On Monday evening the University Women’s Garden Club held their June meeting in the Malpass Library Garden Lounge.  The theme of the program was “Orchids for Everyone: basic guidelines to help the beginner choose a plant and care for it.  The speaker was Marcia Whitmore from the Quad-Cities.

Following her presentation, Marcia had many beautiful orchids for sale.

 

 

Is Mandeep in his “Second Life”? Take a look at how he now spends his leisure hours.

Today is TJ Urbanski’s first day on the job.  He is eager to begin work at WIU Libraries and is looking forward to meeting everyone.  Please feel free to drop by the Library Administative Office to meet him this week.

Today is TJ Urbanski’s first day on the job.  He is eager to begin work at WIU Libraries and is looking forward to meeting everyone.  Please feel free to drop by the Library Administative Office to meet him this week.

Last night was a first for WIU Libraries—Gaming in the library.  Yes, it was much more than the traditional board games although there were plenty of them to play.  Kids, parents, students, faculty and retirees played Wii and Xbox 360 and computer LAN games.   

Serious gamers were present

 

 

It was great seeing older and younger participants teach each other to play new games.

We hope to have another “Gaming Nite” this summer but you can definitely count on one scheduled for the evening of September 3.   Check out this website for more action pictures.  http://www.wiu.edu/library/info/news/news_web.sphp?id=468

Former Library Director, Don Mac Vean, reported to Malpass Library Employees the birth of his new baby stud colt named Troubadour.  The birth was  on May 28th,  right here in Macomb on the farm.  For the first few days both mother and son were covered with mud.  Mother and son are doing well. 

During the past year WIU Libraries, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs and the Alliance Library System have been collaborators on an LSTA grant funded by the Illinois State Library.  The grant funding will cease in August but many of the activities initially financed by the grant will continue.  Out website is now up and will continue to be supported by the three original collaborating organizations.  If there are things that you find useful we would like to know.  If there are resources you believe should be added to our website please contact us.  We hope that you will find this resource useful in building community and economic development in rural Illinois.

http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/Rural/index.cfm  

WIU Quad Cities Library received a $5,000 grant from The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend to be used for the Jeff Lebovitz Special Collection of Holocaust Education Materials. 

 

 

Dr. Marrietta Castle, consultant to the Leibovitz Collection Advisory Board, has suggested that the Leibovitz collection could use traveling trunks that would include books, posters, maps, audio-visual materials and other educational aids. Teachers can simply check out these trunks, which will be stocked and ready to use.  Schools from Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer Counties in Illinois and Scott, Mucatine, and Clinton Counties in Iowa uses these Holocaust Education materials. The WIU-Quad Cities Library coordinates use of the collection. Illinois requires that all students in public elementary and high schools be taught about the Holocaust. Iowa has made Holocaust studies a part of the multicultural and human rights curriculum.

The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, originally named the Davenport Area Foundation, was established in 1964 to improve the quality of life in the Quad Cities.  The Foundation grew under the leadership of Tana S. Odean, from one fund in 1993 to 139 funds in 2004.  

Today, the Community Foundation is a collection of 300 funds and provides support to hundreds of local charitable organizations and programs.  The Foundation has been under the direction of Susan S. Skora since 2004, and has grown to $40 million in assets.  With many years of estate planning and fundraising management experience, Skora continues to plot the course for the future growth and success of the Community Foundation.  

We are delighted with the ongoing support we have received from the Community Foundation fo the Great River Bend.

I am happy to report that the Western Illinois Museum has a new website developed by Betty Kasper.  Please take a look at the updated website.  http://www.homepage.macomb.com/~wimuseum/

Yesterday, academic librarians from Iowa and Illinois colleges and universities along the big bend of the Mississippi held their quarterly meeting in Muscatine, Iowa.  One of the topics of discussion was the planning of a Bi-State academic library one day conference to be held in the Quad-Cities in Spring 2009.

 Another but very important point on the agenda was the celebration of Jane Campagna’s birthday.

 

Oh, yes the CAKE to Die For!!!