Resources Recommended by the Maine Regional Library System

Manuals/Charts/Featured Links

  • CREW Method Online: The CREW Method provides guidance to librarians and staff in small and medium sized public libraries about how to cull outdated and no longer useful materials from their collections. Developed by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
    • Weeding chart [PDF, 71 KB] This file requires the free Adobe Reader. This chart will help you as you move through weeding your collections. It focuses on specific Dewey Classifications with retention and replacement information.
  • Weeding eBooks by Alice Crosetto, As stated on Booklist Online...“Why would you weed an e-book?” might be best answered by, “Why not?” [Booklist Online, October 18, 2011]
  • Core Reference Collection: Selecting and using a a core-reference collection. Published by Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Library Development Division.
  • A Bare Bones Reference List For Small and Medium-Sized Public Libraries 2011: [PDF, 92 KB], A "Bare Bones Reference" collection offer Maine librarians, in small or medium public libraries, a starting point to assess their reference collections for breadth and depth; updated June 2011 Bare Bones.doc [Word, 204 KB]
    [Documents above are provided in PDF and Microsoft Word formats. To view PDF documents, you will need the free Adobe Reader. To view MS Word documents, you will need Microsoft Word or the free Word Viewer. If you need assistance, view our PDF Help page or contact us at (207) 287-5620]
  • Early Childhood Literacy: The building blocks of language and literacy form in the first three years of a child’s life. Find out what are the literacy behaviors and skills parents and caregivers should know and what your storytime programs should include.
  • Serving Seniors: Resources related to helping Maine libraries create and implement programs and initiatives to strengthen and improve services to the growing population of Mainers over 60.
  • Volunteers @ the Library: Are you thinking of starting a volunteer program in your library? To be sure, for a library operating on a limited budget with a small staff, volunteers can help you get more done at minimal expense. But if your volunteers are making your life harder rather than easier, then perhaps your volunteer program could use some assistance.

Sample Templates to Use

  • Job Descriptions: Sample job descriptions to facilitate writing your own or use one shared by a colleague. Share a job description.
  • Performance Appraisal and Job Evaluation Forms: Sample performance appraisals for boards to evaluate directors and directors to evaluate employees at all levels.
  • Policies: Sample policies including for readers, templates of policies, links to other libraries' policies
  • Surveys: Guidelines for designing different type surveys: things to consider when developing, designing , and distributing a survey; sample surveys

Book Reviews

  • Kids/Teens Book Reviews Blog - Read reviews from the Central Maine Library District book review committee.
  • Cream of Crop [HTML, 93 KB]; Cream [PDF, 416 KB] Books are reviewed at Southern Maine Library District monthly book review meetings by local librarians. A "Cream of the Crop" Collection of the best titles published in the previous year is prepared for the Maine Regional Library System's Reading Round-Up Conference in April. The Cream of the Crop list contains about 120 books from preschool to high school age levels. The list includes titles, authors, recommended age levels and annotations. Award books are listed on the right sidebar.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies are offered as supplements or further resources after workshops or topics of interest. [To view PDF documents, you will need the free Adobe Reader. To view MS Word documents, you will need Microsoft Word or the free Word Viewer. If you need assistance, view our PDF Help page or call 207-287-5620]