It's Launch Time!

I am writing this on December 1st, the first day of using our new circulation system.  This week is the first chance we have had to work with the system with real live patrons.  Thank you all for bearing with us during this time of transition.  Please be patient just a little while as we try to make using the new system second nature.  You can help by bringing your library card in with you and using it for your transactions.  We are all excited about the opportunities for improving library service that our new software will bring but we are also a little anxious about our ability to make the process go smoothly for our customers.  We have been practicing for months using fake patrons like Ms. Saggy Bottoms, Mr. Even Stevens, etc.  Now, it’s for real!

Getting Ready for the RSA CAT

In December the Lillie M. Evans Library District, along with approximately 200 other libraries in the Alliance Library System, will move to a new, improved online system. Click here to read the full article.

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Welcome to 2007! If this year goes as quickly as the last, we’ll barely have time to catch our breath before the year ends. Children are back in school, people are back at their jobs, and the routines have been reestablished. It’s time to introduce two new services.

First, we have a new format of audiobooks called Playaways. Playaways are preloaded onto an MP3 player. This is a tiny device about the size of a thick credit card that holds an entire book. You use earphones (supplied) to listen to the audio book. They will soon be shelved in their own section of the Young Adult section at the library. The advantages to using the Playaway is the size, it will easily fit in a shirt pocket and the headset leaves your hands free for exercising or working. If you have never used an MP3 player, this is an easy way to try it out.

Of course, if you already have an MP3 player, you can download audiobooks at MyMediaMall. You’ll find it in the Reference Center. It’s on the left side of the homepage. Use your library card number to get to the collection. If you have young children, try Tumblebooks while you are there.

Got a question, you will soon be able to get the answer right from our computer. The new service, AskAway is a free service for Illinois residents that lets you chat in real time with a librarian 24/7. It’s quick, easy, and a reliable source of information for you anytime, day or night. I’ll be telling you more about it as we launch the service in the next couple of weeks.

Joanne