Thank you to all who planned, contributed to, and attended the READS Roundtables this year! This year’s theme was “Programming around Books”. We talked all things book group, exchanged suggestions for community reads and outreach events, and compiled lists of things that really worked in our individual libraries.

Here are links to :

• The READS Roundtable pre-reading list
• 3/24/17 Plymouth Roundtable notes
• 4/3/17 Lebanon Roundtable notes
• 4/5/17 Hooksett Roundtable notes
• 4/13/17 Hampton Roundtable notes

Save the date! The READS Fall Conference is October 10, 2017 at the McLane Center in Concord.

We’ll be talking about all things book group. Community reads, cookbook clubs, the mechanics of book discussions, title selection, involving community groups, using graphic novels or audio and digital titles, increasing community awareness of book group options, bringing in local authors – the list goes on and on. But we need YOU and your curiosity or expertise to make the discussion work.

Here’s an annotated reading list of topics and ideas to start the discussion from the READS programming committee. READS Roundtable Prereading List annotated

Here’s just the links. READS Roundtable Prereading List_short

And we want to hear from YOU! Send reading and topic suggestions to bpl@belmontnh.org and we will update the list before the first discussion group on March 24.

Register here by clicking on the date below.

DATE                        LOCATION
March 24, 2017     Pease Public Library, Plymouth
April 3, 2017          Lebanon Public Library, Kilton Branch, West Lebanon
April 5, 2017          Hooksett Public Library
April 13, 2017        Lane Memorial Library, Hampton

Be the winner of a $100 Amazon gift card!  All librarians and library patrons are invited to help us develop a logo for the Reference and Adult Services section of the NH Library Association.  A camera-ready, vector image would be terrific, but is not necessary. The intent is to create a symbol or design that will be easily associated with READS.

What does READS do?  The objective of the Reference and Adult Services Section is to disseminate information and advocate for matters pertaining to work in the following:

• reference
• adult services
• circulation
• technical services
• interlibrary loan
• readers’ advisory
• collection development and
• adult programming

Send questions or submissions to our Secretary, Kersten Matera.  Please include your name, contact information and your library affiliation (if not employed by a library, where are you a member?).  All participants will be entered in a raffle for a $25 gift certificate to The Common Man restaurants.  The Logo Contest winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.  Deadline is December 15th, 2016.

Good resources for logo design are available online, and these are some of the most important:

• Design fonts and colors should complement our brand message
• Should not incorporate things like gradients or shadows that won’t reproduce well on different media
• Must be unique
• Should clearly represent what READS does

We plan on unveiling our Logo in 2017 (New Year = New Logo).