Kobos are Here!

Posted on by justinsnook

Thanks to the middle school robotics club and the generous donation stemming from their robotics challenge competition, we now have four kobo clara HD ereaders. These sleek new devices sync seamlessly with our digital catalog. I am currently in the process of configuring them and preparing them to circulate, and I need some guinea pigs.

In order to qualify for the first rounds of loans, you need to:
A) Demonstrate that you have a hard time getting into Library.
B) Lack access to an e-reader.
C) Have a stable connection to a wireless network.
D) Live in Douglas.

If you qualify, please email me at jsnook@cwmars.org or call the Library at 508-476-2695. We will set up an appointment where I will bring the kobo to your home, set it up on your wireless network, and give you a brief tutorial on how to use it. You can keep the kobo for 10 weeks, after which I’ll pick it up for the next patron waiting.

If this system works well, I’ll place you back in the queue. If it does not work well, we’ll figure out another way. As the first round of guinea pigs, your feedback will be crucial. Thanks for reading!

Black History Month on Kanopy

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February is national Black History Month, and Kanopy is offering a lot of thoughtful programming for 2020. See the programming guide here for recommended documentaries about black artists, activists, and leaders and musicians, African cinema, and pioneering works by black filmmakers.

A Ladder!

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We now have one of those nifty ladders you can roll around the stacks to reach the books on the top shelves more easily. While not exactly the classic sliding ladder that you can climb onto and ride around the stacks like Belle in Beauty in the Beast, it is one step closer to fulfilling that dream.

Computer Tutor

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Local high school student Massimo Fontaine is making himself available by appointment at the Library to help the technically challenged with their computer woes. His availability is Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5:00 to 8:00.  He can teach basic computing, networking, HTML, social media, and troubleshoot/perform small repairs on computers. So if you need help with basic computing tasks or need someone to look at your machine to figure out why it is acting funny, give Massimo a call at (508) 714-6241 or an email at massimofontaine@icloud.com to set up an appointment.

Auto-Renewal is On!

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Not Quite Finished? Don’t worry! Your library book will renew automatically!

Starting in July, patrons will no longer have to remember to log into their account to renew physical items they have checked out.  If a checked out item can be renewed it will automatically be renewed on the due date. 

An email notification will be sent on the due date alerting patrons of renewal status for checked out items.  It will indicate if their items were successfully renewed or unable to be renewed. Patrons can also log into their account via the CW MARS Libraries app to view the status of all checked out items.

All 147 CW MARS member libraries are participating in auto renewal.  This means that no matter where in CW MARS your materials were borrowed from, they will automatically renew on the due date if a renewal is available.

Powerpoint, Word, & Excel Classes

Posted on by justinsnook

Owen is a Microsoft Certified trainer and Douglas High student. For his senior project, he will be teaching a series of beginner classes at the Library on how to use Microsoft Office. He’ll show you the basics and then have you follow along a guided practice sheet if you bring your own device. The classes will begin at 7pm sharp The schedule is as follows:

April 9 – Powerpoint

April 16 – Word

April 23 – Excel

Next Intrepid Readers April 9: Moloka’i

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Join the Douglas Library Intrepid Readers on April 9 to discuss Moloka’i by Alan Brennert.

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai’i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place—and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i. Here her life is supposed to end—but instead she discovers it is only just beginning. -Goodreads

Call the Library 508-476-2695 for a copy of the book. New members always welcome. Homemade refreshments, inspired by the title being discussed, will be served.

Homeschool Curriculum Talk-Share-Swap

Posted on by justinsnook
Saturday, March 30
10:00am – 12:00pm
Let’s compare curricula! On Saturday morning, local area home educators are invited to the library for a morning devoted to connecting the curricu-curious to current users.
The primary goal here is for everyone to talk about opinions and experiences, compare notes, and walk away with a broader and more confident base of knowledge. But if you have material you are finished with and would like to give away or swap for something new, bring it!
We will definitely have people on hand who are familiar with Tapesty of Grace, Brave Writer, Saxon Math, Right-Start Math, Logic of English, All About Spelling, IEW, Cover Story, Times Tales, and A Year of Playing Skillfully.
Also up for discussion will be community resources and events and how to homeschool through high school in an environment that seems to favor resources for younger children.
Kids are welcome, so don’t let that deter you. For questions, please contact lori.colbert@charter.net (event co-organizer) or jsnook@cwmars.org (library director).

Greatest Book Club Ever

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If you are looking for a book club, you should try out our Greatest Book Club ever! If you aren’t looking for a book club, you should try out our Greatest Book Club Ever! The group meets on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm.

The next meeting is April 4 and the book is Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces–which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where’d You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter’s love for her mother.  -Goodreads