WPL LIBRARY NEWS

SUMMER FILM AND CONCERT SERIES

The 2012 Summer Family Film and Concert Series in the park is scheduled to begin on June 8. Bring out the family, your lawn chairs, blankets and bug spray and join us for a friday evening's entertainment. Please see the  schedule posted here.

NOTABLE NEW BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY

Here's a list of the most recent book additions at our libraries - Click here.

DOWNLOAD AUDIO BOOKS AND EBOOKS FOR ADULTS

click below to access

The library subscribes to a downloadable audiobook and eBook service for our resident patrons. Sorry, if you aren't a resident taxpayer of our library district, or if your library account is not in good standing you are not eligible to receive the service. For more information please read the letter posted here.

You use your library card number to log into the site. You can check out books for a week or two and download them to your home computer for listening or reading. Audiobooks and eBooks might also be able to be transferred to portable devices such as  a Kindle®, iPod®, iPhone®, iPad®, Sony® Reader, NOOK™, Android™, BlackBerry® or Windows® Phone.

Look here for a list of compatible devices. You don't return the items, the book files become unplayable after the loan period expires and the files can then be deleted.

If the book you want is being used by another patron, you can log in and place a hold and be notified when it's your turn to borrow the book.

For more information visit our Downloadable Audiobooks and eBooks Page.

(A library card not in good standing might be caused by excessive fines. an expired card, an overdue address check, or some of of older cards have short bar code numbers - 12 digits - and must be replaced. Please contact the library if you have difficulty.)

TUMBLEBOOKS ARE HERE

The library also subscribes to new on-line collections of audio books, read-along books and e-books for children and young adults with volumes suitable for elementary school to high school students. Browse the collections today.

BULWER-LYTTON FICTION CONTEST AWARD

Not so long ago we asked some of our patrons to compose the opening sentence of a novel in the over blown prose style of the great Bulwer-Lytton. Please see some of our winning entries here.  

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALES

If you have items to donate for our sales, please bring them to the lobby of the Thomas Library. Volunteers are needed to help sort materials the week before the sale begins

The Board of the Friends voted to ban the use of electronic scanning devices at their book sales. The devices are often used by for-profit dealers to mine our sale stock for the most valuable titles and our Friends want our sales to benefit as many of our regular library patrons as possible.

SPRING BOOK SALE - 2012

Volunteers Sort - April 14
Spring Book Sale - April 20 - 22, 2012

Book sale proceeds are used for programming expenses, refreshments, and for staff and volunteer recognition events.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING

Our library offers many informational, instructional, educational and recreational program opportunities. There are also many community groups and organizations who use the library's meeting rooms.

If you want to learn what's happening at the library and when, you can View the Library Calendar or look for our program announcements in the Chesterton Tribune.

COMPUTER CLASSES AND CLINICS

We offer a variety of new basic computer classes. Visit our Bits and Bytes site for our course descriptions, course schedule, and resources such as course slide shows. You can use this site to register for a course at least 14 days before a course is offered.

We also have a "drop in" computer clinic with our experts standing by to field your computer questions.

THE LIBRARY'S CATALOG

Do you want to know whether or not the library owns a book or other type of item and whether or not there's a copy on the shelf?

Simply follow the link to Search the Library Catalog and perform a very simple or complex search by author, title, subject and or other qualifiers for the materials you desire.

If you get a positive result, you can learn if an item is available and where it's located in the library. You might also be able to view the cover, read a review, get more information about the author, a series, or link to a site where you can purchase a copy for yourself.

YOUR ACCOUNT

Did you know you can log into your library account over the Internet and view the titles you have borrowed? You can see if you have any outstanding fines? You can view your reading history? You can request a book be placed on reserve for you to pick up at the library at a later date or request a book be ordered? You might also be able to renew some items if they are eligible.

These are some of the services you can access by logging in with the bar code number on your library card combined with a unique password. Simply follow the link to Search the Library Catalog and click on the tab for the Patron Account.

You don't have a password? Contact the library's circulation desk at either of our circulating branches and get a password registered.

You can't view your reading history? Contact the circulation department to have the history saving feature turned on for your account and you can view up to 1,000 of your recently borrowed titles.

 THE HAGEMAN LIBRARY

When was the last time you visited our Hageman Library in Porter? Suzi and her staff have been working hard to make the collections and services at Hageman as useful as possible. Why not visit her today? Then there's our Museum, Audio-Visual Department, and Serials/Automation Department, all waiting to serve you too.

NEWS FEEDS

We created some categorized News Feed Pages that will give you some of the latest headline news and reviews.

ASK US

If you have a WPL library card and password you may also use our on-line reference service. Simply click on the link to Ask Us, enter your barcode and password to include your contact information, and then ask your question.

WIRELESS ACCESS

Do you have your own laptop and would like to get access to the Internet in the library? Bring your computer to our Serials Department on the second floor of the Thomas Library and connect through our WAM (Wireless Access Manager). Again, you will have to use your library card bar code number and password to acquire the service.

Wireless access is also available at the Hageman Library in Porter.

DATABASES

Have you explored our Library Databases lately? The library subscribes to a few premium databases on behalf of our patrons that aren't accessible to the general public. In addition to the Overdrive database, you can log into our catalog and get access to the Chilton Library of Repair Manual.

Inspire Databases, provided free to all Hoosiers by the State of Indiana, is a wonderful collection of resources that includes access to the full text of many newspaper and magazine articles, and scholarly papers. We highly recommend you explore Inspire and see what valuable information the site can provide. It's like having a premium reference library at your fingertips.

VERN ODOM

Library Staff and Board mourn the passing of one of their own. Long-time Westchester Public Library Board member Vernon "Vern" Odom, Jr. passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2011, after a brief illness. Vern was a great friend of the library, serving as a volunteer in the Serials Department, Reference Department, and the Westchester Township History Museum.

Vern was a 1958 Chesterton High School graduare and a 1962 IU Bloomington graduate. He held teaching positions in Gary, Florida, and Boone Grove. He then moved to Newago, MI for 10 years where, among other things, he taught school.

After returning to Chesterton to care for his parents, Vern was appointed to the Westchester Public Library Board in 1999. Until his passing he  continued to serve in several capacities on the Board including President in 2003 and 2009.

Vern always had a kind word for everyone and was always willing to share a laugh. He will be missed.

PDB
12/11