New Carpet at the Pottsville Library

This week they started replacing the fire-damaged carpet in the library. And not just the section that was damaged: the entire first floor is receiving new carpet! So library staff and users alike have had to make adjustments as different areas were worked on (and thus unavailable to the public). The lobby and Circulation Desk area were finished before the library opened on Monday morning, and they've nearly finished the Reference Department, with one more section to be done after today. Next up will be the Children's Department and finishing the Magazine Room in the back. The project has certainly dictated how Reference service was provided this week!

Don't remember why there was fire-damaged carpet?

These photos were taken the morning of July 31, 2013, after the fire was put out and before the clean-up crew got started. The light fixture overheated, causing melted plastic to drip down onto the carpet, which then started burning. Fortunately, the janitor grabbed a fire extinguisher and was able to put out the fire before the firetrucks got there (all the gray powdery stuff on the floor is from the extinguisher). The fire and hot dripping plastic melted the floor mats to the carpet, which then cooled to a lumpy mess. We had to keep a step stool over that spot to keep people from tripping on it, and slightly rearranged the computers. Somehow the computers weren't damaged by either the fire or the extinguisher!

This photo shows the old fire-damaged carpet removed from the computer area. This was the first section worked on, even before the very front of the Reference Department. This meant that, just like right after the fire, adults had to use the computers in the Children's Department on Monday and Tuesday while that section of the library was worked on. Computers in the Reference Department were once again available to our users on Wednesday. But, once they start working on the Children's Department, adults will have to share their computers with the kids!

Look closely under the edge of the shelf on the right (on old carpet). See those round things? Those are sliders that the company slipped under the shelving units to shift them back and forth as needed. This was one of the lighter units, so they didn't have to remove any books before moving the shelving unit. 

The front section of the room is finished, but all tables (and other flat surfaces) are needed to hold reference books from the shelves in the back. So, Wednesday morning the computers were available for use but we couldn't provide anywhere for anyone else to sit and read the paper. Like the previous two days, newspaper and magazine readers were encouraged to take their reading material upstairs to the tables and chairs on the second floor.

 The grand staircase provided another safe place to put some of the reference books from the back of the room. As one of the movers put it, "That's higher education for you right there!"  :)  They also made use of the tops of the wooden shelves running along the wall, under the windows, as well as the tops of the Vertical File cabinets.

One of the toughest parts for the movers was dealing with the microfilm cabinets in the Magazine Room. The two newer cabinets do not have removable drawers, and weigh a considerable amount. To make matters worse, there isn't much space between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling tiles (and lights!). Somehow, the three men got them moved. Don't think I want to see how they move them back when the new carpet is in place!

More photos will be put on the library's Facebook page as the work progresses, so if you're curious you can follow it better there. In the meantime, please forgive us if we can't get something for you, or your favorite space isn't available, or if the smell of the adhesive is too strong for you. They are finishing up as quickly as they can, and hopefully within the next week or so the library will be back to normal -- just with better carpet!

Tax Season Has Started, But Where Are The Forms?

Many people dread this time of year: tax season. But where are the forms?

Due to the partial federal government shutdown in October, the IRS had to delay printing many of the basic personal tax return forms. These forms are not expected to be received at the Pottsville Library until late January. Because of this delay, the various schedules that may arrive earlier will not be put in the library's lobby until the basic forms are received. These schedules will be kept at the Reference Desk, so if you are seeking Form 8829, for example, you can pick one up at the desk.

In addition, the IRS has declared that you cannot file a personal income tax return until January 31st. So, even if you use an online tax preparation service, and fill everything out today, that return will be held by the online service until January 31 and then filed at that time.

Speaking of online tax preparation, there are many companies that offer free tax filing for federal tax returns under certain conditions. Just visit www.irs.gov and click on the "FreeFile" logo on the right side of the screen. There are a few ways to select a company to use, and the requirements for qualifying for free filing vary from company to company. This feature will be active starting January 17th. Note that some companies will also offer to file your state tax return, but this may not be free.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (www.revenue.state.pa.us) offers the ability to directly file your state tax return online for free. The system isn't available yet, but when it is you can visit their site and click on "Personal Income Tax Return Filing". The system will walk you through the sections that need to be filled out.

Even with all the delays in making forms and online services available, remember that the deadline hasn't changed! Personal income tax returns are still due on the state and federal level by April 15th, unless you file an extension request.

More New Magazines Have Arrived!

More of the new magazine subscriptions have arrived. Today we'll look at some of the health-related titles you can find at the Pottsville Free Public Library.

First up, Arthritis Today. This title has three main sections: Your Health, which includes things like eye health, recent studies, working with kids, and losing weight; Your Self, which can include tips like feeling better in little ways, or healthier food choices; and Your Lift, which has interviews with people dealing with arthritis every day and how they manage. Foot pain and keeping warm in winter are just some of the topics in the January/February 2014 issue now at the library.

Gluten-Free Living is mostly packed with recipes, for adults and for kids. Beyond just recipes, however, there are also articles about living with celiac disease, different kitchen tools that can make life easier, and information from recent studies. The January/February 2014 issue has a Valentine's Day menu featuring Strawberry Salad and "Guilt-Free Brownies" the whole family can enjoy.

Yoga Journal is more than just the poses. The December 2013 issue includes an article about how to avoid catching a cold, non-alcoholic mixed drinks for get-togethers, new cookbooks, and reviews of books, CDs and DVDs. The Practice section focuses on one or two specific poses, such as the corpse pose (which is all about the subtleties).

Don't forget, there are other health-related magazines at the Pottsville Library as well! Titles like Prevention, Health, Weight Watchers, WebMD, and Diabetes Forecast all have useful articles to help you have your healthiest year in 2014. And all magazines can be checked out for one week, except the current issue.

New Magazine Subscriptions Have Started!

We try to keep up with what our library patrons want to read. This year we have dropped a few magazine subscriptions that weren't getting much use, and we started several new subscriptions we think you might like to read. And the new 2014 subscriptions have already started to arrive, so let's get to know them a bit.

First up is Autism Spectrum Quarterly. This is shelved in the Parenting Collection area of the Children's Room, so be sure to look for it there. Articles about evidence-based research, management strategies, and how to deal with common issues can all be found in this journal. Take a look at the Winter 2013 issue, which has a holiday gift guide and tips for the holiday season.

Next up is Family Tree Magazine, with tips and guides to help you research your own family tree. The December 2013 issue features the best free websites to trace US ancestors, how to plan a trip to an ancestral homeland, and tricks to working with a research partner. There is also a section on holiday heritage activities, how to trace Filipino roots, and a glossary of genealogy-related acronyms and abbreviations.

More Magazine focuses its stories on women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Articles might look at avoiding burnout at work, age-appropriate fashions and styles, medical issues (what medical procedures are over-prescribed?), and similar topics. The Dec./Jan. issue even has a cheat sheet so you can understand some of the buzz terms being used by younger people at holiday parties.

And the last title for today, Motorcyclist, well, that's pretty much self-explanatory! Reviews of street and off-road motorcycles and "superbikes", gear guides, stories of races, and personal trips make up just part of this magazine.

Many of the new titles will be featured on the display rack at the front of the Reference area in the near future, so keep your eyes open for them. In the meantime, they can be found in their boxes in the Magazine room. More titles are expected to arrive soon, and we'll talk about them here when they do. Have a great holiday season!

What Do You Want From a Book?

What do you think of when you think "book"? Is it words in ink on paper, compiled into bound portable reading units? Is it words on a screen (e-reader or tablet), a file that is downloaded from a seller or from a free site? Is it words spoken into your ear, a printed text read by the author or a performer, allowing you to "read" on your hour-long commute every day? All of these things qualify as a "reading a book" today, and each has its fans and detractors.

The question that frequently pops up, however, is what else a book SHOULD be. Should a book take advantage of today's constant connectivity to allow you to see a video that is relevant to the paragraph you just read? Should a book be something you can jot notes in and have those notes immediately available for other readers to see? Should a book include music inspired by or part of the story or text? Some of these things already appear in "books" aimed at beginning or struggling readers, children, and others trying to connect a printed word with its sound and meaning. (Take a look at BookFlix, part of the POWER Library Network, available to anyone with a Pottsville Library card.) But a number of articles over the years have tried to explain how books for the general adult reader could be made so much better if only authors and publishers would make use of the various technologies and social networking options available to us today. And yet, many of the proposed changes to books just don't seem to catch on.

Do you want to have a video, music, or another reader play or talk to you while you are reading? Do you read to escape interruptions and the constant clicking that we do when using a computer? When does a book cease to be a book, and become a movie, or a game, or a conversation? Maybe the answer lies in what kind of book it is: a biography of a musician might make sense to include samples of songs he or she recorded; a book about birds might want to include the bird songs or videos of birds in flight.

In the meantime, print books continue to be produced and read in large numbers, showing that some people still just want to shut out the rest of the world while they immerse themselves in a story. E-readers serve the same purpose, focusing on the story without lights flashing or bells whistling. And if they want to talk to others about it, readers join book clubs or start conversations with their friends. Here's to hoping we will always have the option to read a book in whatever way we prefer.

Tis the Season for Giving... What?

As a library, we often promote the idea of giving books as gifts any time of year, but especially in December. Books are a way to bring people together to share a story, or to help a child develop their imagination, or to share cherished traditions. We argue that reading expands minds, helps the armchair traveler explore new cultures, and provides escape and leisure in a hectic world.

If you are thinking about giving someone a book as a gift, here's a thought: is it the right gift for that person? Maybe a book isn't always the best idea. Beth Carswell of AbeBooks posted a thought-provoking article a couple of years ago that is still relevant, "The Best Book Gifts, And When Not To Give A Book." She lists ten situations where giving a book as a gift may not be the best idea, like for college students who already are overwhelmed with course reading and may not have time to enjoy "fun" stuff.

If you still really want to give someone a book as a gift, what format is the best? So many people have switched to ebooks, and you need to know what kind of device they use to read their ebooks. Do they use a tablet with an app from each major ebook retailer? Do they have a Kindle, Nook, or Kobo ereader and buy only from that company? Are they anti-Amazon, or anti-DRM? (This is really, really important to know when you want to give an ebook to someone.) How does one even give someone else an ebook as a gift? Juli Monroe over at TeleRead has a good description of how you can do this: "Giving eBooks as Gifts."

Don't forget that a great opportunity to support local authors is coming this Saturday, November 30. The Local Author Showcase at the Pottsville Library is part of the national Small Business Saturday event going on in downtown Pottsville. More than 25 authors from Schuylkill County will be at the library from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., selling print copies of their books (and some might have other media formats as well, like musical CDs). You can read the Republican Herald's story about the events for more about other businesses taking part in the event. Saturday is also the day of the Santa parade in town, the lighting of the city's Christmas tree, and the children's Christmas party at the Humane Fire Company.

Let the holiday season begin!

Today in History: Silly Edition

It's Friday, and sometimes even adults have to be a little silly.

Today (November 15) is the birthday of author Daniel Pinkwater. Haven't heard of him? Your children might have. He's written such wonderful books as Fat Camp Commandos, Fat Men From Space, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, and The Neddiad: How Neddie took the train, went to Hollywood, and saved civilization. All of these titles are in the children's fiction collection here at the library.

Not so silly: Today is also the birthday of American artist Georgia O'Keeffe. You can look at some of her works in The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum here at the library (759.13 G296, on the second floor).

In the mood for some music? Celebrate Kevin Eubanks' birthday by listening to his CD, Zen Food, available at the library (CD MJ EUBA ZF M 54; sorry, that's a long call number!). He was born in Philadelphia, making him one of our many regional artists.

Back to being silly, here's some theatrical history for you. On Nov. 15, 1886, Charles A. Gardiner's play "Karl The Peddler" used the name "George Spelvin" as one of the actor's names, to hide the fact that one actor was playing more than one role in the play. The female version of this name is "Georgina" or "Georgette", or something similar. It's said that "George Spelvin" has appeared in more than 10,000 Broadway performances since then. The Pottsville Library has a number of books about the history of Broadway, both reference and those that can be checked out, if you're curious to read more.

The final silly fact for the day: Tomorrow, November 16, is the annual elephant roundup in Thailand. With elephant demonstrations, tug-of-war between an elephant and 100 men, and elephant races, who could pass up such a day? Don't believe me? You can read the Wikipedia page about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surin_Elephant_Round-up.

Have a great weekend!