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Last Updated: September
1, 2010
The
Youth Services Department has been named
"Best Children's Library"
in the Times Union's "Best of the Capital Region"
survey
for the ninth straight year!
Labor
Day Schedule
The library will be CLOSED Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, September
4, 5, and 6 in observance of Labor Day.
Also, note that Sunday hours, Noon-5:00 PM, will resume Sunday,
September 12.
Copies
of Mayflower Available for Book Groups
October, when the One Town, One Book book discussions start,
is just one month away and our copies of Mayflower
have already circulated hundreds of times. If your reading
group would be interested in reading Mayflower to discuss
during October, there are still plenty of books available.
Just call 810-0314 or 458-9274 to inquire or just check out
copies from the display.
Programs
Set for "One Town One Book"
A
full slate of programs and books discussions have been scheduled
for October. You can sign up for the scheduled discussions
at the Information Desk. The full schedule of events will
appear in our October newsletter or you can also pick up a
flyer now with schedules and related programs.
Emergency
Phone Calls
If you need a ride home and don't have a cell phone, you can
ask to use a library phone.
Just visit either the Circulation Desk or the Information
Desk, and ask for help.
Direct
Phone Numbers Now Available
During regular business hours, in addition to the library's
General Information phone number (458-9274),
the following numbers will connect you directly to many of
the library's departments:
Programs: 810-0312
(for
adult Stedman Room program scheduling)
Information Desk: 810-0314
(for adult reference questions and adult program
reservations)
Youth Services Desk: 810-0315
(for youth program information and youth reference
questions)
Renewals/Overdues/Circulation Information: 810-0319
Cell phones have greatly improved
our ability to communicate with others. However, in order
to avoid interfering with other library patrons' use of the
library, it is prohibited to carry on a conversation via cell
phone in public use areas of the library. Patrons receiving
calls may continue their conversation in the lobby area of
the library.
Book
Donations Welcome
The library will gladly accept
book donations to possibly add to our collection or to supplement
our on-going "Book Nook" sale tables. Listed below
are a few guidelines to help you help us. Please note that
items deemed not saleable will be disposed of.
PLEASE:
* Bring donations to the library's back door.
* Place donations in boxes or bags.
* For donations larger than 4 boxes,
please ask to speak with Marion, Joe or Peggy about book or
AV donations.
ITEMS NEEDED:
* Recent best sellers
* Clean copies of "classic" titles
* Current magazines
*Audiovisual materials (videos, DVD'S, CD'S, tapes)
* Children's books
ITEMS NOT NEEDED:
* Books in poor condition (yellowed or torn pages, broken
bindings, musty)
* Textbooks
* Reader's Digest condensed books
* Encyclopedias and other dated information
If you would like a receipt
for tax purposes, we provide signed dated acknowledgment letters
for the items but cannot assess their value.
Using
Our Catalog
Regular
visitors to our library will certainly have noticed many changes
in recent months. By the time you read this, our main stacks will
be back in order and most items will be accessible once again.
Another big, but not so obvious change is our recently updated
library catalog.
In
1996 our paper card catalog which allowed searching only by author,
title, or subject was replaced with an electronic catalog called
the Online Public Access System, or OPAC. The OPAC allowed users
to search not only our collection, but the holdings of all libraries
in the Upper Hudson Library System, and enabled more complex methods
of searching, such as by keyword. It also was the introduction
of the Virtual Library. For the first time, you were able to search
our holdings, place reserves and renew books from the comfort
of your own home, even when the library was not open.
As
amazing as those features may have seemed in 1996, the OPAC quickly
became outdated and after exploring various options, we have selected,
and are now ready to introduce you to, our new Internet Public
Access Catalog (IPAC).
IPAC
FEATURES
If you have ever visited an online bookstore, such as Amazon.com,
or Borders.com, you have already experienced an environment similar
to the IPAC. Both have what is called a graphical user interface,
meaning images, as well as text, are displayed, and that, for
the most part, information is manipulated via the computer mouse,
rather than the keyboard.
One nice feature our new catalog shares with these online bookstores
is the ability to view book covers. Contrary to the old saying,
you often can judge a book by its cover. If you are browsing through
craft books for instance, you can usually tell from the cover
if the projects inside will interest you. If you've ever tried
to find a book that you've read before, and know the author, but
can't remember the title, viewing the covers may spark your memory.
Another nice feature of the new catalog is the inclusion of professional
reviews for some items. Although not every item has a review,
newer books will include review entries by Publishers' Weekly,
and Library Journal.
Many
readers enjoy roving the library stacks, opening a book, reading
a few pages to get the feel of the item before deciding whether
or not to borrow it. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the
new catalog is the ability to browse virtually, to read excerpts
and even full chapters from selected items online, either at the
library, or from the comfort of home. For instance a search for
Katherine Graham's Pulitzer Prize winning biography, Personal
History, reveals the first chapter of the book in its entirety.
The catalog also allows you, without returning to the search page,
to find other titles by the same author or to find other items
on the same topic.
SEARCHING
THE IPAC
You may access the IPAC from our library's Web page at:
http://www.colonie.org/library/index.html
or directly by going to:
http://uhls.org/uhls/catalog.cfm
As mentioned above, your library card allows you access, not just
to our library, but to the holdings of all libraries in the Upper
Hudson Library System. You are able to search, reserve, and even
renew items including books, videos, DVDs, CDs, and books-on-
tape.
To
Search The Web Catalog:
When you visit the Web Catalog, a drop-down box allows you to
choose the member library whose holdings you wish to search. Select
either an individual library, or all libraries and click BEGIN.
You will then be taken to the Search page. Here you are able to
search using keyword, title, author, or subject. If you feel a
more detailed search would be helpful, click on the SEARCH tab
at the top of the page and you then have the option of a BASIC
or ADVANCED search, both of which allow more options than the
original search page.
For example, if you wanted a list of all National Geographic videos
in the collection and you wanted to sort them by publication date,
the ADVANCED search allows you to do this quickly.
This system, like the last, allows you to reserve items. After
you complete your search, and would like to place a request, choose
the REQUEST ITEM box. You will then be prompted for your Borrower
ID number (your library card number - use all digits - and $ sign
if it is present on your card - but do not use letters,) and a
PIN number (the last 4 digits of your home phone number). You
will then get a request confirmation at which point you may choose
the library to which you'd like the item sent.
To
Check Your Account
Information about items you have checked out, due dates of those
items, how much money you may owe in fines, as well as a list
of items you may have placed on reserve are all available by choosing
MY ACCOUNT. If you wish to renew items, you are offered that option
as well. When you choose the MY ACCOUNT tab at the top of the
screen, you will be prompted for you Borrower ID number and PIN
number (see above). To renew, put a check in the box on the left
of items that are renewable and then click on RENEW ITEMS at the
bottom of the page. Please note that some items may NOT be renewable.
If you have questions, please call the Circulation department
at 458-9274.
Everything
new requires a bit of adjustment and we realize you may have questions
about the new IPAC. If so, or if you have any problems accessing
the holdings or your account online, please do not hesitate to
call the Information Desk at 458-927 or e-mail us at wkslibry@uhls.lib.ny.us
In the past we have addressed the
issue of unattended minors left at the library after the library
has closed. Our policy states that if a minor is left outside the
building after closing, a library staff member will make sure the
minor has called for a ride. The staff member will wait with the
minor for a maximum of 15 minutes, then, if the minor has not been
picked up, staff is required to notify the police.
In keeping with our concern for
the safety of minors, our library board of trustees has instituted
a policy for those minors left unattended at the library during
the day. For the protection of preschool children, a parent, guardian,
or authorized caregiver (for example, nanny, au pair, child care
professional) must stay with any preschool child anywhere on library
property. An older sibling or peer is not considered an authorized
caregiver.
We are also concerned about the
safety of those minors who have started school, but are under 18.
Should we need to contact a parent or guardian or authorized caregiver
for any reason, and if they are not on site or cannot be reached,
we will notify the police. The same holds true with any preschool
child left unattended on library property. As always, should you
have any questions about this policy or any other policy, please
do not hesitate to contact us.
Local Preschool
and Day Care Information
Parents looking for information about
local preschool or daycare programs may want to check out our Preschool
Possibilities listing. The catalog is available in print form, either
as a reference item for use in the library, or for check out. Copies
of the catalog may be checked out for three weeks. The catalog is
also available at our libraries Web site. The URL is http://www.colonie.org/library/preschool.html
Listings were recently updated and include day care centers, home
day care providers, and preschools in the area. Contact information,
details about meals, ages, and programs offered are provided. There
is also a Parent's Guide To Choosing Daycare, a checklist for parents
looking for day care for their children. Topics considered on the
checklist are: First Impressions, Caregivers/ Teachers, Health and
Safety, Activities And Equipment, Overall Program. The information
in Preschool Possibilities is based on information collected from
the providers themselves. Caregivers are responsible for confirming
the accuracy of the information.
Community
Contacts Directory
The library's Community Contacts Directory
contains names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and web
page addresses for many organizations which are typically not found
in the telephone book. The listings concentrate on groups located
in the Town of Colonie, although organizations throughout the Capital
Region are included.
The directory (based on the 2000 print edition) with all current updates
is posted on the
library's web page with all e-mail and web sites linked. The address
is http://www.colonie.org/library/ccdir.html
or follow the link from our Virtual Information Desk under "Capital
District Information."
The web edition will always be kept current with updated or new information.
Let us know if you wish to be added or if there are changes to your
posted information.
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