(press release) Calvert Library Customer Survey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

Every other year, Calvert Library conducts a customer survey.  This puts responders in the great position of playing an important role in determining how the library serves our community.  The library is committed to meeting the imagination, information and inspiration needs of the citizens of Calvert County.  Please completely answer the seven-to-ten minute survey.

The survey will be offered online so even for those with busy lives, it is easy to have your voice heard.  Visit the library home page, calvert.lib.md.us, and click on the big "Yes" in the bottom left-hand feature block.   By sharing a few minutes of your time, you can provide valuable information that will help the staff create a library that meets your needs.

 

In the past, information from customer surveys has encouraged the library to add computers, provide computer training, increase the audiobook collection, add infant storytime and Saturday storytime, and continue to make available a wide variety of books and audio-visual materials. More recently, Calvert Library has updated the catalog to have features that customers asked for on the survey like being able to save their login, keep a list of books they have read, conduct a more google-like search, and be able to request holds from a list of books.  The many positive comments about library staff have influenced the library to maintain a focus on training so that Calvert Library has knowledgeable staff that provide excellent customer service.  The 2010 survey included many responses from Southern customers about the need for a larger location and that need should be met within the year.  A more recent survey of Southern customers specifically has resulted in a design that includes more computers, a “light, airy” design, a children’s play area, comfortable seating, and more.   Calvert Library has also recently added email notification for items due back to the library soon.

 

The library values its customers and strives for excellence in customer service.  Please take the time to tell them what you think.  For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862. 

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

Calvert Library Foundation Awards Dinner Press Release

Dear Editor and Friend of Calvert Library,

 

Attached please find a press release, “Heather Maertens Honorary Chair of First Calvert Library Foundation Award Dinner,” for your consideration for use in your publications and Web sites, including in your Calendar of Events.

 

The Award Dinner will be held on April 28, 2012, in Solomons, Md.

 

We would be happy to provide more information, including photos of Sen. Miller and Donnie Radcliffe, and appreciate your time and help in disseminating the news.

 

With best regards,

Debra Hughes

On behalf of Calvert Library Foundation

 

PS. If you have received this e-mail in error or do not wish to be included on future e-mails, please let me know.

 

(press release) Calvert Library Announces Winners Wii Tournaments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

There was a mob of twenty-somethings duking it out at Calvert Library Prince Frederick on Saturday!  And it appeared that the library was awarding prizes to the winners!  It turns out that it was a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament with prizes sponsored by Kevin Chronister’s Lusby business Play ‘n Trade.  Chronister ran the brackets while librarians served as referees.   When asked why he would sponsor a tournament in direct competition with his own tournaments Chronister said, “I love Calvert Library and I think it’s important for businesses to give back to their community.  I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to do so.  Look what fun everyone is having!”

 

The day actually started with a MarioKart Tournament for the younger crowd, ages 6-12.  Though there was only space for 30-couple competitors, the spectators brought the numbers to nearly 80.  Each participant had four races in which to try to score the most points or at least, the second-most points in order to be able to move on to the next round of races.  The second place winner, Carson King from Dunkirk, received a $30 gift card from Play ‘n Trade while the champion, Benjamin Voelker from Prince Frederick received a $50 gift card.  All participants also received a coupon book with hundreds of dollars in savings for games and services at Play ‘n Trade. 

 

After a break for lunch, the Smash Bros. Brawl competition started for ages 13 and up.  Each round was a one-on-one bout with the loser getting a second chance in the losers’ bracket.  There were some hard-fought matches with fancy flying and fierce aerial battles.   Some contestants were thwarted in their plans to conquer all by the news that they could only use the stock characters and no special items but there were “oohs” and “aahs” when a contender won with Mario, often considered a rather weak character.  The field was full with 32 players, the majority of whom were college age and male.  Steve Thompson from Huntingtown described the tournament as “very intense.”  He further said, “I hope there will be more in the future.”  Charlie Dulka of Mechanicsville ultimately defeated second place winner Tyler Burton in their final match on the big screen.   Luis Tirado-Garcia didn’t win but said, “It was an awesome experience!  Can’t wait till the next tournament!”  Charlotte Sanders of Chesapeake Beach said, “I brought my son John and his friend Daniel Corteville to the Smash Brothers competition and found it to be a well-organized event by the library and Play' n Trade. Everyone was very friendly, all of the gamers from ages 14 up to young adults all seemed to have a great time and showed excellent sportsmanship!   Although I know nothing about the game, I too enjoyed sharing the afternoon with the gamers and other parents that attended.”

 

Gaming Team leader and Public Services Librarian for Calvert Library Lisa Wieland said she was thrilled with the turnout and felt like the day was a great success.  Public Relations Coordinator Robyn Truslow took the opportunity to question an ad hoc focus group of twenty-something young men to ask what else they would like to see the library do for their demographic.  She said, “We might see some of these guys here working on a project for school but not often at library events.  We have movie nights and concerts that would make perfect (and cheap!) date nights but those seem to attract the next age group so I wanted to find out what would work better for this age bracket.”

 

Overall, it was a happening day at the library and Wieland said she’s looking forward to their next gaming event on Monday, April 9.  In an effort to give kids an excuse to get out and be social during their Spring Break, Calvert Library Prince Frederick is hosting “School’s Out Wii Gamin’!” at 2pm.  For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862. 

 

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Photo:  Play ‘n Trade owner Kevin Chronister, cheers on players during a Wii Smash Bros. Brawl tournament at Calvert Library Prince Frederick.

 

Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

PHOTO for (press release) Celebrate National Poetry Month with the Poet Laureate at Calvert Library

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

 

April is upon us, so that means that National Poetry Month is finally here!  Every year since its establishment by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, we celebrate and appreciate the wonderful world of American poetry.  To get in on the fun, come down to Calvert Library this month to check out our large poetry section, or Poets’ Corner writing workshop on April 25.

 

Best of all, Calvert Library is extremely pleased to announce that the Poet Laureate of Maryland, Dr. Stanley Plumly, will be making a special appearance to conduct a reading and Q&A!

 

Plumly, the current director of creative writing at the University of Maryland, has received numerous awards and accolades for his stirring work, including a National Book Award nomination, the Academy Award in Literature, the Paterson Poetry Prize, eight Pushcart Prizes, the Ingram-Merrill Foundation Award, and the LA Times Book Review’s Poetry Book of the Year prize.  He is praised universally for his attention to detail and personal lyric writing, and renowned poet Rita Dove has called him the “successor to James Wright and John Keats, with a marvelous ear for the music of contemplation.”

 

Dr. Stanley Plumly will be at Calvert Library Prince Frederick on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:00 pm.  This event is free and open to the public.  If guests own copies of Plumly’s work, he is happy to sign them afterwards.

 

For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862 or visit them on the web at calv.lib.md.us.

 

For more information about Stanley Plumly and National Poetry Month, visit the Academy of American Poets’ website at http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/103.

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

(press release) Celebrate National Poetry Month with the Poet Laureate at Calvert Library

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

 

April is upon us, so that means that National Poetry Month is finally here!  Every year since its establishment by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, we celebrate and appreciate the wonderful world of American poetry.  To get in on the fun, come down to Calvert Library this month to check out our large poetry section, or Poets’ Corner writing workshop on April 25.

 

Best of all, Calvert Library is extremely pleased to announce that the Poet Laureate of Maryland, Dr. Stanley Plumly, will be making a special appearance to conduct a reading and Q&A!

 

Plumly, the current director of creative writing at the University of Maryland, has received numerous awards and accolades for his stirring work, including a National Book Award nomination, the Academy Award in Literature, the Paterson Poetry Prize, eight Pushcart Prizes, the Ingram-Merrill Foundation Award, and the LA Times Book Review’s Poetry Book of the Year prize.  He is praised universally for his attention to detail and personal lyric writing, and renowned poet Rita Dove has called him the “successor to James Wright and John Keats, with a marvelous ear for the music of contemplation.”

 

Dr. Stanley Plumly will be at Calvert Library Prince Frederick on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:00 pm.  This event is free and open to the public.  If guests own copies of Plumly’s work, he is happy to sign them afterwards.

 

For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862 or visit them on the web at calv.lib.md.us.

 

For more information about Stanley Plumly and National Poetry Month, visit the Academy of American Poets’ website at http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/103.

 

###

 

 

Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

(press release) Calvert Library Fines are Changing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

April 2, 2012

 

 

Calvert Library hasn't raised fines in over 20 years, so it seems that the time has come. The main purpose of fines is to encourage customers to return their items so another customer can use them. The library uses the money generated by fine collection as part of the budget for the purchase of books, movies, music, and more.

 

To help ease the transition to higher fines, Calvert Library will be sending out email notifications 3 days prior to an item's due date so customers can avoid fines altogether by returning or renewing.  Marcia Hammett, Branch Manager at Calvert Library Prince Frederick said, “We’ve had signs up for a few weeks telling customers that the change is coming and to ask about it.  Many have asked and almost all have received the news positively.  One suggested that a grace period might have been nice, another thought we could have done it incrementally but overwhelmingly the response has been something like ‘it’s about time!’  I think people realize that high-demand items will be more readily available if the overdue fines are a little more motivating.”  One customer who asked not to be named laughed and said, “We’ve gotten away with murder for so long!  It’s been so inexpensive that sometimes I don’t even worry about being late.  Maybe I’ll actually renew online now!”  Seaona DeGennaro, mother of two and regular library user said, “We check out a LOT of books so it can add up if we’re late but really, the library is such a good cause and I save so much money by not having to buy all these resources, I can’t complain.  And really, it’s pretty darn easy to renew.  Plus we have limited space at home and already overflowing bookshelves so Calvert Library lets us have a huge collection at our fingertips without overwhelming our home.  I’ll be homeschooling next year and I know that I can do it successfully because we have such an excellent library system to support me.  If I have to chip in a few extra dollars every now and then, it’s worth it.”

 

The library will also remind customers via email if their holds have not been picked up after they have been on the hold shelf for five days.  This will help ensure that customers get the benefit of the item they requested rather than it being sent back to its home location without having been used.  

 

Circulation Supervisor Patti McConnell said, “If you do not currently receive your library notifications via email and would like to take advantage of this new service, please call your branch.  It’s an easy way to avoid fines!”  The new fine structure will be effective Thursday, April 12 and you can view the details online at the library website by clicking on About Us, Policies, then Loan Policy.  For more information, call 410-535-0291.

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

(press release) Screenwriting Workshop at Calvert Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

Calvert Library’s tag line is “Your destination for imagination, information and inspiration.”  One of the ways that they live up to this assertion is through the support of several writing groups.    One of the groups is Writers by the Bay which meets monthly at Calvert Library Prince Frederick.  Several published authors attend the sessions and more that hope to be published soon.  Primarily, the genre the group works on is prose fiction but recently there has been some interest in screenwriting.  To support that interest, Will Joy, a graduate of the New York Film Institute, will be hosting a workshop on Thursday, April 12 at 7pm covering the fundamentals of the screenplay.  He has worked on several films including two major Hollywood features.  He will cover structure, stylistic elements including plot, character, action, description and dialogue as well as technical format.  If you have ever wanted to write for a movie, this is a workshop not to be missed. If you are just curious about how the process works, you are welcome as well!  Please register online or by calling 410-535-0291.  For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862. 

 

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

(press release) Retirement of Calvert Library Southern Branch Manager

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

April 2, 2012

 

 

After 19 years of dedicated service, Trudy Mihalcik, Calvert Library Southern Branch Manager, is retiring at the beginning of April.  She began her career for Calvert Library as a Public Services Librarian before being promoted to Branch Manager in 2001 following Carol Bays’ retirement.  Dedicated to her community, Mihalcik has made an impact through the library in many roles…as a founding member of the Judy Center Board, the initiator of the ever-popular Gingerbread workshops offered by Calvert Library each December, the facilitator of a successful book group at Asbury, and an astute and practical member of the Calvert Library management team.

 

The Southern Branch has long been recognized as the little library with a big heart.  Mihalcik has fostered that atmosphere of excellent customer service and a strong sense of community that has generated many compliments from Southern Branch customers.  Customers and co-workers alike describe Trudy as warm, caring and a pleasure to be around. 

 

Mihalcik’s husband, Joe, has been retired for over a year and has been anxiously waiting for his wife to join him as they plan their travels and time with their children and grandchildren.  Trudy, who has served as a member of the Interim Southern Branch Design team said, “Before I retired I wanted to be able to pass on the insights and feedback that my customers have shared about a larger space.  I think we have an excellent plan now and I am looking forward to turning it over to someone else to make it their own.” 

 

Mihalcik was honored at a retirement party on Saturday, March 31 with many comments about her warmth and unflappability.  Towards the end of the evening, she was even honored with a song drafted by Leslie Bonner sung to the tune of Home on the Range which had the refrain, “Down Southern Branch way, Where customers all pack in tight, There seldom is heard a discouraging word, Because Trudy treats everyone right.” 

 

Library Director Patricia Hofmann said of Mihalcik’s retirement, “Trudy has been a dedicated employee and a positive role model for all library staff.  We will miss her; I will miss her; and I wish her the best as she begins the next chapter in her life.  Her grace, kindness, ability to provide excellent customer service have been greatly appreciated.”

 

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Photo attached of Trudy Mihalcik, retiring Calvert Library Southern Branch Manager and Patricia Hofmann, Director at Mihalcik’s retirement party.

 

Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us

(press release) Docents/Guides Needed for Temporary Lincoln Exhibit at Calvert Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:  Robyn Truslow

410-535-0291

 

Are you interested in the Civil War?  Lincoln?  The Constitution?  Calvert Library has a Summer 2012 opportunity for volunteer Docent/Guides to escort and inform visitors through a thought-provoking exhibit at Calvert Library Prince Frederick this July and August 2012. The library will be hosting Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War from July 11-August 24. An 8-hour training period prior to the opening of the exhibit will prepare you to escort visitors for one (or more as you wish) 3-hour period a week for six weeks. This beautifully conceived exhibit is under the sponsorship of the National Constitutional Center and the American Library Association. 

 

Please complete an application and register for an "Opportunities and Expectations" meeting by May 1.  The application is available online or by asking a librarian.  The Opportunities and Expectations meetings are scheduled for 30-minute slots on May 5. See the Calvert Library website for more information about other scheduled training and tentatively scheduled exhibit events.  For more information, call the Calvert Library Prince Frederick at 410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862. 

 

 

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Robyn Truslow

Public Relations Coordinator

Calvert Library

850 Costley Way

Prince Frederick, MD  20678

phone:  410-535-0291 or 301-855-1862

fax:  410-535-3022

rtruslow@somd.lib.md.us