ your library

Ok, so the library has over 70 different online databases. But what does that mean for you? During National Library Week, the Johnson County Library is featuring our extensive electronic resources, such as full-text reference books, magazines, and newspapers. Want to pull up a Consumer Reports article? Looking for a feature from last month's Kansas City Star? Need a quick online encyclopedia to help with homework? With only a library card and PIN (personal identification number) the resources of the library are available to you from your home, office, or through any Internet connection.

If you have questions about which database to use or how to use an online database, ask a librarian by calling (913) 495-9100, e-mailing, or using Answers Anytime, an online chat service that allows you to interact with a librarian in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

JoCoLibrary Blog...Just in time for National Library Week

Celebrate National Library Week, April 10-16, by subscribing to the newly launched Johnson County Library blog. We’ll post information about programs, resources, services, and other library news. Looking for a book discussion group or a poetry reading? Want advice from professional entrepreneurs on how to start your own business? Would you like to know when the library adds new services, such as wireless access? The JoCoLibrary blog will keep you up to date.