A 21-gun salute to Marshall Public Library's director, Michael A. Doellman for innovation in team-building. Doellman stated "As Director I'm always looking for ways to build staff cohesion, better staff relations, improve self-confidence, and I long ago took them out of their individual "comfort zones." But to make a good team better -- how?

Ages in the supervisors run from 42 to 63, some have physical problems such as arthritis and breast-cancer-survival, and let's face it -- sitting around a table discussing how you would survive in the desert or Arctic is boring (surviving in reality isn't, but talking about it with little or no possibility of actually ever doing so is). And I myself immediately ruled out firewalking."

For those with an interest in the details, the "Raid Jackets" came from Overdue Media and are worn at parades and important meetings. A training package was developed of about 12 hours of materials on the basics of target pistol: parts of the gun, the difference between different types, and extensive inservicing on safety. .22 caliber (or elsewhere in the world, calibre) Ruger Mark II or Mark III target pistols or Browning Buck Mark pistols were used on an approved training range.

Advice was provided by four Olympic-class pistol shooters, including one who is a System Administrator for a public library system in Wyoming. And before the purists and bean-counters start having fits, no taxpayer money was spent. Each participant paid USD 3.00 to use the range.

Interestingly, two members of the group have since purchased their own pistol ...

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Alert and interested WLW reader Marc Harrison, catching up with back issues, found the our Spring Shoes article in our 2005 archives. Harrison actually owns a pair of these shoes, and is wondering if anyone else does.

Marc has had the shoes for over 10 years, and wonders where they came from. He lives in Brisbane, Queensland, is not a librarian, and produces pottery that is sold in places such as MoMA.

Sorry, we don't know his marital status or his favorite color or star sign, but his website is www.husque.com if anyone can give him any more information on the springed shoes ...

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The Salem News reports that former Library Director Shirley Raynard began pushing for a library expansion 30 years ago; the results of her persistance will be on view on November 8.

Seems a shame though that the expansion will be stocked by donation. The Salem News is a little ambiguous when it says that "Librarians are organizing the last of more than 40,000 books, movies and other materials as volunteers wrap up a $600,000 donation drive for the town's revamped Flint Public Library."

So, did they collect money, then buy the stuff; or is all the stuff other folks' chuck-outs? Typical of the mainstream press - no clear, concise, language. Admittedly, fewer spelling mistakes, or as we in the industry say "typesetting abhorations" ...

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John Jasonek, executive director of the Clark County Education Association is 'looking' at cuts of $32 million to its administrative budget, according to the the Las Vegas Sun.

Obviously, a fantastic place to start would be reducing the number of directors and assistant directors, and their personal assistants and their Pool Secretaries who are expendable, although they probably wouldn't agree.

But they're not going to (cut from the top, that is). You guessed it. They're looking at getting rid of librarians at the middle and high school level. Geez, after all, our kids are already information literate and know the URL of Google and everything. And let's not forget that Las Vegas is struggling to make ends meet, right? ...

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