Archive for November, 2009

New Books

Friday, November 27th, 2009

One of my favorite things to do is buy books.  Fortunately, that’s part of my job now.  What I don’t get to do enough is tell other people about a great book I just read, or heard about, or bought.  Here’s one of each:

Going Rogue by Sarah Palin.  She’s been everywhere the last couple of weeks, and while she isn’t here, her book is.  There’s a waiting list, but it’s moving fast.  Get your name on the list now.

You are Here: Why we can find our way to the moon but get lost in the mall by Colin Ellard.  The title says it all.  For the person who gets back to Upper Darby from Ocean City by way of Atlantic City.

Gone for good by Harlan Coben.  Just read this last week – couldn’t put it down.  Will’s older brother Ken is believed dead after killing their friend Julie.  But when their mother, on her death bed, tells Will that Ken is still alive, Will’s whole world is turned upside down.  And the whirlwind is just beginning.  UD doesn’t own this book, but we’ll get it for you from another DCLS library that does.

We get new books every week.  If you heard an author on the radio, or saw one on TV, or want to see what your favorite has written recently, check our catalog.  If we don’t have, we’ll see if we can get it for you.

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What the heck is Access PA?

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

During the recent budget battles, one of the items libraries were asking people to support was this “thing” called Access PA.   People were asked repeatedly to write in favor of funding it, and write you did.  But some recent questions have led me to believe that you took us on faith – that you supported Access PA even though we didn’t do a very good job explaining what it is.

In simplest terms, Access PA is a program that allows someone who has a library card in one PA library to use nearly all PA libraries without additional fees or restrictions.  It does this by reimbursing members libraries for the services provided to people who live outside their area.  It means that you can take your DCLS card (Delaware County Library System) to Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Lower Merion, Chester County, Berks County or nearly any PA library and use it without paying any additional fees for the privilege.

Now, if you live and work two blocks from your home library, you may never use this privilege.  But many, many library users work in a different area than where they live.   Even if you live really near your library, AccessPA may be benifitting you.  In recent years, the program has also funded a state-wide catalog of books.  This makes it MUCH easier to find that unusual or rarely needed book.  And even if you haven’t requested that book, the savings from finding it for anyone generally rolls over to buy that extra copy of the best seller or another picture book  for the kids.

This is what is at risk as the State Library makes the hard decisions forced by the 2009-2010 budget.  Will the reimbursements for this service continue and, if so, at what level?  Will the state wide catalog be maintained, or will it be allowed to become out of date?  Will there be new fees now for services you previously enjoyed for free?

We’ll try to keep you up-to-date.

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