Update for September 19, 2008 Open the door to knowledge

---

Supervising Librarian position to close on Saturday

JCLI is accepting applications for a full-time/part-time/job-share Supervising Librarian to facilitate the reopening of the Grants Pass branch library in a county of 82,000 residents.

This position will provide leadership in a wide range of professional public library services, including technical services, circulation, and reporting to JCLI. The position is also responsible for supervision, training, and scheduling of staff and volunteers. It requires broad knowledge of the principles, practices, and philosophy of public library operations. Also desirable is knowledge of reference services, cataloging, and collections management of print and non-print materials. JCLI is seeking an adventurous, flexible, creative, innovative, and community-oriented librarian to coordinate resumption of library functions.

Minimum Qualifications: ALA Master of Library Science and at least three years experience, including two years of lead or supervisory experience. In lieu of the above, equivalent technical training, education, and/or experience may be substituted.

Hours are to be established with the JCLI Board, and salary is negotiable, commensurate with experience, with a base of $20.00/hour.

Interested parties should email their cover letter and resume to info@josephinelibrary.org. The position closes on September 20 and interviews will start soon.

JCLI temporary lending library open every Saturday afternoon

The JCLI temporary lending library is open from 12-4 pm every Saturday. The temporary lending library operates in a warm and welcoming space donated by Parkway Village at 1519 NE F Street, in the courtyard behind Gooseberries.

This temporary lending library is using our collection of donated books for readers of all ages. This program is a service to our community until we can open the main branch of the library in Grants Pass. Although this is no substitute for a professionally operated library, we want to provide books to the community until we can open those doors.

Patrons check out books on the honor system and return them two weeks later. We’ve spent less than $40 on this program, keeping the money raised for library operations for the real library when it opens.

We can also use more volunteers to help sort books and work the lending library on Saturdays. For more information, contact Barbara Ketley at londonfg@cpros.com or visit our Web site at www.josephinelibrary.org.

Surf the Web and earn a penny for JCLI with www.GoodSearch.com

Josephine Community Libraries is participating in www.GoodSearch.com, the Yahoo!-powered Internet search engine (like Google) that devotes 50 percent of its advertising revenue to nonprofits. We earn a penny for every search. So please go to www.GoodSearch.com as your new Internet search engine. The first time you use it, type Josephine Community Libraries in the WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR box. Your computer will remember it from then on. Then type your search phrase in the Search box as normal. The more people use GoodSearch, the more money we can earn. So please tell everyone you know to start using GoodSearch as their Internet search engine and specify Josephine Community Libraries as the designated nonprofit organization.

You can even add the GoodSearch toolbar to your Internet browser so it’s always handy for you to user: go to www.goodsearch.com/toolbars.aspx for directions.

You can also shop through GoodShop, the sister site to GoodSearch, and earn even more money for JCLI.

Local events and national coverage

JCLI will have a booth at the Take a Walk on the Rogue event 9:30-5:00 pm this Saturday, September 20 at Reinhart Volunteer Park. There will be storytelling for the kids, as well as JCLI information and tee-shirts. Stop by and say hello!

Bonnie Johnson, our Operations Committee Chair, gave an excellent interview on the Jefferson Exchange program on Jefferson Public Radio in late August.

JCLI is also mentioned in the September issue of American Libraries, the journal of the American Library Association.

Give your time and talent

There are many volunteer opportunities to help Josephine Community Libraries reopen and operate our libraries. Our next volunteer orientation is 1 pm this Saturday September 20. We’re looking for a volunteer bookkeeper, people to work the temporary lending library on Saturdays, folks to work our information tables at Growers Market and other community events, and much more. Volunteer orientations are held the third Saturday of every month. For more information, contact Barbara Ketley at londonfg@cpros.com.

Fundraising Committee meetings are held at 12 pm on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month (Chair Doug Walker, walkerfamily@clearwire.net). Membership Subcommittee meetings are held at 1 pm on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month (Chair Nancy Hitchcock, hitchck@budget.net). The Communications Subcommittee meets periodically; contact Chair Jennifer Roberts at jroberts0307@hotmail.com for meeting information.

The next Josephine Community Libraries board meetings will be at 7 pm on Tuesday September 30 and Tuesday October 14. Meetings are held every other Tuesday. Anyone interested in reopening the Josephine Community Libraries are very welcome to attend.

All meetings are held at our library space

in Parkway Village, 1519 NE F Street, Grants Pass. Parkway Village is at the corner of Grants Pass Parkway and F Street. The library space is in the courtyard behind the Gooseberries grocery store.

Membership drive update

As of September 16, about $237,824 in cash and in-kind contributions has been raised for JCLI. Thousands more have been raised if we count cash pledges and in-kind pledges.

Our revised bare-bones budget proposal says we need the equivalent of $395,000 to open those doors. Help us do just that — here are three ways to become a member of Josephine Community Libraries:

• Make your check out to Josephine Community Libraries, and mail it to Josephine Community Libraries, P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
• Go to www.josephinelibrary.org and click automatic monthly payment form. Complete the form to have your contribution automatically deducted each month from your checking account. Send the form and your first month’s check to Josephine Community Libraries, P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
• Go to www.josephinelibrary.org and click the Donate button to make a secure contribution online using your debit card, credit card, or PayPal account.

Annual membership levels are as follows:

• Sustaining Member $1 to $199
• Bronze Member $200 to $499
• Silver Member $500 to $999
• Gold Member $1000 to $4999
• Platinum Member at $5000 and up.

As of September 2, we had a total of 1257 members. Special thanks go out to the City of Grants Pass and the Mid-Rogue Independent Physicians Association for their generous contributions at the Platinum membership level! If you haven’t done so already, please join us. All membership contributions are tax-deductible. But remember, whether or not a person is a member, everyone in the county will be able to use the services of the library.

Negotiations with the county

JCLI and the Josephine County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) are currently in the midst of negotiations regarding the lease of the library buildings and collection for $1 per year and a $100,000 grant. JCLI would operate as an independent contractor to manage day-to-day operations of the library, personnel, programs, and technological infrastructure. JCLI will submit a three-year business plan to the Commissioners before a contract is signed. A meeting between representatives of JCLI and the county will be scheduled soon.

You can keep an eye on when the Josephine County Board of Commissioners has the library issue on its agenda. Go to Board of County Commissioners Web page: http://www.co.josephine.or.us/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=104 and click links under “Calendar” or “Agenda & Minutes.”

Check the Web

For more information about Josephine Community Libraries, check our Web site at www.josephinelibrary.org.

This update is being sent to everyone on our Josephine Community libraries e-mail list. For questions or comments about anything in this update, please reply to this message (info@josephinelibrary.org) or call us at 660-6531. Thank you for everything you’re doing to help reopen the libraries in Josephine County! We’re putting the “community” back into our libraries! Teresa Stover, Project Manager Josephine Community Libraries 541-660-6531 info@josephinelibrary.org www.josephinelibrary.org P.O. Box 1684 Grants Pass, Oregon 97528