Y'all make me totally envious with the variety of programs that you do - the LEAP assessment, the ELF program - I read it all and plot how we can implement similar programs here in Texas where we face many of the same challenges.  Keep up the good work and keep putting that stuff out on the blog so I don't miss any of it.

Christopher Jowaisas, Grant Administrator
Texas State Library & Archives Commission

David Cismowski and Bill Riddle have provided me excellent customer service. As a relatively new government documents librarian, I have appreciated their help managing our federal and state depository collections. David and Bill are always very prompt and thorough in answering my questions.

David Cismowski demonstrates extraordinary professional dedication and depth of knowledge. I attended the full-day orientation that he presented in Sacramento, and his information has been invaluable in the daily, practical operation of our depository site. I have called the State Library several times for our patrons’ reference questions, and David consistently provides outstanding reference service.

David has been instrumental in bringing our depository into compliance with federal depository legal requirements. Until the most recent five years, our federal collection had gone for decades with almost no weeding. Consequently, documents were improperly stacked on the dusty floors because we did not have enough standard shelf space for them. David visited our depository site twice, offering tailored advice and systematically identifying many non-essential series that we might discard. With his expert guidance, we have gradually freed up thousands of feet in shelving that can now accommodate important documents that should be retained. David’s visits were extremely useful for collection management.

Bill Riddle has been very gracious about answering my questions about state depository operations. I particularly appreciate the way that he reviews our California disposal lists so quickly, often within a single business day if I send a short list. This is incredibly speedy service, given the tedious and detailed nature of the task. Those quick reviews are a great help in making our state depository collection (also not weeded for decades) more manageable and relevant for our patrons.

I realize that your department is operating with reduced staffing compared with previous years. Despite these challenges, please know that David Cismowski and Bill Riddle are giving outstanding service to their depository patrons.

Joy Shioshita, Government Documents Librarian
Oakland Public Library

We were able to have six staff members attend [the Association of Rural and Small Libraries Conference] and they came back enthused and energized. I have attended conferences before but always felt they were for the big libraries with big bucks and big staffs. It felt so good to be talking to libraries with our size and our issues.

The Self Service on a Budget struck a nerve and we are now moving forward with instruction classes on using the computer and our online magazine databases. We're calling it "Monday with Maurie."

We were excited by the use of the digital photo frame to show the local history pictures and we are in the process of buying one for the front desk - to advertise library events, show pictures from events, show pictures of the books being sold at librarybooksales.org, and to show covers of new titles added to the collection.

In these days of challenging budgets and no time and money the messages of George and Joan resonate loud and clear: It's more fun to rethink than to retrench. They asked "Are you thinking about doing less or doing different." We are ready to do different!

Maurie Hoekstra, County Librarian
Calaveras County Library