Un-Internet Day@the Library!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

January 1, 2011

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Broke by Glenn Beck

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

On the Right Track by Marion Jones

Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

What the Night Knows by Dean R. Koontz

Athena Project by Brad Thor

Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• Library Board Regular Meeting Monday, Jan. 10 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Story Time Programs for 3, 4, & 5 year olds! No registration necessary! Free!
• Wed./Thurs. Jan. 5/6 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Jan.19/20 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Feb. 2/3 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Feb. 16/17 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Sat. Jan. 8 Cass Co. Conservation Swan Program (bad weather location) 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Did You Know… the Atlantic Public Library has music cd’s available for checkout? They can be checked out for four weeks.

Behind My Desk… I have to smile at this. At the time I am writing this column, the library’s Internet connection is down. I’m getting things done in advance of when they are due! How cool is that? My desk got a major weeding job of extra papers. That looks better. I put together a supplies list that I had wanted to get done for the budget process. Check that off the list. I’ve organized the board information packets. That’s good. I think an “un-Internet” day isn’t a bad idea. It’s delightfully quiet in here, too!

Ok. Checking out library items is being done “the old fashioned way.” You write the person’s name down and the barcode of the item being checked out. The computers are working fine, so that isn’t a double problem. (We’ve had that happen, too…electricity goes off.) If we don’t have the Internet connection fixed when we close tonight, I can take the list of checkouts home. That way I can check them out through my Internet connection. That’s a good thing, too! We don’t have to get “backlogged.”

The library parking lot has plenty of spaces to park, too!

Well, the Internet came back up just in time for school to let out. It was nice while it lasted.

Happy New Year, everyone and…Keep Thinking Libraries!

December 'Doings' @ the Library

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

December 18, 2010

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Damascus Way by Davis Bunn

Dear Mrs. Kennedy by Paul De Angelis

Christmas Cake by Lynne Hinton

Catacombs by Anne McCaffrey

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy

Extraordinary Ordinary People by Condoleeza Rice

Dewey’s 9 Lives by Vicki Myron

Infinite Quest by John Edward

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• Library Board Regular Meeting Monday, Jan. 10 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Story Time Programs for 3, 4, & 5 year olds! No registration necessary! Free!
• Wed./Thurs. Jan. 5/6 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Jan.19/20 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• The Library will be closed December 24, 25, and 26 for the Christmas holiday and Dec.31/Jan.1 & 2 for the New Year’s holiday.
  

Did You Know… the Atlantic Public Library is available to proctor tests? You just need to contact your instructor and the library to set up a time for you to take a test or a series of tests.

Behind My Desk… Oh boy. ‘Tis the season. I had to get older to appreciate my mother’s words that the holidays are a very hard time of the year. Yep, Mom, you got that right. Not everyone’s spirits are merry and light. It takes patience and understanding to work with the public throughout the year, but double that in December. Stress even finds its way into a library.

It’s been a busy week. The library board met on Monday. There always seem to be things to discuss. Tuesday was a City Department Head meeting. At this meeting I volunteered to do a quick report about the library for the City Council on Wednesday. On Thursday the library hosted the City employee Christmas lunch. The next thing I know, it’s Friday! Add a little blizzard, freezing rain or whatever, and then mix in the holidays and this month is going to go fast, and we will be in to a new year!

In my last column I mentioned about ebooks being available through the Atlantic Public Library. The Friends of the Library were kind enough to give enough money to purchase four ereaders for the library staff to use and learn about. We now have two Kindles and two Nooks! This will give the staff a chance to learn and hopefully help our patrons with these new fangled devices! Speaking of the Friends group, they were able to donate $2000 to the library this year! Julie will have money for her summer programming, and the staff will use the ereaders. Any extra money will go towards new security cameras for the outside and upper floor. Thank you!

At the end of this month our Library Aide Jean Miller will be retiring from the library. The library board and staff want to wish her the very best for the future and enjoy her retirement! She’s more than earned it! Thanks, Jean, for all your many hours of service!

Stay safe and warm this time of year and …Keep Thinking Libraries!

Ebooks @ the Library!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

December 4, 2010

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

Santa in Montana by Janet Dailey

Trio of Sorcery by Mercedes Lackey

Hollywood Hills by Joseph Wambaugh

Decision Points by George W. Bush

At Home by Bill Bryson

Kennedy Detail by Gerald Blaine

Journey, My Political Life by Tony Blair

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• Library Board Regular Meeting Monday, Dec. 13 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Story Time Programs for 3, 4, & 5 year olds! No registration necessary! Free!
• Wed./Thurs. Dec. 1/2 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Dec. 15/16 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• The Library will be closed December 24, 25, and 26 for the Christmas holiday.

Did You Know… that the Atlantic Public Library has a copier for public use? It’s located on the ground level just inside the doors of the Children’s area to the right. You can pay at the desk.

Behind My Desk… Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the Friends of the Library Book Sale in November! Great job! There was a lot of work to set up and organize all those items. I hope you were able to find some real bargains!

This week we started a new service for our patrons…downloadable ebooks! This is through the same consortium (WILBOR) that handles our downloadable audio books. Just for a little extra information the following ebook devices are compatible with this service: Barnes & Noble Nook™ 3G+WiFi, Barnes & Noble nook WiFi, Kobo™ eReader, Pandigital® Novel, Sony Reader Daily Edition™, Sony Reader Pocket Edition™, Sony Reader PRS-505, Sony ReaderPRS-700 and the Sony Reader Touch Edition…just in case you need an idea for a Christmas gift!

The Amazon®Kindle and the Amazon Kindle DX are not compatible. I still don’t know enough to help people, but I’m hoping to get some more instruction soon. Anyway, for those of you who have one of the compatible devices already, you should be able to check out the ebook titles for two weeks. There is a limit of three ebooks checked out per account at one time.

I am also pleased to announce that our early newspapers have been digitized and now available to anyone interested in searching on a computer the early newspapers of Atlantic. I’ve been “playing” with the search mechanism to see how to find information. Details of the Titanic sinking were in various editions of the newspapers in April 1912. H.S. Rattenborg and his family from Atlantic had booked passage on a later trip on the Titanic. They were planning a summer trip to Denmark. I find this kind of information fascinating and it makes history so much more personal.

During the same time frame, Clara Barton passed away; and no one present at the funeral represented the American Red Cross (she founded the organization…oops.)

During this busy holiday season take a little time for yourself and …Keep Thinking Libraries!

Be Thankful for Your Library!

Thinking Library!

Carole Stanger

November 20, 2010

New Books Upstairs @ the library!

Cross Fire by James Patterson

Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci

Crescent Dawn by Clive Cussler

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Life by Keith Richards

Bake and Decorate: Charming Cakes, Cupcakes, & Cookies,,, by Fiona Cairns

The Last Good War: the Faces and Voices of World War II

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Coming Events @ the Library!

• Library Hours!

Monday – Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sundays—closed

• Check out our website http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us

• Library Board Regular Meeting Monday, Dec. 13 5:30 p.m. upstairs

• Story Time Programs for 3, 4, & 5 year olds! No registration necessary! Free!
• Wed./Thurs. Dec. 1/2 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• Wed./Thurs. Dec. 15/16 Preschool Story Time 10-10:45 a.m.
• The Library will close early at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 and will be closed through Sunday, Nov. 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Did You Know… that our Library Aide Jean Miller has kindly donated her Coca Cola Collection to the Library and it will be available for permanent viewing in our large display case in the main Entry Hall? Come have a look! We decided this would be a great addition for the library and the “Coca Cola Capital of Iowa!”

Behind My Desk… Well, we’ve started! The board at a special meeting last week decided to establish the Atlantic Public Library Endowment Fund Youwith a portion of the bequest from the Jim Hunt estate. Some of the funds will stay in our Library Trust & Agency account, so we can make some repairs and other needed projects.

As you well know, money is tight for everyone, and we want to have a long and bright future for the library. This bequest was a special way to make that future brighter for everyone. I want to encourage each of you to consider your futures and your family’s future by taking the time to make out a will. And when doing this, please consider adding the Atlantic Public Library to your list of beneficiaries. It’s a wonderful way to extend your caring beyond your life.

The library endowment fund is a way for you to be sure your gifts will be used for the library. Now, I know that all gift monies are used for the library. They do not go into the general operating fund for the City. I know that. The board knows that, and so does the City of Atlantic. But a lot of people are very distrustful of government these days and are very concerned about where their money is going. This endowment fund is a good way to feel secure about your gift, and you can receive a 25% tax credit for each donation, in addition to any federal tax benefits you may qualify for.

Also, I should point out that gifts can be made with property, bonds and securities, as well as with monetary means. The state legislature many years ago gave special authority to library boards that are not given to other city boards. People want their libraries to be free of political influence and to be able to serve all people. It’s what this country is truly about.

Have a nice Thanksgiving Holiday and …Keep Thinking Libraries!