Message From the Director, July 2008
Susan Flannery (sflannery@minlib.net)

Kudos for Library

The Library was honored recently by the Massachusetts Library Association with the association's very first Innovation Award. The award recognizes exceptional, cutting-edge programs, services, or projects that show innovation, and leadership, while making a significant impact on the community. The CPL was lauded for its newly created YouTube "commercials" which were produced in collaboration with the Cambridge Rindge and Latin Media Center.

Library staff members Kelly Linehan, Kate Stifter and former O'Connell children's librarian Jill Graboski wanted to make the community aware of how many wonderful free resources and services the library provides. They wrote, directed and starred in (along with Elizabeth Sturges and Alan DerKazarian as voiceover) three commercials promoting the slogan "Life is expensive. Information shouldn't be. Check it out at the Cambridge Public Library!"

Under the tutelage of teacher Matt Landry, CRL students used the library videos as an opportunity to practice filming, sound recording and editing the final videos. The award committee highlighted the excellent work of the high school students, the lack of cost to the library to produce these videos and the unique way the CPL promoted its services, without wasting paper!

We have posted these videos on our website and YouTube.com, where we have gotten rave results. Check them out at: Get what you want @ the CPL; Get what you need @ the CPL; Save what you have @ the CPL.

Main Library Children's Librarian Julie Roach has been elected to serve as a member of the 2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal selection committee. The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Previous winners include Chris Van Allsburg, Ezra Jack Keats, Robert McClosky, and Maurice Sendak. It is indeed an honor for Julie to be elected by her peers to this important committee.

Maria Balestrieri, Literacy Specialist for the Library, was one of 12 city employees honored with an Outstanding Employee Award. Maria grew up near Central Square, and graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin. She has a BA and MA from Bowdoin College and Brown University respectively. In addition to her facility with Spanish, she has a working knowledge of Portuguese, French and Greek.

Maria took a well established literacy program and expanded it both physically (to five locations) and programmatically. She added new dimensions such as English conversations groups, family literacy, math literacy as well as homework help to the pot and stirred it all up with as much enthusiasm, devotion and ability as seemingly possible in one person.

Maria recruited many volunteers using word of mouth, library advertising and less usual methods such as Craigslist. She brought in America Reads volunteers from UMASS as well. When asked by students about math tutoring she found interns to provide help. When students told her that they had difficulty helping their children with homework and that it was sometimes challenging to meet with their tutors due to a lack of child care, Maria found students to provide homework help for the children while their parents worked on their English. For every problem encountered, Maria found a practical and efficient solution.

As one of our branch managers who had watched Maria lead a conversation class said, "Maria Balestrieri is one of the best teachers that I have ever seen, and I have seen many. … The energy she expends and the individual attention she gives to each and every student is out of this world …Needless to say, the meeting was a success and the class is already full."