Posts by Cari
Read On! Interlibrary Loan
We try to always have what our patrons are looking for, but with the amount of works being published it’s an impossible goal to achieve. Luckily, hope is not lost when the book or movie you’re looking for is not in our collection! We have two options for you: 1) you can request that we purchase the item and add it to the collection; or 2) you can request an inter-library loan (ILL).
The decision on whether to purchase items our patrons request is made based on whether other patrons will want to check the items out in addition to consideration for expense and availability. We like to get what our patrons want, so requesting items is a good way to make sure your needs are met.
There is no decision to be made on our part about an ILL. For this process (which does have a postage fee of $3 per item), we simply ask another library to loan us the item you’ve requested so that we can loan it to you. If it is possible for us to get the item you want or need from another library, we will do everything in our power to do so.
Jacinda is our inter-library loan guru and has doggedly tracked down many items that our patrons thought were unfindable. Self-published books often difficult to find, but beyond those we have really great luck getting what you need from another library. We even had a loan come to us from the Library of Congress. We do about 100 ILLs per year, most of them are borrowing items for our patrons. Occasionally, another library will ask us for something, but because our collection is relatively small that doesn’t happen too often.
Requesting an ILL is fairly easy. Once you know the item you need is not in our collection, you can come in or call us to request that we look for it in another library. You can also log into your account online and request it through there.
Read On! It’s National Library Week
Welcome to National Library Week, 2019! This is the week where we formally celebrate our nation’s libraries and all the ways they benefit our communities and community members. Fittingly, this year’s theme is “Libraries = Strong Communities” which “illustrates how today’s libraries are at the heart of our cities, towns, schools and campuses, providing critical resources, programs and expertise.”
The week features a few special days that we’d love to celebrate with you.
Tuesday, “National Library Workers’ Day,” honors the contributions all library workers bring to their libraries and communities.
Wednesday is “Library Giving Day,” a new addition to the week’s celebrations. On Wednesday library users are encouraged to donate to their local library in some way. Remember, donating materials/books is a wonderful way to show your love for your library. If we don’t use them in the collection, we will sell them or find them another good home. (If you need to make a tax-deductible donation, you can donate through our Friends of the Library group which is a 501 c(3).)
Thursday, “Take Action for Libraries Day,” is another new way to celebrate. On Thursday everyone is encouraged to tell their library story. Why are libraries important to you? How has your library helped you? Spread the word! Social media is a good place to share (use #MyLibraryMyStory), but if you want to take it a step further, share with your city and state officials!
By far, the best way to celebrate National Library Week, whether you take time to acknowledge each day or not, is simply to visit your local library. We’ve got five amazing public libraries in Mayes County. This is a good week to check them out if you’re not using them already. Between the five of us, you’re almost guaranteed to find something worthwhile!
How to Change your Font in Overdrive
Dyslexic-friendly fonts can make reading easier – and now they’re available for ebooks downloaded through the Library’s online library using Overdrive!
To switch fonts in the Overdrive app, touch the Settings button.
Then touch Font Style. 
Then select the font you want and go back to reading your ebook!
If you’re new to the online library and want help setting up the app on your device, or are having problems using it, stop by and see us – we’ll do our best to help!
Read On! Books & Brews
It’s time for our monthly Books & Brews meeting at the Fat Toad. This month, we’ll discuss Neil Gaiman’s “The Graveyard Book,” a sort of retelling of “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling. Instead of the main character being raised by a pack of wolves in a jungle, he is raised by a haunt of ghosts in a graveyard.
“The Graveyard Book” was my choice for the group. Mostly because Neil Gaiman may be my favorite author ever. I love the way he begins a story with many disparate threads only to weave them all together into a single fabric and I love the characters he brings to life. “The Graveyard Book” is not my favorite of Gaiman’s works, but I felt like it would be a nice choice for the Books & Brews folks. It begins with murder, then features a boy who finds adventures with graveyard creatures. There’s a lot of discussion material between its covers.
It’s the only book to win both the Newbery in the U.S. and the Carnegie in the U.K. so it is well received among the toughest critics. The Newbery Award is awarded to “the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” The Carnegie Award is awarded to “the writer of an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.” Dave McKean’s illustration style enhances Gaiman’s writing incredibly well even though he didn’t win any awards for his contribution.
There’s still time to read “The Graveyard Book” before our meeting on Saturday, April 6th from 1 – 3 PM. Or don’t read it and come anyway. We won’t judge. The first hour we meet is reserved for socializing and the book discussion is in the second hour. No one is required to purchase anything in order to join us and we have a nice mix of men and women of all ages. You don’t even have to be 21 to enter the brewery anymore!