They'd just finished setting up projectors to create a replica of the planetarium Thomas Jefferson had envisioned spanning the University of Virginia's Rotunda dome when Neal Curtis and Sam Lemley stopped. They looked at each other. And they decided they had to come up with a plan - immediately.

They walked into the school's Alderman Library and promised they wouldn't leave that night until they had found a way to save the old card catalogue.

So began a plan that would bring together a community of book lovers, 22,000 pounds' worth of cards and one rubber ducky.

The card catalogue was slated to be discarded during a massive library renovation. Small wonder: It hadn't been updated in two decades, it sat mostly unused, and it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to save. The catalogue is physically massive, with 4 million cards. (Four dump trucks' worth, an administrator calculated.)

But Curtis and Lemley are graduate students, researching and writing dissertations about 17th- and 18th-century literature. They had used the card catalogue extensively in a project documenting the books in the school's first library, the Rotunda. Jefferson designed the university so a library - rather than a chapel or seminary - was at its heart.

A fire in the Rotunda in 1895 left many books in ashes. Curtis, Lemley and other UVA researchers wanted to re-create a record of the volumes deemed essential in the university's founding years, and learn how the collection had been rebuilt, often through books donated by local families.

The cards sometimes included information that the school's digital records did not - typed or handwritten notes on the back detailing the books' provenance. One of the first drawers Curtis pulled out yielded a surprising find: A book about botany from the original library had been signed by one of the school's instrumental founders. And then Curtis found that the book still existed, in a special collections library at UVA - but with no record of it in the digital system.

It wasn't just the ties to Jeffersonian times that inspired them. UVA's card catalogue spanned 50 years, from the 1930s to the late 1980s. Those were tumultuous times for the nation and the university, with World War II and the civil rights movement, female and black students changing the school.

When books are permanently removed from the library, they're deleted from the digital catalogue. But the card catalogue provides "an accurate, preserved-in-amber view of what the library was in the 20th century," and what interested scholars, Lemley said.

Faculty members and others lobbied to save the catalogue. But with limited space for new books, 65 large wooden cabinets were clearly impractical. Library leaders are already on a tight schedule before work to remove asbestos begins in January. The renovation needs are sweeping - and urgent. "It's a building full of paper and students with no fire suppression," said John Unsworth, the university librarian. He laughed and added, "Except the asbestos."

It would cost the public university about $750,000 to scan the cards for a digital record, Unsworth said.

So Lemley and Curtis got to work. At Alderman late that night, they measured and calculated. They schemed and refined. And by noon the next day, they had a proposal that included the cubic feet it would take to store the contents of the cabinets, the cost per box to ship and store them, and a plan that could transport 4,000 drawers' worth of cards, in precise order, out of the library, by this coming Tuesday. Money to underwrite the effort - Unsworth pegs the cost at $75,000 - would come mainly from donors. And the labor for this gargantuan task would come from volunteers.

The card catalogue system was designed to bring order to chaos, said Peter Devereaux, the author of a book about card catalogues. The idea originated during the French Revolution, by using playing cards to catalogue libraries seized from churches and aristocrats.

By the mid-19th century, it was common for books to be catalogued on cards, said Devereaux, a writer-editor at the Library of Congress Publishing Office.

But with a surge in book publishing at the turn of the 20th century, the growing size of card catalogues was becoming a problem. The death knell came in the 1960s, with the beginnings of machine-readable data. In the 1970s, many larger libraries switched to computers and over the years, Devereaux said, a lot of card catalogues "ended up in the dumpster."

Now, people can find books swiftly, and digital catalogues are easily updated. Yet even among those who acknowledge the advantages, there are some, like Page Nelson, who worked in libraries at UVA and Harvard University, who are wistful.

"It's deadly to sit at a computer all day. It can be soul-destroying," Nelson said. But thumbing through cards in search of books is "like playing a musical instrument."

As a junior cataloger at UVA in the 1980s, it took three weeks of training to learn the layers of organization necessary, Nelson said.

Most of his time was spent working at a desk, but every Thursday afternoon, he and his colleagues would go out with 6-inch-tall stacks of cards to file them in drawers. It might sound tedious, he said, but he remembers it affectionately.

"It was a marvelous opportunity to chat with people you didn't chat with normally, flirt, have charming conversations."

Not everyone felt the charms, he acknowledged.

"There was a chap that didn't seem perfectly happy in the work," even as his co-workers admired how quickly he was able to file the cards. Then one day his assigned cards were found in a trash can. "He was," Nelson said, "the fastest filer."

UVA President Emeritus John Casteen, who is an English department faculty member, worked in Alderman as a student in the 1960s, so he knew information was written on the backs of cards. He remembered finding tomes from Jefferson's library shelved on open stacks, some getting checked out, with their historical importance unrecognized.

When he learned of the students' preservation plan, he and his wife offered financial support, triggering other gifts.

With the blessing of university leaders, volunteers - including undergraduates, professors and at least one senior administrator - began moving the cards from drawers into boxes, following a complex but orderly system. In their detailed seven-page workflow plan, Lemley and Curtis drew maps of the cabinets - which are no longer in alphabetical order - and diagrams.

"If I didn't start out with one, I definitely have an affinity for card catalogues now," Curtis said, laughing. "I don't know if it's real or forced because I have to convince myself I love these things after spending so many hours with them." By late December, he and Lemley had spent about 200 hours on the library's fifth floor, where books had been moved out for the renovation, leaving empty shelves for the boxes being filled with cards. Two-thirds done.

The scale is staggering, Lemley said; if they stacked the cards in a single pile, it would stretch more than a mile high.

Occasionally, there's a surprise. There was an electrical fuse left in one drawer. A nail clipper in another. And in the midst of a row of cards, as though marking a book, one rubber ducky.

Unsworth's surprise: "The practicality of graduate students." They took the administration's concerns seriously and came up with a viable solution, he said. "Their devotion to the cause is inspiring."

Late at night, they're packing those cards. "It feels like we're doing something important," Curtis said. "And we do have a deadline - a very real deadline. The end is near."

In the end, 798 boxes will be trucked to off-campus storage. Eventually, they will be bar-coded and housed in part of the library system so researchers can request a box, and thumb through the cards.

One wooden cabinet will stand in the new entryway to Alderman, Unsworth said, with cards chosen by Curtis and Lemley.

They already have another plan, Curtis said, inspired by Nelson and his lyrical descriptions of the cards ("every one a cuneiform clay tablet"): Over the next few months, they want to record more interviews with past catalogers and filers. They'll create an oral history of the card catalogue.

Continued here:
Coalition of book lovers rushes to save University of Virginia's 4 million-card catalogue - Richmond.com

Did you know that we have more than 29,000 items in our collection and access to thousands more through our library consortium? Here are 10 more fun facts about your Ruby Sisson library: 1. In 2019, more than 71,000 people used the librarys services. 2. We offer a multitude of free programs for all ages throughout the year. In fact, in 2019, we organized nearly 450 different programs for our patrons and visitors. 3. Our English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are offered every Tuesday at 5 p.m. and every Friday at noon. 4. Pagosa Adult Learning Services, or PALS, can help you with high school equivalency, GED, college prep and more. 5. We have 15 computers available for use by patrons and visitors. Our computers were used more than 14,000 times this year. 6. We have two specialty bilingual early learning stations for our youngest patrons and visitors. 7. We offer 34 online resources which can be accessed at any time, 24/7. 8. We are blessed with amazing volunteers who help keep the library running smoothly for you. 9. We provide many business resources including free Wi-Fi, computers, notary public and study carrels plus faxing, scanning and printing. 10. Our amazing library staff are here to help you with all of your library needs. Save the date for a new after-school club Starting next Friday, Jan. 10, a new after-school club for first- through fifth-graders will take place from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m. on the second, third and fourth Friday of every month. Participants will engage in literature-based science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) learning activities and work up to an exhibition on the first Friday following each three-week session. Registration is required by calling us at 264-2209 or dropping by the library. Avalanche awareness today Today, Thursday, Jan. 2, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Mark Mueller returns with a free avalanche awareness presentation that might save your life since avalanches are the deadliest natural hazard in Colorado. Mueller is an avalanche forecaster for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. No registration is required. Teen advisory board today Today, Thursday, Jan. 2, the teen advisory board meets from 4 to 5 p.m. Sixth- through 12th-graders are invited to bring your fun and innovative ideas to help us plan teen programs. Share an idea to pick out a free book. All-ages gaming tomorrow Join us tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 3, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. for a free all-ages gaming session where you can enjoy video gaming on Wii and Xbox 360 Kinect with your friends and family. LGBTQ youth group Monday A support group to help LGBTQ youth and young adults from age 16 to in their 20s deal with social stigma, bullying, violence, hate crimes and discrimination convenes the first Monday of every month from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Under the leadership of Ana M. Sancho Sama, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, the purpose is to provide a safe and confidential place to share experiences, ask questions and talk about how to cope in this challenging world. If you have questions, her number is 264-1986. Home-school social hour Stop by next Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 1 to 2 p.m. for a chance to visit with fellow home-school families, discuss curriculum and learning opportunities and look through resources while the kids participate in crafts and other activities. Josie, your early literacy librarian, is eager to collect ideas on how to serve home-school families in our community and get your feedback on the value of these sessions. Tween gaming Free gaming for those in the fourth through eighth grades is Monday, Jan. 6, from 4 to 5 p.m. Enjoy Xbox 360 Kinect, Wii and snacks. Teen gaming Free teen gaming happens on Tuesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for teens in the sixth through 12th grades. Enjoy Xbox 360 Kinect, Wii and snacks. Teen role-playing The free role-playing game for seventh- through 12th-graders takes place next Wednesday, Jan. 8, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Use your imagination to go on adventures and battle monsters. You can join this group any time. ESL classes twice a week Free ESL classes take place on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. The classes are led by two highly experienced teachers Joyce Holdread for the intermediate/advanced group and Ellynn Ragone for beginners. No registration is required. Las clases son dos veces por semana Las clases gratuitas de ingls como segundo idioma (ESL) ocurren los martes de 5-7 p.m. y los viernes de 12-2 p.m. Las clases son dirigidas por dos instructoras altamente experimentadas Joyce Holdread ensea al grupo intermedio/avanzado y Ellen Ragone ensea a los principiantes. No es necesario registrarse. Adult education Our free PALS accelerated GED course takes place Mondays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. Come to your library to get help from Mark with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. Family storytimes Every Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. and Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., join us for great stories, fun songs, toddler-friendly crafts and plenty of reasons to get up and move. Note the new time for Saturdays. Both storytimes are open to babies, toddlers and youngsters of all ages to make it easier for parents to attend with their children depending on their busy schedules rather than the age of their little ones. These free sessions are an excellent way for kids to have fun while building the skills they need to become independent readers. Activities calendars To be sure you dont miss any of the free activities available to you and your families at your library, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the events calendar each month. There are three versions kids, tweens/teens and adults. We look forward to seeing you at your library. Se habla espanol. How-to and self-help How Not to Diet by Dr. Michael Greger discusses the latest research on the leading causes of and remedies for obesity. The CBD Handbook contains more than 75 recipes and tips on how to get the most out of your CBD oil of choice. Beer Hiking Colorado is a guide to 50 craft breweries and amazing hikes in our state. The revised and expanded second edition of What To Eat During Cancer Treatment by Jeanne Besser and Barbara L. Grant with the American Cancer Society offers more than 120 simple recipes to help you cope with eating-related side effects. The revised and updated fourth edition of Solo Guitar Playing 1 by Frederick M. Noad is a complete course of instruction in the techniques of guitar performance. Early learning books Lets Play by Jeff A. Johnson and Denita Dinger provides 39 child-led, open-ended play adventures. The Outdoor Toddler Activity Book by Krissy Bonning-Gould takes your youngster outside for more than a hundred fun learning activities. Game On! by Linda J. Armstrong is a collection of more than 300 screen-free, traditional games and activities with a variety of fun themes. Do-It-Yourself Early Learning by Jeff A. and Tasha A. Johnson gives you ideas for easy and fun activities and toys from everyday home center materials. Other nonfiction Free, Melania by Kate Bennett is the unauthorized biography of the First Lady. Migrating to Prison by Csar Cuauhtmoc and Garcia Hernndez documents the increasing use of detention to regulate immigration. Your Personal Horoscope 2020 by Joseph Polansky is a month-by-month forecast for every sign. Books on CD Double Crossfire by Anthony J. Tata follows a killing spree aimed at getting a presidential hopeful elected. The Seven Longest Yards by Chris and Emily Norton is an inspiring love story and memoir after a quadriplegic walked across his graduation stage with his fiance by his side. Large print Beating Around the Bush by M.C. Beaton is an Agatha Raisin mystery. Other novels Under Occupation by Alan Furst is a spy novel telling of anti-Nazi espionage efforts. DVDs Game of Thrones is the complete eighth season. Falling Skies is the complete first season. Two Falling Skies DVDs carry the complete second and third seasons. Though None Go With Me starts Cheryl Ladd and is based on the bestselling book about a woman whose faith is tested. The Natural is a sports film starring Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and Kim Basinger. Big Sonia is a documentary about a woman who revisits her past as a refugee and witness to genocide. The Snow Walker is a tale of survival after a plane crash. Downloadable e-books Current New York Times bestseller downloadable e-books are being added regularly to our free 3M Cloud Library. Access them by clicking on the 3M Cloud Library icon on the home page of our website. While there, browse through a multitude of other adult, juvenile and childrens books, both bestsellers and classics in many genres. Downloadable films For your viewing pleasure, we offer IndieFlix, a free streaming movie service that gives you unlimited access to more than 7,500 award-winning and popular independent shorts, feature films and documentaries from more than 50 countries on your device, PC or Mac, with no apps needed. Access IndieFlix through the Downloadable Content icon on the librarys website. Use Quick Pick, the discovery tool that lets you sample movies like you would music. Thanks to our donors For their generous monetary donations, we are grateful to Rick and Lynne Stinchfield, David Bouquet, Rice Reavis and Deb Morton. For books and materials this week, we thank our anonymous donors. Quotable quote Thought for the new year: Always have enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor. Paul Hawken, American environmentalist, entrepreneur, author and activist. Website For more information on library books, services and programs and to reserve books, e-books, CDs and DVDs from the comfort of your home please visit our website at pagosalibrary.org.

Follow these topics: Library, Library News, Lifestyle, Top Stories

By Carole Howard, Library News

More here:
Fun facts about your library as we start the new year - Pagosa Springs Sun

Members of the Friends of the Cody Library recently festooned the library for the holidays.

Then, with the help of our building and grounds crew, they will take it all away again. FOCL always supports the library in a myriad of ways.

Volunteers staff the FOCL bookstore and regularly stock the shelves with gently used donated books.

Funds raised in the bookstore are dedicated to meeting the unfunded needs of the library. Programming costs, especially Summer Reading performers, are underwritten by FOCL. The organization has purchased shelving in every department of the library except for the reference section. The large print book nook was made possible by FOCL.

The bookstore offers DVDs, CD audiobooks and music CDs for only $1 each. Hard cover books in good condition and that are newer than 2011 sell for $2. Fiction and nonfiction books published in 2005 or later cost $1. Paperbacks cost 50 cents and childrens books are the real bargain for one quarter of a dollar.

Childrens librarian Holly Baker says library staff has been celebrating annual appreciation dinners with the members for many years. The Friends of the Cody Library could never be thanked enough. Baker said. Their tireless work and dedication means library staff is able to go above and beyond in service to our patrons. Cody kids greatly benefit from their generosity year-round. Most recently, this included Christmas gifts they purchased for hundreds of students.

I am thankful beyond words for these amazing volunteers. They make the Cody Library great.

Former reference librarian Nicholle Gerharter has accepted the Cody library manager position. Her new duties begin Jan. 1.

The Pointe Caf is due to open shortly after the first of the year.

From the reference librarian

Supporting continuing education and lifelong learning is a key value of your public library. While people once took correspondence courses via the mail, more and more students are taking classes online. Sometimes, those online classes require students to take tests in a neutral location and under observation.

We offer that proctoring service for no charge. For more information, stop by or contact Nicholle Gerharter, (307) 527-1880 or at ngerharter@parkcountylibrary.org.

Library programs are free and open to the public.

Artist Marie Shirley-Jones lunch and learn talk, noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15. Shirley-Jones is a retired art teacher from Red Lodge, Mont. Her fiber art panel depicting Plains Indian women was featured at the library in December. Participants are welcome to bring a lunch.

The first meeting of the Reading the West book club will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. Blizzard 1949 by Roy Alleman will be discussed. The next book, Black 14: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Wyoming Football by Ryan Thorburn will be available for the Feb. 25 discussion.

Leap Into Your Library, 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, is a celebration of community arts including speakers, childrens activities and authors produced by the Park County Library Foundation free for all ages.

Board games on Tuesdays.

Homeschool hour, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Homework hour, 4-5 p.m. Thursdays. No computer gaming during this quiet time.

Learn to play chess, 3:30-5 p.m. Fridays, Jan. 3, 10 and 24.

Movie afternoon, 2:30-4 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17.

Wits and Wisdom - a place especially for seniors, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Did you get a new device for Christmas? Bring it in and learn about its abilities.

Cards, anyone? 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.

Computer and phone help, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Knitting, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Thursdays.

Computer help, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.

In the childrens library

CRC Playgroup for ages 18-36 months with parent or caregiver, 10-11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 17.

Cardinals and Winter Wildlife art class with Mrs. Bacon, limited to 20 artists in grades K-5, 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23.

Read to a Dog, for readers of all ages proven to improve fluency. Book a 15 minute session with a good listener, 3:45-4:45 p.m. Tuesdays.

Sleepy Time stories for the whole family, come for the best new books and stay for milk and cookies, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6.

Toddler Time for ages 1-4, with parent or caregiver, 10-10:20 a.m. Mondays.

Story Time for all ages, stories based on a theme accompanied by games, songs and craft projects, 10-10:45 a.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Homeschool hour, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Crafternoons, with Take or Make craft kits, snacks, games and books. Enjoy a screen-free afternoon, 3-8 p.m. Thursdays.

Excerpt from:
Friends of the Cody Library gift their time - Cody Enterprise

The John and Judy Gay Public Library will be temporarily closed for construction starting Jan. 6, according to the city. (courtesy city of McKinney)

The library will reopen Jan. 13 with limited offerings through early February.

During this time, the library will be undergoing work towards an expansion that will add more than 15,000 square feet onto the existing 20,437-square-foot building. This includes additional teen, adult and toddler areas as well as two multipurpose rooms, over 3,000 square feet of outdoor program space, and 148 additional parking spaces.

Right now, everything is still on schedule, McKinney Director of Libraries Spencer Smith said.

The expansion project began in April and is expected to be complete by May.

We anticipate our opening celebration at the end of May [or the] first week of June, Smith said in an email.

The rest is here:
John and Judy Gay Library to temporarily close during expansion work - Community Impact Newspaper

Details Published: 01 January 2020 Written by Melissa Hartman - Staff Writer/melissah@latc.com

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier

Friends of the Library volunteers congregate outside the 330-square-foot portable theyve been using to sort books since they were displaced from the Hillview Community Center by construction there. The portable is located beside the Hillview Soccer Field in the Los Altos Library parking lot.

The Los Altos City Council last month granted the ad hoc committee charged with finding space for Friends of the Library of Los Altos more time to come up with a solution that will allow the nonprofit group to continue operations while the new community center is under construction.

Friends whose volunteers sort, store and sponsor used-book sales to raise funds for the libraries worked out of 1,000 square feet of classroom space at Hillview Community Center for 44 years, before the center was razed in October to make way for the new Los Altos Community Center, expected to be completed in December.

City officials informed Friends of the Library in 2018 that there would be no space for the group at the new center.

The ad hoc committee comprising two city staff members, two council members, librarian Marlene Iwamoto, two Friends representatives and a representative of the Los Altos History Museum found a short-term solution for the nonprofit group, which contributes approximately $150,000 annually in books and gifts to the Los Altos main and Woodland Branch libraries.

Friends volunteers and board members proposed two sheds on approximately 500 square feet of land at the Los Altos Civic Center between the police station and the History Museum, but city staff, led by City Manager Chris Jordan, recommended that Friends be allowed to place only one portable approximately 330 square feet in size near the Hillview Soccer Field. After the Los Altos City Council approved Jordans proposal, Friends appealed to the Santa Clara County Library District, which operates the Los Altos Library, for extra storage and sorting space. County administrators approved the temporary setup.

City officials asked the ad hoc committee to return to the council by the end of 2019 with a long-term solution for Friends, a group that has been around for more than 60 years. Since July, the committee has met five times and failed to reach a consensus. Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins wondered why.

Mayor Jan Pepper and Councilwoman Lynette Lee Eng, who both serve on the ad hoc committee, differed in their opinions on the state of the committees progress.

Lee Eng said the committee agreed that Friends could change its business model by considering space that is not at the civic center for a new, permanent location. Pepper took issue with Lee Engs assertion, denying all members shared that perspective and noting that Friends members have consistently lamented that moving from the civic center campus would require overhauling the way the group operates.

A major part of the discussion, Pepper said, centered on how to fairly assign space at the civic center given competing interests, as well as how to encourage the entities represented on the committee to continue to do good work.

Or how to pick our favorite child? Bruins summarized, acknowledging that Friends request for civic center space conflicted with the museums interest in placing a garage with glass doors to showcase three historical cars.

Pepper and Lee Eng represented two opposing camps on the committee, according to a committee member affiliated with Friends who asked not to be named. He told the Town Crier that Pepper favored a committee vote on a recommendation, but Lee Eng was nervous that her plan to advise Friends to change its business model would not garner a majority vote and therefore would not win.

To put that in the context of winning, whos winning in (this situation)? he said.

To break the impasse, Pepper requested that the committee make a chart outlining the Friends operation: preprocessing, pricing and sorting, warehousing and sales. Red lines with arrows showed the tasks Friends believed would be difficult to complete offsite, such as transporting books from the Woodland Branch to the donation closet approximately 5,000 books are received a week, the unidentified Friends member said. The majority of Friends volunteers are retired, and many active members are seniors. Moving operations across town would necessitate hiring employees and purchasing a truck to haul materials from location to location costs that, including preparation of the new site, could add up to $450,000.

Friends has money, the committee member said, but if the group were hit with such fees, it would not be able to contribute to the library at all, which would mean no funding for speakers, workshops and stocking the best-seller shelves.

We offered many times to have them come on over, well show you what we do, but no (staff or council) ever picked us up on that, he said.

At the ad hoc committees December meeting, members debated four options: two on-site spots (leaving Friends where it is near the soccer field or placing a portable on the Los Altos Youth Center patio) and two off-site spots (Rosita Park or the Woodland Branch).

Suzanne Epstein, director of the Friends executive board, is looking ahead at finding a permanent home for the organization, but she cant help but look back at decisions made last year in preparation for Hillviews closure.

She alleged that Jordan and his staff asked Friends not to request classroom space in the new community center, assuring members that space would be allocated somewhere else on the civic center campus. In an effort to be supportive, Friends didnt challenge Jordans plan, Epstein said, but members began to worry when they heard nothing from him and meetings with his office were postponed.

A few months before the center was demolished, Jordan met with Friends and told members that after more than four decades at the civic center, they were out of luck.

When reached by the Town Crier, Jordan said he never made Friends any promises.

That argument aside, Friends is struggling in its current space. The portable is not heated most volunteers wear gloves to protect them from the winter cold and its crowded. The allotted space inside the main library is also small, and losing that space would mean approximately $1,500 less in ongoing book-sale revenue each week, according to Friends members.

By doing all this, its kind of creating kind of ill feelings amongst some people working there, Epstein said of Friends volunteers. We are driving away some really dedicated people.

A handful of longtime Friends volunteers have already walked away, Epstein said, feeling betrayed by the city for not providing on-site space like every other city in Santa Clara County. Jordan contested that, noting that the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries is housed in a different building (the Saratoga Historical Park, a six-minute drive from the main library).

The ad hoc committee is slated to meet again Jan. 17, but Friends has scheduled its own meeting Jan. 8 in the Orchard Room of the main library, open to all, to solicit feedback on how to prepare for relocation, whether off-site or on the civic center campus.

I believe we could make it work off-site, but it would not be nearly as enjoyable, said Margaret Brooks, president of the Friends executive board. Its a hell of a lot more work for a lot less money.

In advance of the meeting, Friends sent the Town Crier an embargoed letter that will go out to members Thursday weighing the pros and cons of courses of action to take if the council votes to place the group off-site. The possibilities range from accepting the new location, investing in facilities and equipment, and continuing operations by hiring employees to transport books to transferring all funds to the Los Altos Library Endowment and terminating the Friends.

We are doing preparatory work to (determine) if we fold, if we try to have a smaller operation or what, Epstein said. Theres a serious question of, Wow, is this the end of the Friends of the Library?

Friends members formed a communications team to help educate members and encourage an informed dialogue. All hope is not lost, Brooks said.

To weigh in on the Friends options for relocation, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Read more here:
Won't you be my neighbor?: Friends of the Library asks to stay at civic center after committee fails to agree on long-term plan - Los Altos Town Crier

As the holidays roll on in a wave of winter cheer, family gatherings and financial drain, the library is a great place to escape. Cozying up with the latest Lee Child books under one of the Moscow Public Librarys picturesque windows can help you forget about the burnt turkey and your mother-in-laws critique. Armed with the adventures of Jack Reacher, you can bring the calm of the library home with you.

Here at the Moscow Public Library, you can take home more than just a few paperbacks (although books are great). With our Curiosity Collection, patrons can check out anything from a portable sewing machine to a working telescope.

The Curiosity Collection includes three categories: Voyager Kits, Maker Kits, and Itty Bitty Brain Boxes. Voyager Kits are for patrons of all ages who want to learn a new skill or improve on an old one. Maker Kits focus on technology, art and science. Itty Bitty Brain Boxes are for our youngest patrons and their families to learn about new worlds through interactive books, toys and games.

During the holidays, these hands-on, librarian-curated kits are a perfect way to vanish from family visitors or include them in the fun. Hey, you might even learn how to not burn turkey and bond with your mother-in-law. (Results may vary.)

Checking out a kit from the Curiosity Collection is as simple as bringing your library card to the front desk or requesting a kit online with your Valnet account. The kits may not always be on display, but they are available for checkout.

Turn the tables on grandma and knit her a sweater this year. Learn to crochet, knit, use a yarn swift, card-weave or sew by borrowing a crafty Voyager Kit. Each kit includes a how-to booklet and the tools youll need to get started including yarn, knitting needles or crochet hooks, fabrics, threads and a mini, portable sewing machine to bring anywhere the holidays may take you.

In case indoor crafts arent your thing, outdoor Voyager Kits might be a better fit. Check out one of the librarys two telescopes one for beginners and children and the other for adults and experienced kids. For a daytime outdoor activity, you can borrow our bird-watching kit, complete with youth and adult binoculars, a backpack, and a birdwatching guide. Pretend its not winter and take home a bicycle repair kit or a HappyLight to fight off the winter blues with light therapy.

If youre the entertainer of the family, Check out our Learn to Juggle Kit or our How to Play Ukulele or Piano Kit. For a last-minute gift, grab our Learn to Make Cookies Kit everyone loves cookies, right? The kit includes rolling pins, cookie cutters, measuring cups and a cookbook (ingredients not included, sorry).

The library has three different Rokus with limited content for children, teens and adults. If TV is too old school, try our Virtual Reality Kits. Download the VR app, slide your smartphone into the headset, and encounter dinosaurs, outer space and speedy roller coasters firsthand. Supposing you need WiFi to download the VR app, we even have mobile hotspots for check out.

Virtual reality and mobile hotspots are cool, but wouldnt you like to build your own technology? Our Maker Kits give kids and adults the opportunity to create something entirely new. The library offers LittleBits Kits and Arduino Kits that let patrons experiment with easy-to-use hardware and software for tasks as simple as turning on a light or as complex as building a digital device.

Take home our Raspberry Pi, a credit-card sized computer that plugs into a monitor or TV and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. Beginning engineers can check out a 3-D printer pen or one of our Ozobot Kits, which includes a little robot that follows hand drawn lines.

For our smallest patrons and their families, our new Itty Bitty Brain Boxes are the perfect post-holiday adventure. With themes like dinosaurs, underwater and outer space, these kits include puzzles and building blocks to accompany the tales within.

This holiday season and beyond, take home a Curiosity Collection Kit and create your own stories.

Rosemary Anderson is a member of the Moscow Library Circulation Department.

Read more:
At the Library: Get curious: Latah County Library offers more than just books to all ages - Moscow-Pullman Daily News

By SHERYL HART

Williamsburg Area

Public Library

Did you know the library has a large selection of paperbacks of many genres?

Sometimes there are occasions when we all need reading material for vacations, doctor's appointments, dining alone, etc. This is when a paperback fills the bill.

Sometimes we look through the stacks of the library and can't find the title or the author we are in the mood to read. Check out the paperback section. Just maybe what is needed is in that section.

This paperback section is like a kaleidoscope of titles, rotating in and out, changing periodically as we receive donations.

For those who like romance novels, inspirational romance novels they are here. For those like mysteries, both the cozies and the suspense, there are plenty to choose from.

Historical series, westerns, Amish stories, classical fiction, spy thrillers also fill these shelves.

You will find your favorite authors such as Patterson, Roberts, Steel, Child, Brunstetter, Macomber and we even have a series of Shakespeare's plays.

You might also find an author you have not heard of or read previously. It is not possible for a library to purchase every work of every author, so here is where the lesser-knowns might pop up for a change of pace. If you want to read more of that author, we can request other titles from our inter-library loan program.

How do these books get here? Why do the titles rotate? We get most of our paperbacks as donations from patrons. They rotate because the shelf space is limited and paperbacks show wear somewhat quickly. Here is where patrons are our best source. If you pick up a paperback for a quick read, or have read through a series and are looking for somewhere to re-home your copies, we will take them. We just ask that the books be in good condition, from smoke-free, mold-free environments.

So, next time you stop by the library, look over our paperback section. You may take as many as you wish and keep them for a month. They do not go through our regular checkout system.

As a local store advertises, "You won't find everything, but you might find anything!"

Originally posted here:
Books to Borrow Williamsburg Library Recommends - Morrisons Cove Herald

By Abby Spegman

The Olympian

New year, new rules?

Jan. 1 will bring changes to local life. Here are some things to watch out for.

Timberland goes fine-free

Timberland Regional Librarys board voted in December to stop charging fines for late returns starting Jan. 1. Existing fines for late returns will also be wiped out in the new year.

The change does not affect fines for lost or damaged items. Due dates will still apply; items overdue more than 28 days will be considered lost and the user will be charged a replacement fee if he or she doesnt return the item.

The move is meant to encourage people who are staying away because they owe money to come back to the libraries. It comes as other library systems throughout the country are dropping fines in hopes of increasing circulation.

The Nisqually Valley News reports fines were expected to bring in $242,000 in 2019, down about 10 percent from the previous year thanks to the rise of digital checkouts that return automatically.

Timberland Regional Library serves Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties with more than two dozen branches.

Also in 2020, the library plans to reopen the Olympia branch, which has been closed since November for renovations, in early February. The Lacey branch is slated to close for renovations in the fall.

Olympia transit stops collecting fares

Something else that wont cost you money in 2020: riding Intercity Transit. At least, not when you get on a bus.

IT, which offers bus service throughout Thurston County, will stop collecting fares on buses Jan. 1. The change also applies to Dial-A-Lift, a door-to-door service for people with disabilities.

Voters in 2018 approved a sales tax increase to fund what IT leaders billed as transformational changes for the system, including ways to speed up service.

IT says fares currently net less than 2 percent of its operating revenue, while replacing an outdated fare collection system would cost at least $1 million.

Coming later in 2020: a new route to serve growing northeast Lacey. Route 65/Hawks Prairie is scheduled to begin March 22 and will connect with existing high-frequency service on Martin Way and at the Lacey Transit Center.

Curbside recycling cuts glass in Olympia

Glass and plastic coated cartons will no longer be accepted in Olympias curbside recycling bins starting Jan. 1. While glass can be dropped off at collection sites, the cartons should go in the trash, the city says.

The changes are only for city of Olympia customers. LeMays curbside recycling in Thurston County will continue to accept glass in separate bins.

Olympias changes are linked to Chinas recently crackdown on imported recyclables, which decreased the value of materials and made recycling more expensive. They come at the request of Pioneer Recycling Services, which sorts recyclables collected in Olympia and other Thurston County cities.

Olympia plans to collect glass bottles and jars at three locations starting Jan. 1: at Yauger Park on Alta Street Southwest on the west side, at the citys drop-off recycling center on 10th Avenue Southeast, and at Concrete Recyclers on Black Lake Boulevard Southwest in Tumwater.

Glass already is accepted at the countys Waste and Recovery Center in Hawks Prairie.

City officials have said they expect to save $90,000 to $170,000 a year by collecting glass at drop-off sites.

Car seats, tobacco and minimum wage

State laws going into effect Jan. 1 include stricter car seat regulations and an increase in the minimum wage.

Starting Jan. 1, children under 2 years old must be in a rear-facing car seat, while children ages 2 to 4 must be in a car seat with a harness. Children who are older than 4 and who have outgrown a car seat must use a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall.

The minimum wage will increase from $12 to $13.50 an hour, the last of four increases that voters approved via ballot measure back in 2016.

Lastly, a state law raising the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 goes into effect Jan. 1, days after a federal law already effectively raised the age.

Congress inserted a provision raising the purchase age into an emergency spending bill signed by the president Dec. 20. That went into effect immediately.

The change comes as teens report growing use of vaping products with nicotine. Thurston County Public Health and Social Services reports one in three Thurston County high school seniors use vaping products, according to a 2018 survey, and kids who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.

Continued here:
Fine-free libraries, zero-fare Olympia buses and other changes coming to region in 2020 - The Daily World

The story of the lost canoe, dance theater and a journal workshop are among the weekends activities on the North Olympic Peninsula.

Information also is available on the interactive calendar at peninsuladailynews.com/calendar.

SEQUIM

Guild to meet

SEQUIM Lolly Golden and Susan Cleaves will present Rug Hooking Across the Globe at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Knoll will address a monthly meeting of the North Olympic Shuttle and Spindle Guild in the meeting rooms at Sequim Community Church, 950 N. Fifth Ave.

Spinners, weavers, felters and other fiber enthusiasts are invited to attend the free meeting.

For more information, contact Kathy Martin at 303-638-2169, [emailprotected] or visit nossg.org.

Genealogy meeting

SEQUIM Priscilla Hudson will present The History of the Lost Canoe at a meeting of the Clallam County Genealogical Society from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

The society will meet at the Dungeness Schoolhouse, 2741 Towne Road.

The meeting will begin with a potluck social, followed by Hudsons presentation about the mysterious wooden canoe that was displayed for years at Pioneer Memorial Park in Sequim.

The public is invited to attend this free meeting.

For more information, call 360-417-5000, email [emailprotected] or visit clallamcogs.org.

Build-It program

SEQUIM The North Olympic Library System will host a childrens Build-It program from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The program will be at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.

Participants can build their own creations using the librarys Lego bricks and are encouraged to write a story about the creation.

The free program is open to the public. Children younger than 8 should be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

For more information, call Jennifer Knight at 360-417-8500, ext. 7733, email [emailprotected] or visit nols.org.

VFW dance

SEQUIM A free public dance is set from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760 hall.

The VFW hall is at 169 E. Washington St.

Jerrys Western Swing will perform classic country hits from the 50s and 60s.

Pancake breakfast

SEQUIM A pancake breakfast is planned from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

The meal will be served at the Sequim Prairie Grange, 290 Macleay Road.

Breakfast will include eggs, ham and hotcakes, all you can eat, with homemade applesauce, coffee or tea.

The meal costs $7 per person, $3 for children younger than 10. Proceeds benefit the grange building fund.

For more information, call 360-582-0100.

Sunday breakfast

SEQUIM The Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday.

The meal is served at Post 4760, 169 E. Washington St. The meal costs $6 per person and is open to the public.

The menu includes blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice and coffee.

For more information, visit vfwpost4760.com.

Elks bingo

SEQUIM Sequim Elks will host bingo games from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Games will be at the Sequim Elks lodge, 143 Port Williams Road.

Admission is free with a minimum buy-in of $10. Players must be 18 years or older.

Proceeds will go to Elks scholarship programs, other charities and lodge operating expenses.

For more information, call Crystal Parker at 360-683-3034.

Dance concert

SEQUIM Sequim Elks will host a dance and concert from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

The dance is at the Elks Lodge, 143 Port Williams Road.

Music will be performed by the The OrcaStraitors, including both old standards and new standards.

Admission is $10 per person, $8 for Elks members.

For more information, call Lance Staub at 360-460-9608 or email [emailprotected].

PORT TOWNSEND

Dance theater

PORT TOWNSEND Bill Evans, Don Halquist and special guest Claire Porter will perform dance theater at 7 tonight and at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Celebrate the Comic and Poignant Genius of Claire Porter! will be at the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St.

Advance tickets to Celebrate are available at keycitypublictheatre.org or 360-385-5278 and range from $12 for students to $20 general.

Creation supporter passes, which include an invitation to a reception with the artists Saturday afternoon, are $40.

Come performance time, any remaining seats will be sold on a pay-what-you-can basis at the door 30 minutes before showtime.

PORT ANGELES

Journal workshop

PORT ANGELES Sarah Jane will lead a New Years Journal Workshop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. The workshop will be at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd.

Participants will be able to create tiny personal journals to set intentions and record reflections for 2020.

The evening will include time for personal reflection and for group sharing.

Tickets are $10 per journal and can be purchased online at pafac.org.

For more information, call the center at 360-457-3532 or email [emailprotected].

Contra dance

PORT ANGELES Lindsey Dono will call a contra dance at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Requested donation is $8 per person, $4 for youths younger than 18 years.

The dance will be at the Black Diamond Community Hall, 1942 Black Diamond Road.

Music will be provided by Kate Powers and David Rivers.

A free dance lesson will be offered at 7 p.m. to those who have paid admission to the dance.

The dance starts at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit blackdiamonddance.org.

Dancing program

PORT ANGELES The Sons of Norway will host a dancing program from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The program will be held at Scandia Hall, 131 W. Fifth St.

The program includes Scandinavian, swing, ballroom and folk dancing. A lesson will be held at 6:30 p.m.

The public is invited, no partner is needed. Families and all ages are welcome.

Suggested donation is $3. Refreshments will follow the dancing.

For more information, call 360-457-7035 or 360-452-6334.

JOYCE

Benefit breakfast

JOYCE A benefit breakfast is planned from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday.

The meal will be served at the Crescent Bay Lions Clubhouse, 181 Holly Hill Road.

The Secords will perform live music during the meal.

The menu includes pancakes, French toast, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, breakfast meats and beverages.

The meal costs $7 per person, $4 for children. Proceeds go to the Crescent Bay Lions for community programs and scholarships.

Read the original post:
Lost canoe talk, dance theater, journal workshop set this weekend - Peninsula Daily News

Residents of Hunterdon County no longer have to sacrifice the comfort of their bedrooms to enter a room carrying books that number in the thousands.

The Hunterdon County Library has digitized the concept of a physical reading room through the creation of specialized eReading Rooms, through which library card holders can browse and borrow over 5,000 Romance, Kids, Mystery or Teen ebooks or audiobooks from any major computer, tablet or mobile device.

Courtesy

Libby Explore page

Within the eReading rooms, each of these genres are broken down into a sub-genre to better direct readers to the source material for which they are searching.

For example, the Romance eReading Room includes titles categorized under New Romance, Highlander Romance and Paranormal Romance.

Courtesy

Paranormal Romance titles

All Hunterdon County residents with library cards can access these rooms from their own technological devices.

They can also access them via desktops available at any one of the three county libraries located in Clinton, Ringoes and Flemington or its seven affiliate libraries located in Bunnvale, Frenchtown, High Bridge, Holland, Readington, Tewksbury and Three Bridges.

The eReading Rooms are accessed through Libby, the one-tap reading application developed from OverDrive.

Courtesy

Libby landing page

According to Cortney Frank, emerging technologies librarian for the Adult Service Department at the county library headquarters in Flemington, eReading Rooms add more of a personal touch to the digital borrowing experience.

(It) mimics a physical space for you to be able to walk through and browse," Frank said. The digital checkouts are the same as the physical checkouts would be. (The eReading Rooms) treat the books like a physical item thats in your possession.

This personal touch is dually apparent in the weeks that Frank, who began working as a librarian for the county headquarters location in September, committed to creating the eReading Rooms.

Prior to launching the eReading Rooms in mid-October, Frank ran reports compiling lists of available ebooks and audiobooks and altered their organization to manually categorize them into the appropriate genres and sub-genres.

I took a look at what we have and tried to figure out a way to divvy it up and to service it to our patrons in a way that made sense and thats easy to digest," Frank said. It takes a little bit of extra legwork to place things in their categories, but I feel that its effective on the user-end, because you could just see everything that appeals to you, and browse, and find what youre looking for.

Frank added that she would also make adjustments if the reports seemed incomplete, or if they lacked various notable titles.

If I take a look at that list and I say, 'I think were missing some heavy hitters here, I can go back and manually add things (to the eReading Room)," Frank said.

The creation of the eReading Rooms mirrors the increasing number of Hunterdon County residents taking advantage of the libraries resources. The number of yearly checkouts from the county libraries and their affiliates has increased from 24,678 in 2014 to 76,671 in 2019, and, in the same timeframe, users borrowing books digitally from 4,539 to 18,596.

These numbers illustrate Franks description of digital lending as a growing trend that continues to gather momentum.

The day I rolled out the eReading Rooms, people were borrowing from it, Frank said. And as were promoting it more and spending a little bit more time on it, people are noticing, and theyre checking out more stuff. So its really gratifying to me to see how instant the response is."

Assistant Director for the Hunterdon County Library headquarters location Jennifer Winberry partially credited the success of the eReading Rooms to county residents increasing reluctance to physically check out books.

The big piece is you have to return (the book). You have to bring it back here, Winberry said.

Echoing Winberry, Frank described the digital borrowing experience as frictionless.

You can do it from home, you can do it without talking to anyone, and then, at the end of the lending period, this item just disappears from your device. We pull it back," Frank said.

Courtesy

Libby notifications page

According to Frank, the universal accessibility of eReading Rooms is especially enticing to homebound individuals.

Ive talked on the phone with people who physically arent able to come in anymore, but who are still avid readers," Winberry said. So I always ask, What is it that you like reading? Do I have your authors? Do I have what youre interested in? And if I dont, then I try to place orders that will satisfy their needs, and Ill go over the steps with them.

Winberry added that the eReading Rooms have the additional benefit of being available to users 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

(The eReading Rooms) are always open," Winberry said. "When we close early for snow, or on a day were not open, or midnight when youre up with the baby, theyre available.

While expressing an interest in increasing the number of books available in the eReading Rooms, Frank emphasized that their expansion is strictly dependent on whether or not there is an increasing demand for it from readers.

Demand is illustrated by the librarys holds list, or a list monitoring physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks requested by county residents that are either not available or accessible through the library or are currently checked out by other individuals.

So as (the eReading Rooms) gain popularity and we see more holds numbers that are really through the roof, then well have to figure out how to accommodate that in our budget and how to add more titles to the service, Frank explained.

Frank urged Hunterdon County residents interested in improving library resources including and beyond the eReading Rooms to complete the librarys online survey.

(The survey) is a big deal. I want to know, Am I picking titles that youre interested in? Is there something more that I could do to meet your needs? Frank said. I really can only cater to people who tell me what they want.

Despite her eagerness to better serve the public, Frank expressed her belief that the addition of digital content resources like eReading Rooms demonstrate a big piece of that.

Theres no late fees, theres no risk. So it really is just easy. The whole thing is intended to just be completely seamless and simple, Frank said.

Caroline Fassett can be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com.

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See the original post here:
Hunterdon County Library welcomes digital borrowers to its new online reading rooms - NJ.com