Just the Facts, Ma'am.

COVID-19

COVID-19
The coronavirus has officially made it to Mississippi, but panic is not the answer. What is COVID-19, you ask? That's a fair question. COVID stands for COronaVIrus Disease, first identified in 2019. It spreads easily from person-to-person. You can learn more about it from the CDC. Be wary of where you get your news about the virus. Fake news is real, but you can combat it by becoming a regular fact checker.

What should I do?
The thing about COVID-19 is that it isn't necessarily about keeping yourself from getting sick, but keeping other people from getting sick and the virus from spreading. This is known as flattening the curve, and social distancing is the best way to make that happen.

Lots of science-y folks are posting this graph. But if there is one thing I have learned from being on the internet, it is this:

Data/graphs: Not compelling to many.

Kitties: Compelling to many.

So I present: #Catteningthecurve.#scicomm #epitwitter pic.twitter.com/Cr1xQXMppr

— Anne Marie Darling (@amdar1ing) March 11, 2020

If you have an essential job and have to go out in public, remember to keep your hands away from your face, cover your face when you cough and/or sneeze, and wash your hands after you use the toilet, touch your face, and cough and/or sneeze.

As of this post, the Mississippi Library Commission remains open to the public. We have postponed our upcoming continuing education workshops for the month of March. Keep an eye on your public library's social media feeds as well as our own for up-to-date information.

A librarian's suggestion
This is the perfect time to catch up on your reading. Many Mississippi public libraries offer digital and audio books and magazines through services like Overdrive, hoopla, and RBdigital. Check your library's website or call them up to see what they offer. Find your library here.

You may also want to try some of those bucket list items you've been meaning to get to. Want to learn a new language? See if your library offers Mango Languages or Rosetta Stone. How about tracing your family tree? Your library may have a subscription to Ancestry or Heritage Quest.

Above all, remain calm and read on.

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March 13, 2020 Update!

Due to the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, the Mississippi Library Commission will be closed to the public beginning March 16, 2020 until further notice. Please note that staff will still be available Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, via the following methods:

Chat
Email
Facebook
Fax: 601-432-4476
Instagram
Phone: 1-800-647-7542
Text: 601-208-0868
Twitter

We will be ready to answer reference and library questions, help with Talking Books, and fill interlibrary loan and regular loan requests. You will still be able to pick up books via our new curbside service

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March 16, 2020 Update! 

Refer to this handy spreadsheet for Mississippi public library temporary closings due to the coronavirus: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17i8zUeLPwUXoGSW4Y3NsRmeSvNcMPHRK3XWSjQle5xs/edit

"Art for ALL Seasons" Exhibit

The Mississippi Library Commission's summer exhibit opened Wednesday, July 1, 2015, with the "Art for ALL Seasons" exhibit featuring VSA Mississippi and glass and mixed media artist Jennifer Thomas. An opening reception honoring the artists is scheduled for Thursday, July 23, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mississippi Library Commission, which is located at 3881 Eastwood Drive off Eastover Drive on the grounds of the Mississippi Education and Research Center in Jackson. The pubic is invited. Artwork can be viewed Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Established in 2001 with eight students, the VSA Mississippi Community Art Group provides opportunities for all adults with disabilities to participate in art experiences and art making according to their needs and abilities. The group offers professional instruction and guidance to participants while utilizing a variety of techniques including individual and group instruction by the teaching artist, visiting artists, use of instructional books, and tours of museums and galleries to observe masterworks.

The program has increased to over 40 registered students. Initially, classes were for two hours once weekly. Currently, they are offered two full days per week. It has provided art opportunities to over 85 different artists during the past fourteen years. Some artists have been with the program for over ten years. Three artists have become successful professional artists with gallery representation. The program meets social as well as educational needs. Students have exhibited works in the Municipal Gallery, the Arts Center of Mississippi, the Mississippi Library Commission, the V.A. Medical Center, and the Methodist Rehabilitation Center.

Born and raised in Texas, Jennifer Thomas graduated from the University of Houston. Thomas' love of the arts led her to have two main studies: interior design and painting, both of which she still loves. She soon realized her specific focus in the arts was the field of decorative arts; stained glass would become her passion.

A God-ordained trip to Mississippi yielded a job for Thomas as a full-time stained glass artists at Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, where her knowledge and abilities in the discipline were developed. In time, she was introduced to glass fusing and loved everything about it. Each project was like a quick painting study, except it was executed in glass. In 2007, Thomas left the studio to focus on the strong vision she had for producing beautiful yet functional pieces for daily use. Thomas has since been accepted into the Mississippi Craftsmen's Guild.

The Mississippi Library Commission is a state agency with the mission to ensure that all Mississippians have access to quality library services, consults with and advises local entities on library issues, supports electronic access to information through public libraries, and manages state and federal grant programs for public libraries. Visit the Mississippi Library Commission's website at www.mlc.lib.ms.us.

Sensory Story Kits Available at MLC

The Mississippi Library Commission has some exciting new resources available for patrons! The agency recently added 15 Sensory Story Kits to its collection. The story kits are now available for loan by patrons of MLC and the Mississippi Talking Book Services.

Each story kit contains a story book that has printed text and illustrations accompanied by Braille. The kits also contain items and toys related to the story. The items provide a hands-on way for children to experience books and aid in comprehension and enjoyment of the story. These story kits were created with young children with visual impairments in mind, but children of all ages and capabilities can use tactile and sensory exploration to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of books.

The story kits are currently available to check out and have a loan period of six weeks. To reserve a kit or request a catalog of titles that are available, please contact Erica McCaleb at emccaleb@mlc.lib.ms.us or 601-432-4116. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Buntin Elected President of CSLP

Congratulations are in order for the Mississippi Library Commission's Senior Library Consultant Mac Buntin. He has been elected President of the Collaborative Summer Library Program and took office 1 June 2015. Buntin is the perfect person for the job. He says, "I believe in what we do. The Collaborative Summer Library Program promotes literacy. I believe in literacy for everyone." Buntin has been a state representative for the all-volunteer CSLP since 2006 and has also served as treasurer and vice-president. He's very proud of the organization, saying "CSLP provides a high quality, affordable summer library program annually." In fact, they're already working on the program for the summer of 2017!

The Collaborative Summer Library Program was started in 1987 in Minnesota. Now, twenty-two years later, all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories are participating members. (Four states are partial members.) Mississippi joined in 2006. Buntin's excitement and love for the program is contagious. The program keeps developing and CSLP tries to appeal to everyone. It targets four age groups: early literacy, children, teen, and adult, so don't think that just because you're not in grade school that you can't participate. Buntin adds, "It's not just 'read a book' anymore." He points to the different theme chosen every year, which has focused on science, art, and other areas, in conjunction with literacy.

We're all awfully proud of Mr. Buntin, librarian extraordinaire.

"Old Friends/New Friends" Exhibit Opens at the Mississippi Library Commission

The Mississippi Library Commission is hosting a two-month exhibition by Mississippi artists Mary Lane Reed, Steven Moppert, Laura Tarbutton, and Jackie Messer. The exhibit, entitled “Old Friends/New Friends," opens Monday, May 4, and continues through Monday, June 29, 2015. An opening reception is set for Thursday, May 28, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Mississippi Library Commission, which is located at 3881 Eastwood Drive off Eastover Drive on the grounds of the Education and Research Center in Jackson.

Old friends, Mary Lane Reed, Steve Moppert, and Laura Tarbutton, met at Art Supply Headquarters in the 1980s. Jackie Messer, the new friend, joined the friendship eight years ago. All four will share the Library Commission’s venue to display their work.

Portrait artist Mary Lane Reed was smitten by art at the age of five. Her father stood her in a window to watch a rare Mississippi snowfall and asked her to draw a picture of the scene. She promptly complied and never stopped drawing after that.

Her approach to the creation of art is direct and intuitive. She feels the tone of the painting should be determined by the personality of the subject. The backgrounds of her oil portraits may be interior scenes or outdoor settings. She enjoys the painting challenges of both, but admits a bias for the outdoors. "I love the challenge of capturing dappled sunlight," said Reed.

Steve Moppert, also a portrait artist and winner of the National Portrait Competition Grand Prize for Best in Show in 1981, will share the Library Commission’s venue with Reed. Moppert has successfully balanced an active career as a portrait artist with one as a painter of landscapes, still lifes, and figurative works for more than 45 years. Always holding himself to the highest standards both in the polishing of his skills and production of his work, he has consistently attained distinction in the mastery of his art.

Moppert’s paintings are included in the permanent collections of the Governor’s Mansion, the state historical museum, Mississippi College, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the Louisiana State University Medical Center. His subjects have included leading educators, scientists, physicians, and clergymen. His paintings have been featured in Colorado Homes and Lifestyles, Mississippi Magazine, and International Artist Magazine.

Artisans Laura Tarbutton's and Jackie Messer's works complement each other. Tarbutton began The Beach House Studio with a group of friends who loved to create beautiful jewelry. “I love to create beautiful and unique jewelry from various forms of metal." It gives her an outlet to express herself through the design and creation of her own jewelry. Tarbutton strives for an organic feel in her work--a feel where textures abound and her love of nature shines through. Textures, whether lamp work beads, PMC, pottery, enameled PMC and copper, or mixed media jewelry, are all prominent in her pieces. She fabricates jewelry using copper, fine silver, precious metal, clay, and enamels. Messer began chaining in 2007.“The shine of the silver got me hooked! I love how putting on one ring at a time can make such beautiful accessories!” she said.

The exhibit is open for viewing Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. Both the exhibit and reception are free and open to the general public. For additional information about the exhibit or the Mississippi Library Commission, call 601-432-4111 or email Gloria Washington.

Free Currency Readers

Beginning in September 2014, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), partnered with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, began a four-month pilot program to distribute free currency readers to NLS patrons. These small devices, also known as iBill Talking Bank Note Identifiers, use either speech, a tone, or a vibration to alert visually impaired or blind persons to the amount of their paper currency. To receive a free money reader NLS patrons can call or email the Mississippi Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped:

 1-800-446-0892

lbph@mlc.lib.ms.us

Not an NLS patron? Give the number above a call and our staff can get you started on the application process.
Once you request your free money reader, it may be a few months before you receive it. You will be placed on a list that will be sent to NLS. We are hoping that the money readers will be sent to patrons in the late Fall. There is a limit of 1 money reader per patron. Beginning in January 2015, the money readers will have their national rollout and become available for U.S. citizens who have visual impairments or are blind.

For more information, call the number above or head to this website: http://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrencyreaderpgm.html.

Library Support Staff Certification Registration Assistance Awards Available

Through a grant to the ALA-Allied Professional Association from the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services, the Mississippi Library Commission is again offering financial assistance awards (one-half of registration fees) to library support staff applying for certification in the ALA Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program. The program offers library employees, from any type of library, the opportunity to achieve recognition for their experience, enhance library service, and increase skills and knowledge in the foundations of librarianship, technology, and communication.

LSSC provides a path to recognition and awareness of the critical role played by library support in the delivery of quality library service. In order to achieve certification, support staff must achieve six of ten competency sets either through development of an online portfolio or taking approved courses. The competency sets are Foundation of Library Service; Technology; Communication and Teamwork; Access Services, Adult Readers’ Advisory Services; Cataloging and Classification; Collection Management; Reference and Information Services; Supervision and Management; and Youth Services.

The Mississippi Library Commission will offer four (4) Registration Assistance Awards in Spring 2012. The Awards of $175 each covers one-half of the LSSC registration and application fee.

To be eligible to participate in LSSC and to receive an Assistance Award, an applicant must have a high school degree/GED and have worked the equivalent of one year (1820 hours) as a library staff member or volunteer within the last five years.

The application form for a Registration Assistance Award is available for download on the Library Commission website.

The deadline for submission of applications to the Library Commission is November 15, 2011. Award recipients will be selected by random drawing on November 21, 1011. Contact Barbara Price at bprice@mlc.lib.ms.us with questions.

Nancy Bolt, Co-Project Director of LSSC commented “LSSC is really pleased that the Mississippi Library Commission is participating in the Registration Awards We are confident that support staff will find certification to be helpful and are thankful for this grant from IMLS.”

Visit the Library Support Staff Certification Program website for more information on LSSC: www.ala-apa.org/lssc

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Mississippi Library Commission Awards 2012 Federal Grants

Jackson, MS—The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) Board of Commissioners has approved 24 grants totaling more than $345,000. The federal funds, awarded to 14 public library systems, will support projects ranging from technology, to public library programming, to library development, to public library scholarships. The funding was made possible under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) through the federal Institute of Museums and Library Services.

Libraries receiving grants include Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System, Central Mississippi Regional Library System, Dixie Regional Library System, Union County Library System, Columbus-Lowndes County Library System, Laurel-Jones County Library System, Harriette Person Memorial Library (Claiborne County), Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library System, South Mississippi Regional Library, Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library, Hancock County Library System, Sunflower County Library System, Lamar County Library System and Golden Triangle Regional Library Consortium/Tombigbee Regional Library.

“Public libraries are critical to education, economic development, and quality of life in Mississippi communities. These grant projects allow public libraries to better serve local residents. Federal LSTA funds enhance library services for all Mississippians”, said Library Commission Executive Director Sharman B. Smith.