What does circulation have to do with a library?

When you have questions such as "Where do I go to get a replacement library card?" or "How much do I owe the library?", the Circulation Desk is where to go. The Circulation department is responsible for performing functions such as check-ins, check-outs, renewing library materials, monitoring the self-check machines, receiving payment for fines, and library card registration. The Circulation Department is also responsible for managing the re-shelving of all returned materials, and maintaining the order of the various collections housed in the library.
At the Gibson Library, the Circulation Department head is Greg Reyes.

Sunrise Mountain view

Here's a close up view of the construction site with Sunrise Mountain in the background. There's activity going on towards the left hand side of the building. The parking lots have a lot of spaces away from the shopping center so parking will no longer be an issue. There's also a drive-through to make it more convenient to pick up your items on hold.

Are the Henderson Libraries a department of the City of Henderson?

Henderson Library District is a separate geographic district, much like the Las Vegas - Clark County Library District. What does that mean? We report to a Board of Trustees, five of whom are appointed by the Clark County Commission and two of whom are appointed by the City of Henderson Council. We receive an allocation from property taxes and consolidated taxes (sales, motor vehicle, etc). As a legal subdivision of the state of Nevada, our budget, upon approval of the Board of Trustees, is submitted to the state annually. It is also submitted to both Clark County and the City of Henderson.
The next Board meeting will be held on October 15, 2009 at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV. Board meetings are open to the public.

We're looking forward to....

The new Gibson Library will have plenty of parking for our patrons away from the general parking for the shopping center next door. An anonymous staff member thought that this was the greatest benefit of all. Currently, since the library is located in downtown Henderson, our parking lot is frequently filled with people doing business at the Courts or at City Hall. There are two garages available for public parking; however, the library’s parking lot seems to be more convenient. In the new library, this won’t be an issue.
There will also be a drive-through window for those patrons not wanting to park. Patrons will be able to pick up their holds, pay fines, and check out items already on request. A great convenience in the desert!

What a new library means to me

Periodically we will be including comments from the Gibson staff about what they are looking forward to the most in our new building. Here's one from Mi Nei, who works to deliver books to our homebound patrons:
"A new library will be sooo helpful to the Homebound Service as I will be able to start training the personnel [who will be] taking over [the] service." Currently Mi Nei works (mostly) by herself to serve over 75 patrons who are unable to come to the library due to health concerns or other limitations. She selects materials based on their reading preferences that they indicated on their application. Mi Nei is approaching her tenth anniversary with the Henderson Libraries.
If you have questions about the homebound program, please contact Mi Nei at 565.8402.

How your library has grown!

Did you know that it took almost 62 years for the Henderson Libraries to circulate 1 million items? And that it will take less than five years to reach the 2 million mark? The Henderson Libraries have been here to serve the citizens of Henderson since before Henderson even became a city!

So, what is this Information Literacy about?

What is Information Literacy? Why is information literacy important? How will I use Information Literacy skills? Read on!

WHAT IS INFORMATION LITERACY?
Information Literacy is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques.

WHY IS INFORMATION LITERACY IMPORTANT?
Information literacy is critically important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, false. The amount of information available is going to keep increasing. The types of technology used to access, manipulate, and create information will likewise expand.

HOW WILL I USE INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS?
Information literacy skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papers and group presentations. They're used on the job—the ability to find, evaluate, use and share information is an essential skill. Consumer decisions, such as which car or vacuum cleaner to purchase, are critical. You'll also use these skills by participating fully in a democratic society as an informed citizen by understanding issues and voting.

Information in this post provided by:
University Of Idaho. (2009). Information Literacy – Home Site. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/.

Do we really need libraries? Yes! Read on...

Your library is about much more than what books, DVDs, and CDs are on the shelf. How is the library relevant when one can go to the Internet for everything? What is the library’s role in an Internet age?
Librarians are trained to help you sift through the vast amounts of information available not only through books, but also through websites and databases. Librarians undergo constant education to adapt, use, and teach new technology. Librarians, in the process of helping patrons access this information, also teach patrons how to be information literate.

An information literate person is.. “...one who is able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information.”
(American Library Association. Presidential Commission on Information Literacy)

Dean of Library Services at Winthrop University wrote a great article on “10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library”. Here is a quick summary of the ten reasons given in the article:
1. Not everything is on the Internet
2. The needle (your search) in the haystack (the Web)
3. Quality control doesn’t exist
4. What you don’t know really does hurt you
5. States Can Now Buy One Book and Distribute to Every Library on the Web—NOT!
6. Hey, Bud, You Forgot about E-book Readers
7. Aren’t There Library-less Universities Now?
8. But a Virtual State Library Would Do It, Right?
9. The Internet: A Mile Wide, an Inch (or Less) Deep
10. The Internet Is Ubiquitous but Books Are Portable