Are things slowing down now that summer is over? Not by a long shot! Yes, we have fewer people coming through the doors and using the computers, but we still have a lot going on. Last week we had a literary luncheon featuring author Kathy Lynn Emerson. On Tuesday we are hosting a slide presentation by Heather Perry, who was the photographer for the book "Confluence: Merrymeeting Bay" by Franklin Burroughs. Ms. Perry is also our November artist of the month. The slide show is free but please sign up so we know how many to expect. On Friday, November 9th, there will be another luncheon, with Elizabeth Rodenz, author of "Odd Ducks and Birds of a Feather."

Wednesday was our annual Halloween parade from the library to the Opera House. And of course every Friday at 10 a.m. there is story time with Miss Mary. Last week they celebrated Halloween, and the preschoolers looked adorable in their costumes. Check out our Web site for a photo. Our new program director, Barb, is using her musical talents to enhance story hour by leading the kids in singing. How fast can you sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider?" That's one of the fun things the group has been doing. Barb is also teaching them a couple of songs to share with the public at library's open house during Harbor Lights Festival on December 1st.

Last month Mary and I were able to attend a professional development workshop at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. Linda had already attended a one-day session in September at Sable Oaks in South Portland. The first day of our workshop covered MARVEL, the online resources available to every Maine resident through the library's Web site. Remember the Reader's Guide to Periodicals? Now MARVEL is the place to go for articles not only from magazines, but also reference books and other databases. The vast majority of the journals and databases available through MARVEL are not available for free on the Web and you won't get them through Google. Although we spent the whole day learning about this resource, we barely scratched the surface. We could have spent a week on it. Take a look for yourself by going to www.bmpl.lib.me.us and clicking on MARVEL, or stop in at the library.

The second day of the workshop was training on WebJunction, a global online community where library staff can share ideas through articles, blogs, and discussion boards; manage technology; and take online courses. We can attend meetings and workshops in a virtual classroom through WebJunction's LiveSpace , a web conferencing service.

These workshops, including our rooms and several delicious meals, were completely funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates support public libraries because they recognize what an important institution the public library is. The Samoset and Sable Oaks were just two of the lovely locations where the training took place. Libraries are always trying to be economical and careful with the small amount of public funding they get, and we rarely have meetings at locations as nice as these. Years ago I attended a library conference in Atlantic City, N.J. Our rooms were technically at a casino hotel, which sounds posh, but it was slated to be completely renovated. It was obvious that it was an old Howard Johnson's, chosen for its low cost. Thanks to Bill and Melinda for not only providing an opportunity for some great professional development, but enabling us to enjoy our surroundings!