| |
Last Updated: April
17, 2008
TV
17 Colonie Adds New Show
During March a new show, Colonie Connect with Paula
Mahan, was added to the station's schedule. Plans are to feature
Town employees from many departments to talk about programs,
issues, and events affecting the Town. The first two shows
focused on the Veterans Memorial project for the Crossings
and the Police Explorers Program. Residents are also invited
to eMail questions or topics to the Supervisor for inclusion.
Since going live on October 13, 2006, the library has produced
over 280 separate shows on education, business, finance, the
arts, the courts, public safety, veterans, health, and of
course, authors and books. A children's story time is also
broadcast every day at 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM. In addition, Assemblyman
Bob Reilly's program is a daily feature.
In between the programs there is a bulletin board running
with upcoming shows and Town events. And, residents can check
two weeks of schedule by going to the library web site at
www.colonie.org/library and clicking on the Cablevision link.
The Town of Colonie Government Channel TV 17 is available
to cable subscribers living within the boundaries of the Town
of Colonie.
The
Big Read and The Age of Innocence
In February we discussed The House of Mirth and on
March 27th we take up Ethan Frome. Then on April 23rd
the main event, Wharton's Pulitzer Prize winning novel The
Age of Innocence. To provide background we'll have a special
noon book review by Brenda Twiggs on April 10th, and cable
broadcasts. Two more book discussions will follow: The
Reef on May 29th, and The Custom of the Country
on June 26th. In addition there will be several special programs:
* April 1: Big Read Kick-off Event: Victorian Tea at the Women's
Club of Albany, featuring Robert Donavan, a Wharton authority.
At 3:00 PM.
*
April 18: Selected Shorts: The Age of Innocence. Guilderland
Public Library, 7:00 PM. Call 456-2400 ext. 7.
*
April 19: Aqua Ducks Trolley and Walking Tour of Troy Age
of Innocence Movie Sites, 10:00AM to Noon. Lead by Tom Carroll
from the Troy Gateway, the tour may include Ironweed and Time
Machine sites. Leaves library parking lot at 9:45 AM.
*
April 20: The opera Faust plays a role in The Age
of Innocence and as a special treat, Robert Jaquay's "Opera
Over Easy" will feature it on the 20th starting at 12:00
Noon.
Reservations are required (810-0314).
*
April 26: Tour to The Mount, Ventfort Hall Mansion, and Gilded
Age Museum in Lenox MA. Cost is $60 & bus leaves our lot
at 8:30 AM. For more information call Eileen Williams at Guilderland
Public Library at 456-2400 x32.
WMHT is planning a one hour special on Wharton and the Albany
Institute for History & Art will be doing related programming.
For further information see the UHLS Big Read web site at:
www.albanypubliclibrary.org/bigread
Holiday
Closings
Mother's Day
Sunday, May 11: CLOSED
Memorial Day
Saturday, May 24; Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26: CLOSED
TV
17 Colonie Adds Senior Citizen Show
A new show, hosted by Senior Services Director, Christine
Cary, will begin airing during April. Christine's show will
fill an important void in our programming, with shows to cover
all aspects of senior issues and services. The first show
will talk about the upcoming health fair that will be held
May 8, from 1-4pm at the Crossings. It will be open to all
Town residents and include health screenings and refreshments.
(For more info call 459-5051). The program schedule for the
current and following week can be viewed on the library website
at: http://www.colonie.org/library/Channel17
Town
of Colonie Conservation Day
The Town of Colonie Conservation Advisory Council holds its
annual Conservation Day on Saturday, May 3, on the library's
grounds. Trees, compost and literature will be distributed
from 9:00 AM-Noon.
New
Topographic Maps Added
Recently the Library acquired 260 U.S. Geological Survey topographic
maps covering different parts of New York State. We have good
coverage of most of the Adirondack Park, Catskill Park and
the Finger Lakes region. The maps are 7 ½ minute quadrangles
at a 1:24,000 scale , which means that 1 inch on the map equals
24,000 inches on the ground or about 2000 feet. Each map is
about 29 by 22 inches.
Topo maps are used for recreational purposes by hikers and
campers, by people who hunt, fish, mountain bike and rock
climb. They are also used by geologists, engineers, environmental
managers, and commercial and residential planners. Topographic
maps use color, lines, symbols and contours to show the shape,
elevation and features of the land. The elevation features
usually are shown by brown contour lines against a green background.
Our maps are filed horizontally in grey metal cases against
the glass wall of the Reference Office at the back of the
Library. The maps are filed in an alphabetic sequence by title
of the map, which usually corresponds to the name of a major
feature within each quadrangle such as a town or a mountain.
An index is kept in the first topographic map drawer. All
our maps are for use in the Library only.
Battle of the Bands
High school students interested in participating in our third
annual Battle of the Bands are invited to register for the event
by calling Maureen DeLaughter at 458-9274. Last year 10 bands
participated and over 180 high school students attended the
event. The Battle will be held on the evening of Saturday, June
14th. Band members must be registered to participate.
Teen
Room Expansion
You may have noticed some changes at the front of our library.
We are expanding the Teen Room to provide more space for materials
and programming. The expansion, made possible by an outreach
mini-grant, will also include a new Job Center for teens.
Our AV materials are now located at the back of the library.
Watch for more information about the Teen Room expansion in
our June newsletter.
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
Art
Exhibit Web Page
In case you haven't yet discovered it, we have a web page
devoted to our monthly art exhibits called the "Artist's
Corner". There is a link on the library's main page or
you can view it directly at: www.colonie.org/library/artcorner.htm
The information changes monthly with each exhibit and includes
preview photos of selected artwork, reception dates and biographical
data about the artists.
Library
Theatre of Colonie presents
"All the World's a Stage"
(Photo Gallery)
BookLetters
Online
The William K. Sanford Town Library is pleased to offer our
library patrons BookLetters Online, a new
service which allows you to subscribe to any of 20 custom
newsletters on the following topics: Art & Architecture,
Audio, Biography, Books You May Have Missed, Business, Computers,
Cooking, Current Events, History, Home and Garden, Medicine
and Health, Performing Arts and Library Theatre of Colonie,
Poetry, Programs at the Library, Sports, Staff Picks, Tech
Valley, Teen Scene, Travel, Youth Services.
Our librarians will e-mail you information about recently
ordered books, relevant Web links and upcoming programs on
the topics that interest you most. You will receive a page
which includes a list of recently ordered items, including
images of the book jacket, summaries and reviews of the books,
and a link directly to the items in our catalog, should you
wish to request a copy. To subscribe to this new service,
please visit our Web page at http://www.colonie.org/library
for directions, or send an e-mail to: wkslibry@uhls.lib.ny.us
You'll also find the following new additions to our Web Page:
Author Directory
A nice service for anyone running a book club, or for those
simply interested in learning more about an author. You'll
find interviews with and work summaries for hundreds of the
best read authors.
Best Sellers Links
Fiction and nonfiction hardcover as well as trade paperback
and mass market bestsellers are listed for your information.
Book Awards Links -Adult and Children
Fiction ALA Notable Books
Nonfiction ALA Notable Books
ALA Black Caucus Selections
Audie Awards
James Beard KitchenAid Book Awards
Christy
Awards
Hugo
Edgar
Nebula
National Book Awards for Fiction
National Book Awards for Nonfiction
National Book Awards for Poetry
Oprah Book Club Selections
PEN/Faulkner Awards
Printz Awards
Pulitzer Award for Biography
Pulitzer Award for Fiction
Pulitzer Award for History
Pulitzer Award for Nonfiction
Pulitzer Award for Poetry
Popular Religion Selections - Hardcover
Popular Religion Selections - Paperback
Using
Our New 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
Cell
Phone Use
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.
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.
Copies of the 2000 edition
are available at the Circulation
Desk for $3.00 per copy.
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.
Book
Donations Welcome
The library will gladly accept book
donations to stock our on-going "Book Nook" sale tables.
Listed below are a few guidelines to help you help us.
ITEMS NEEDED: Books published in the
last ten years
Recent best sellers
Clean copies of "classic" titles
Current magazines
Audiovisual materials (videos, CD's, tapes)
Children's books
ITEMS NOT NEEDED (and not saleable):
Books in poor condition (yellowed or torn pages, broken bindings,
musty)
Textbooks
Reader's Digest condensed books
Encyclopedias and other dated information
PLEASE:
Bring donations to the library's back door.
Place donations in boxes or bags.
Limit donations to one or two boxes at a time.
Schedule large donations in advance.
If you would like a receipt for tax
purposes, we provide signed dated acknowledgment letters for the items
but cannot assess their value.
|
