Welcome to Parkland Regional Library

NoveList will soon have a new look and fresh content helping you connect readers to their next favourite book. Some of the new features include appeal factors, reading recommendations, and easy list printing. Get a sneak peek of the new site here.

Earlier in the year we asked several library staff members from around the region to help us do a usability study on PRL’s website. Based on the results, we have been able to make some changes to the organization and content of the website.

Here are some of the changes to the website:

• Quick Links has now become Looking for… if you are not logged in. If you are logged in, the full Public Libraries menu is available on most pages for easy access to important information.
• The Contacts page has been changed so that all information is on a single page.
• The main Public Libraries page has updated content.
• The Client Libraries page has been renamed Member Libraries.
• The Professional Resources section under Public Libraries has been renamed Staff Toolkit.
• The Copyright page was moved from the Administration area to the Staff Toolkit area.
• A PRL Workshops area has been created to hold information from past workshops.
• A link to PRL’s Flickr account has been added to show photos from past PRL events.
• The Direct Services section in Public Libraries has been renamed Services for Libraries.
• The Resource Sharing/ILL section in Public Libraries has been renamed Interlibrary Lending.
• Global change – We’re no longer hiding the links to pages you need to log in to see (instead, you will be able to click on them, and then if you are not logged in, you will be prompted to do so). One exception is that you still need to log in to see the link to the PDF of the member library contact list.

More changes are coming for the website, as well as another round of usability testing in the fall.

On June 7th the Red Deer Advocate published an article on PRL. The article focuses on the history of the system as well as many of the services PRL provides to our client libraries, including the interlibrary loan system, the world language collection, and space planning.

Read the article

Summer Reading Club time is here!

This year's theme is Destination Jungle. Learn more about it at the national SRC website.

PRL Children’s Programming Boxes can be booked for the summer. Boxes that work especially well with this year’s theme include:

• Jungle Fun
• Monkeys
• Zany Zoo
• Spiders
• Creepy Bugs
• Caterpillars and Butterflies
• Summer Fun
• At the Beach

Are there any children in your community with print disabilities? They can participate in the TD Summer Reading Club too! The CNIB has books in braille and audio format, accessible activities, and prizes.

Check out the CNIB website: http://www.cnib.ca/src and let parents know they can sign up their children and make use of this awesome addition to the TD-SRC.

Free for kids with print disabilities up to 16 years old.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Spring 2010 Professional Development Day a success!  65 staff and board members from libraries around the region attended sessions at PRL headquarters.

 Slides and handouts from the presentations will be posted online as they are made available.

Save the date for our fall PD Day on October 18, 2010!