Between the Bookends
The Pomeroy Public Library publishes a newsletter monthly in the Calhoun County Journal-Herald newspaper, usually following the monthly Board of Trustees Meeting. The Calendar of Events is also published in the newspaper on a weekly basis if space permits. The newsletters are archived here on the Pomeroy Public Library website.
Between the Bookends – January/February 2022
Welcome back to Between the Bookends! We’ve been away from the newspaper for a month or so, but happy to be back; seems like the bears aren’t the only ones who hibernate! But we’re glad to be here to update you on ongoing happenings at the Pomeroy Public Library. We just recently submitted our request for renewal of for state accreditation (required every 3 years) and hope to retain our Tier 3 status to continue to receive the best funding support available from the state.
Other library news follows:
Ø Our Board of Trustees continues to meet regularly on the second Monday of each month. Regular Board activities include hearing the report of the Library Director (that’s me!), learning more about new reports, procedures, and continuing education coordinated through the State Library of Iowa, approving monthly expenses for payment, and preparing the budget for the coming fiscal year. Current trustees are Linda Courter (president), Sharon DeVore (vice-president), Paul Johnson, Lisa Aljets (recording secretary), and Carol Seehusen. Trustees are volunteers, and are appointed for their six-year terms by the City Council.
Ø Like most public libraries in Iowa, we are officially an entity of the City of Pomeroy, and our activities, purchases, etc., fall under the City’s umbrella in many areas, but the Library itself functions under the direction of our own Board of Trustees, and basically serves the Pomeroy community, both rural and city. Our mission statement is pretty simple and to the point: Providing opportunities for the community to explore, learn, create, and grow.
Ø We continue to try to offer activities for all ages and maintain holdings that appeal to a cross-section of readers to meet the reading needs of patrons of all ages. We are always happy to help our patrons find a book or books on a particular subject or from a favorite author, and our online catalog is easily accessible from a home computer or laptop by going to our webpage, located on the internet at https://www.pomeroy.lib.ia.us. Our online catalog has now been updated to include two tabs so when a search is done, one tab displays our inhouse holdings, and the other shows what can be accessed through Bridges/Libby online access (for those patrons who live in Calhoun County. We also now have a laptop computer in the library that is set up for public access to the catalog. For many of our patrons accustomed to using a paper card catalog (remember all the little drawers stacked one on top of another?), the online catalog takes a little getting used to, but we are glad to show you how it works.
Ø It’s always exciting to see new books arrive at the library, and book orders are usually placed monthly. We have seen an increase in demand for Large Print Books, and have been trying respond accordingly. It’s amazing the number of new books coming out each year from popular authors such as James Patterson or Colleen Coble, or the latest book in a popular series. We get new book ideas from a variety of sources, e.g., BookPage, Goodreads, Amazon, New York Times and Washington Post bestseller lists, and People Magazine. As always, if one of our readers wants a book that we don’t have, we’ll see if we can get if through interlibrary loan services (no cost to patrons) or place an order for a book can be enjoyed by several readers.
Ø Covid 19 has certainly taken its toll on many public events, and the public library is no exception. We’ve been able to resume several activities such as monthly Nature4Kids (usually on the second Monday) and weekly Coffee Times on Wednesdays, with nature program once a month. It’s been exciting to have returned to regular pre-Covid hours, and we want people to enjoy the library in as safe a setting as possible. While masks are not currently required in the library, the use of them is certainly encouraged for any patron(s) who feel the need to protect themselves or others from exposure. We do keep masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers on hand for any We continue to offer curbside and delivery services to the public on request, and maintain regular cleaning of library surfaces such as tables, computer keyboards, and touch screens.
Though some of our public activities have taken a baby step back for the present time while our communities still negotiate the latest Covid variant, we look forward to the time when Covid settles down and we can resume a full schedule of indoor activities such as speakers, crafting events, mini-classes in computing or word processing, etc.
Between the Bookends -- October/November 2021
Cross over the Bridge… to BRIDGES! Pomeroy Public Library has taken another step into the digital world by joining the Bridges Consortium sponsored by the State Library of Iowa. All Pomeroy Public Library regular status (meaning living in the town of Pomeroy or in the rural Calhoun County area served by the Pomeroy Public Library now have free access to a wealth of digital reading content simply by logging onto the Pomeroy Public Library Bridges access online directly or through the link on our website. If you are an Open Access patron (meaning you live outside Calhoun County, but hold a Pomeroy Public Library patron card), you have access to Bridges through your home town library or a library in your home county if you are a rural resident. Open Access patrons should contact their closest library within their county of residence if they wish to participate in Bridges.
Although this is new, and might even sound complicated, using Bridges is easy to learn, especially if you have a chance to stop in at the Library to receive a little one-on-one help with learning the steps. Many of you may not even know where your library card is hiding, but we can help with that as well, since we have all the 14-digits on file with your other card application information. Just stop in and we’ll get you started.
If you are a Calhoun County resident and cardholder at the Pomeroy Public Library, you use the 14-digit barcode number to key in your ID into the system, and once you are on the site, you can browse a wide collection of magazines, books for all ages, and other digital material. This is a free service to those who live in our Bridges service area, and library cards continue to be free, in the event you don’t have one. Through Bridges, you can then check out what you’d like to read for 2 weeks. You can read it right there on your computer or tablet with your home internet access, or you can download it through Libby app to your phone or tablet and take it with you wherever you go. Even if you don’t have a computer at home, you can still use your phone our one of our computers. You can come the library and make your connection there, using your own device or one of ours.
Watch our Facebook page, posted flyers, and this news column where we’ll be announcing the times and dates number of short mini-lessons on using Bridges. We hope to include a little surprise drawing as an incentive to attending one of the mini-lessons, and those details will be included on our announcements.
Here’s another great reason to stop in at the library: NEW BOOK ARRIVALS!
Here is just a sample of the titles that are being added to our collection in October and November. The author’s name is shown in parentheses, and LP indicates Large Print format.
Juvenile Fiction/Middle School Fiction: Aaron Slater, Illustrator (Beaty); The Bad Seed (Jory); The Bad Seed Goes to the Library (Jory); Camp Time in California (Pope); Charlie the Ranch Dog (Drummond); The Christmas Pig (Rowling); The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky (Jory); The Hobbit (Graphic Novel, Illustrated) (Tolkien, Dixon); Katie the Catsitter 1 (Venable); The Last Musketeer (Gibbs); Make Your Bed with Skipper the Seal (McRaven); Manu (Fernandez); Miles Morales Shock Waves (Reynolds); The Mysterious Benedict Society (Stuart) 5 books in set; Narwhal and Jelly 6 (Clanton); No. 6 #1 (Asano); No. 6 #2 (Asano); Skunk and Badger (Timberlake); Stuck in the Mud (Drummond); Turkey Trouble (Silvano); World at War, 1944 (Pope); The Fast and the Furriest (Kent); The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve (Colfer); Meow or Never (Kent); Serafina Soars (Hammond); Andre the Five Star Cat (Hammond); Super Rooster and Wonder Cat (Hammond); The Silver Christmas Tree (Honor); Alice Eloise’s Silver Linings (Frey); A Silly Milly Christmas (Wall); The Christmas Owl (Sterer); A Wild Ride (Danforth); The Secret Lake (Inglis); The Hobbit, Illustrated Edition (Tolkien); Race to the End of the World (Tait)
Adult Fiction: The Seed of Faith: A Christmas Miracle (Petronelli); An Amish Surprise (Gray); Carolina Breeze (Hunter); A Christmas Courtship (Gray); The Ride of Her Life (Letts, LP); Waiting on Love (Peterson; 12 Rules for Life (Audiobook) (Peterson); 2 Sisters Detective Agency (Patterson, LP); At the Crossroads (Daniel); The Butler (Steele, LP); Crossroads (Franzen); Forgiving Paris (Kingsbury); Foul Play (Woods); Freedom’s Song (Sawyer); The Goldfinch (Tartt); Keep Me Warm at Christmas (Novak); Three Sisters (Morris); We Are Not Like Them (Pride); When I Found You (Novak); The Wish (Sparks, LP); Wish You Were Here (Picoult)
Recently Added DVDs: Free Guy (PG-13), Joe Bell (R), Jungle Cruise (PG-13), Silverado (PG-13), The Piano Lesson (PG), Mother(R), John Wayne 4-Film Collection (PG), Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (R), The Child In Time (PBS Masterpiece Theatre, not rated); The Clint Eastwood Collection (R/R/PG-13).
Between the Bookends -- Chapter 7 -- 9/22/2021
· Since 1987, Library Card Sign-Up Month has been promoted in September to mark the beginning of the school year. Libraries work to remind parents and youth that signing up for a library card is the first step towards academic achievement and lifelong learning. Not to mention a very cost-effective back-to-school item! In the past, Pomeroy Public Library has most often enrolled entire families under the name of one or the other parent, but if a student would like to have a card in their own name, we are happy to oblige. For children under the age of 18, we do require a parent or guardian to sign for the child plus show a photo ID and proof of current address such as a recent piece of mail that shows the parent’s name and current local address; adults registering themselves for a new card are asked to provide similar identification and proof of address. Those requirements do not apply to replacements for lost cards as long as we have the current patron information already on file.
· Speaking of Library Cards, we have completed the work to update our patron card file for current/past patrons. If you are a cardholder and have not checked out a book in the past five (5) years, your card is no longer active, but it is a simple matter to get a new card by contacting the library, providing proof of identification (photo ID along with a piece of current mail showing your name and local address), and a new card will be issued on the spot. It is important to have an active library card if you plan to use Bridges, the online eBook platform, or Libby, the phone or tablet app that also can access the eBook content available through Bridges.
· Through Bridges and OverDrive, you can also download eContent to your Kindle. Your library card number is what authorizes your access to Bridges, and all library card numbers now consist of a 14 digit barcode the replaced the old 3-digit numbers that have been obsolete for some time now. If you do not have your card or have no record of your current 14-digit number, please stop in at the library to find out your barcoded library card number that is used for regular library check out plus your access to Bridges. Our application to join the Bridges consortium is in the final stages, and once it’s ready to launch, we’ll get the word out through Facebook, the Pomeroy Public Library webpage, and this newspaper column. Some if you may think you’re not ready for this much technology, but several patrons who have experienced using Bridges/OverDrive/Libby in other settings have found it to be quite easy to use. Once we are up and running, we will be scheduling several mini-lessons in how to use the system, and we’re excited about this new venture for the Pomeroy Public Library.
Other Library News:
The Board of Trustees met in the Library for their regular monthly meeting on Monday, September 13, 2021. News was shared of several donation made in August: $100 in memory of Jeanie Kurth, $20 in memory of Leslie Junkman, $20 in memory of Vera Heide, and a $5 miscellaneous donation. Patron use remains high, especially compared to last year, as we continue to strive for “normal” after pandemic restrictions have continued to ease. Door-to-door service is still available to anyone who is maintaining their social distancing due to health reasons or other needs.
Other board news included sharing information pertaining to the upcoming re-accreditation of the library, staff inservice training, and announcement of a new program being offered to libraries throughout the state called Brainfuse, an online help service including homework help and live tutoring, career services assistance, veterans’ support, and more. Brainfuse offers innovative services designed to meet patron needs. Users decide how they want to acquire a skill or grasp a concept, and Brainfuse gives them the tools to master it.
The State Library contracts with Brainfuse to offer Iowa libraries access to the following online resources:
- HelpNow: homework assistance and live tutoring service for patrons of all ages (note: HelpNow is only availabe to Iowa public libraries at this time).
- JobNow: one-of-a-kind career assistance that covers all major aspects of job hunting.
- VetNow: helps veterans and their families understand and apply for eligible benefits.
One feature that sets Brainfuse apart is the live tutoring, job coaching and veteran support available during most afternoons and evenings. Patrons can access these services after clicking the library’s Brainfuse link and creating an account. Once a patron selects a live service, an online whiteboard automatically launches and patrons are able to communicate in live, online sessions with expert tutors, job coaches or veteran navigators.
If you haven’t checked out the website recently, please do so, and you’ll find that it’s been completely renovated. You are still able to visit the catalog, and new features, including Bridges and Brainfuse will be added as soon as they are available and we get the links installed on the website.