Drake Public Library

Seeking Excellence

Drake Public Library

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State Library Launches Online Legal Resources for Iowans

The State Library, in partnership with the University of Iowa Law Library, has officially launched the People’s Law Library of Iowa, a new legal resource website providing easy to understand information on topics related to Iowa’s laws.

The website includes information on legal topics such as consumer law, family law, and landlord/tenant law, as well as guidance on researching legal issues, a glossary of more than 100 legal terms, and more.

“We are thrilled to provide this resource to Iowans,” said State Librarian Michael Scott. “Our goal with the People’s Law Library of Iowa is to provide a trusted, reliable source of information on Iowa’s laws with no legalese that the average person can easily comprehend. This website will help Iowans understand their rights and feel empowered as they navigate the legal system.”

The inspiration for the People’s Law Library of Iowa came from a similar, well-established resource in Maryland and the work of the Iowa Access to Justice Commission to identify ways to help Iowans overcome obstacles when accessing the Iowa justice system. The website stems from a partnership between the State Library and the University of Iowa Law Library.

“Legal issues cause stress for most people, even lawyers!” said Carissa Vogel, the Director of the University of Iowa Law Library. “What better way to help address anxiety and worry than helping people along the path from a question or challenging situation to understandable, actionable information.”

Funding for the People’s Law Library of Iowa came from a portion of the State Library’s allotment from the American Rescue Plan Act. The University of Iowa Law Library spearheaded the effort to develop content for the website, with the State Library providing administrative support and contracting for the website design services.

“I see this work as embodying the mission of the Iowa Board of Regents to engage in ‘creative activities to enhance the quality of life for Iowans and society in general,’“ said Vogel. “This website will serve so many people and connect them with the legal information they need to make their lives better. And it would not have been possible without the dedicated work of our law librarians and the team at the University of Iowa Law Library as well as volunteer reviewers from the Access to Justice Commission and beyond.”

An agreement has been made to extend the partnership between the State Library and University of Iowa Law Library, and work to develop additional legal topics to add to the website has already begun.

Visit and bookmark the People’s Law Library website at:

www.PeoplesLawIowa.org

The People’s Law Library of Iowa is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act as administered by the State Library of Iowa.

 

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What’s Happening at the Library?

I often get asked, “So, what ‘s happening at the library?”  It’s always an interesting question.  My answer for the last year and a half has been centered around altered hours of operations and alternative services due to COVID.  We were finally able to start the summer reading program in June and this past month we scheduled weekly programming!  Not only have we started children’s programs, but we have also begun some fun events for adults.  We are so thankful that we are at a point where we feel “just about back to normal” while maintaining a safe environment for patrons and staff.  

You see, a library is full of books (and computers, magazines, newspapers, DVDs and audiobooks) but we thrive when we are full of people!  A few year ago, a group of board members and community stakeholders created our current mission statement, “Drake Public Library will be a welcoming center for lifelong learning. We celebrate the freedom to read, discover and discuss.”  We welcome every person through the door in hopes of helping them find exactly what they are looking for and to keep them coming back! 

ONLINE RESOURCES 

There is something going on almost every day of the week. There is an abundance of information and resources available to anyone with a library card.  Starting with online resources, you will see some very important links on our website: Follett Destiny, Bidges, Brainfuse Job Now/Vet Now and Brainfuse Help Now. Follett is our online card catalog system to allow patrons to search for materials and reserve them to their account from the comfort of their own home. Find out what your username and password are by contacting a staff member.  Bridges is the online Ebook consortium that we belong to.  It is a statewide catalog of ebooks, audiobooks and video streaming that patrons can check out through their personal username and pin issued by the library.  The Brainfuse links include help for job seekers, veterans and students looking for tutoring services. These links require library patrons to create personal accounts to track their progress and personal information.  All have general, easy to follow directions and video tutorials to help you along.  

 

IN PERSON PROGRAMMING

Our in person programming schedule includes:

Mondays– Little Listeners Story Time for babies, toddlers and preschoolers at

10:30am and Wii Play after school for school-age children. 

Tuesdays– STEAM Club for 4th grade and up at 4pm. 

Wednesdays (the last Wednesday of each month)– Book Chat! at 12:15pm and 5:15pm for adults. We start this Wednesday, September 29!

Thursdays– Adult Coloring at 1:30pm and STEAM Club for K-3rd grade at 4pm. 

Fridays– LEGO Day after school for school-age children. 

 

 

 

We are looking at future guest speakers and experts on topics like job searches, Medicare coverage/enrollment, genealogy research and one on one computer help. 

A little something for everyone!

We welcome you to come by the library and see what programs and resources are best for you. Drake Public Library is here to support the community by being a resource for knowledge, entertainment and communication.  We welcome you! 

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Dial a Story at Drake Public Library!

Dial a Story is a new service at Drake Public Library. This fun service provides story time over the phone for children, families, and groups of all ages.  We provide quality stories read by library staff and special guests from the community. Special guests have included Kathy Criddlebaugh (Library Board Member), Centerville Mayor Mike O’Connor and Pancake Day Queen Haddie Hurley. Our first set of children’s stories went over very well and we are excited to add chapters from longer books starting with chapter one from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

This is a free service provided by memorial funds given in memory of Dorothy O’Connor, former resident of Centerville. It was her wish that children and families be able to enjoy the library as she did when she was a child.  This service adds more accessibility to our patrons because it doesn’t require internet or a computer. You can simply call the number and hear a variety of great stories. This service can provide individual or group story time for a family, congregate living situation or nursing home.  Or, let kids call the number during a “snow day” to keep them engaged at home.  Play the stories through your speaker phone option for groups. It really is a lot of fun!  We are proud to provide such a fun program during such difficult times when many are home bound due to COVID restrictions and the weather.  

So, give Dial a Story a call at 641-898-4800 the next time you are in the mood to hear a good story! 

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The Lions of Fifth Avenue – A Book Review

If you didn’t catch my book review of The Lions of Fifth Avenue in this week’s issue of the Appanoose Weekly….

Some books just click with you from first sight.  I tend to be drawn to stories that involve libraries, book stores or book clubs. Books have been such a significant piece of my life for so long, it is comforting and exciting to read a story that gives “my life” a little twist. I’ve never had the honor of visiting the famous New York Public Library, but it is on my “list of places” and I always enjoy reading about it or seeing glimpses of this iconic structure on tv and in movies. The history of this building includes a historically famous apartment within the library, collections of rare manuscripts, notes from several authors and an enormous collection of books. It has stood the test of time throughout New York’s tumultuous growth, through both prosperity and tragedy.

Fiona Davis’s latest historical novel, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, explores the connection between two strong willed women with connections to the library and to each other through the great mystery involving the theft of valuable pieces of the collection in different time periods.

“It’s 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn’t ask for more out of life–her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. Headstrong and passionate, Laura wants more. When she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she finds herself drawn to Greenwich Village’s new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club– Heterodoxy was the name adopted by a feminist debating group in Greenwich Village, New York City, in the early 20th century. It was notable for providing a forum for the development of more radical conceptions of feminism than the suffrage and women’s club movements of the time. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. When valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she’s forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. 

Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she’s wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie’s running begin disappearing from the library’s famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-adverse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage–truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library’s history.” (adapted from book jacket)

If you are a fan of historical fiction and enjoy stories involving libraries this is a great book for you. I personally enjoyed reading into both the Heterodoxy Club and the women’s rights movement during the early 20th century after I finished this interesting and compelling mystery. Reserve your copy of The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis today by calling 641-856-6676 or log into your library account through Follett at drakepubliclibrary.org. 

 

Submitted by: JeNel Allen Barth

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Current Library Services September 2020

“Is the library open again?”  Of course we are!  We have been for a while now.  We have updated the current services that are available as of September 2020 in relation to social distancing guidelines during COVID 19 and the Flu season. We are currently still providing Stage 2 services like curbside pickup and online or over the phone reference and we have been providing Stage 3 services since earlier this summer. There have been some updates and clarifications, so please review them and call or email us with questions. 

Appointments for curbside pickup, browsing, computers or other services can be done over the phone or through our email, [email protected] and the link on our website.  The last hour of our regular operational hours are spent cleaning, maintaining the collection and other duties, so setting a time before the end of the day is important. We try to be as flexible as we can and ask that you set a time so that we can schedule the day accordingly.

Computers are available by individual appointment only. One hour for computer use for up to three people (over the age of 15) at a time in the adult area. 

One hour for computer use for two people (a child, under the age of 18 but over the age of 9, per the library’s Unattended Child Policy) at a time in the children’s area. Ipads are currently unavailable.  

Browsing can be scheduled by individual appointment. 1 hour of browsing can be scheduled for up to three people (in both the adult area and the children’s area). 

Family units will be asked to send one person (see Unattended Child Policy) or come as a group to choose materials.

Masks are required in the library building and we will have hand sanitizer available. 

Bathrooms are not open to the public at this time. 

All materials need to be returned to the Bookdrop found on the south side of the front yard, next to the driveway to staff parking for 48 hour quarantine. Please do not bring it into the building.

Materials that are pulled from the shelves but not checked out, should be placed on the tables that are available and not reshelved by patrons.

Photocopies/Scan/Fax with little or no staff assistance through appointment only. Full service requires materials (with contact information and instructions included) be put in the Bookdrop for 48 hour quarantine for a future appointment for payment and pickup. Regular fees apply.

Stay home if you are sick.

The library limits up to and no more than 6 people for scheduled meetings in the Maker Space, 4 people in the Conference Room. The Study Room and public seating will be off limits. See library staff for more details regarding meetings. 

Again, contact us if you have questions regarding these services. We are constantly adapting guidelines in order to provide the best service to our community while keeping our staff safe and healthy. Thank you for supporting Drake Public Library!

 

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New Services at Drake Public Library

Drake Public Library is adding more services to their reopening plan starting Monday July 13. 

Current Services

In addition to Stage 2 services that included curbside pick up, we are continuing Stage 3 computer use by individual appointment. You can schedule one hour for computer use for up to three people (over the age of 15) at a time in the Adult Area.  One hour for computer use for one person (child, under the age of 18 but over the age of 9, per the library’s Unattended Child Policy) at a time in the Children’s Area.

Starting Monday July 13

Part B of Stage 3 includes browsing by individual appointment.  You can schedule one hour of browsing for up to three people (for both the adult area and the children’s area).  Family groups will be asked to send one person (see Unattended Child Policy) to choose materials or they  have to reserve more than one appointment slot during that hour.  You must ask for assistance before browsing the non-fiction section on the top floor and you must schedule browsing appointments for each department (adult collection and children’s collection) that you want to visit. 

Part C of Stage 3 includes limited availability of our Conference Room and Maker Space. There is a limit of up to and no more than 6 people for scheduled meetings in the Maker Space and 4 people in the Conference Room. The Study Room and public seating are off limits. 

General Guidelines

Masks are required in the library and we will have hand sanitizer available.  Bathrooms will not be open to the public.  All materials need to be returned through the Bookdrop and won’t be accepted at the circulation desks. The lower level entrance/exit and elevator will be used by all patrons with appointments. Cleaning will be done during the breaks between time slots.   FAX/Scan with in-library printed paper only or put your form(s) in the bookdrop (in an envelope with contact information) for a future appointment.   

We are working hard to provide services to our community while keeping our staff and our patrons as safe as possible and we appreciate your support. Please contact library staff at 641-856-6676  to schedule your appointment.  

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Help Wanted – PT Circulation/Programming Assistant

Circulation/Programming Assistant – Job Description

Definition: The Circulation/Programming Assistant is responsible for assisting in daily operations at the Circulation Desks and the Collection on all floors. They will work with the Children’s Librarian to plan and execute programming for children. Experience working with and being comfortable working with the public (particularly children) is required. Dependability, positive motivation and creativity are necessary for this position. This job is under the direct supervision of the Library Director and works directly with the Children’s Librarian.

The Circulation/Programming Assistant’s job duties will be as follows:

*Checking in and out materials for patrons

*Collecting and assessing fines

*Guiding patrons to appropriate materials and answering reference questions

*Assisting patrons on the computer, photocopier and microfilm reader

*Answering the telephone

*Re-shelving materials and alphabetizing shelves

*Issuing patron cards and making corrections and updates to patron files

*Repairing materials

*Other duties as they arise or are assigned by Library Director and/or Children’s  Librarian

**Planning, creating and implementing after school and special programming opportunities for children kindergarten through middle school under the guidance of the Children’s Librarian

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities shall include:

*Familiarity with authors, books, and genres as well as STEAM and general craft programs

*Strong communication skills with a variety of ages, both one on one and in a group setting

*Basic understanding of internet and various computer programs

*Understanding of the Dewey Decimal System and the ability to alphabetize materials and re-shelve materials accurately

*Position Specific Work Schedule: Approximately 20 hours a week including every other Saturday

*FY21 Starting Salary: $10.30 per hour; raises in hourly rates are increased according to the City of Centerville cost of living schedule

Call the library at 641-856-6676 or email [email protected] to receive application. 

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Stage Three of Reopening Starts Monday at Drake Public Library

Services are continuing to open up at Drake Public Library. Curbside Pickup has worked so well for the last month and we are ready to open the library for some limited services inside the building.  Thank you for your patience as we have navigated the requirements for making library services safe for both staff and the public.

Stage 3 – Starting Monday June 15 

In addition to Stage 2 services (Curbside Pickup): Computer use by Individual Appointment. One hour for computer use for up to three people (over the age of 15) at a time in the adult area.  One hour for computer use for one person (child, under the age of 18 but over the age of 9, per the library’s Unattended Child Policy) at a time in the children’s area.  Call the library at 641-856-6676 during regular business hours to set your appointment.

Things to Remember

Be on time and enter through the lower level entrance. Knock for entry.

You must wear a mask while in the library. If you don’t have a mask, you will be asked to reschedule. Libraries must still take measures to allow for social distancing and follow guidelines from the Iowa Department of Public Health,  including maintaining six-feet of social distancing, maintaining good hygiene and wearing a cloth mask.

Adults scheduled to use the main floor computers should use the elevator to go to 1 Main Floor. (Stairwell and Floor 2 are both closed to the public at this time)

Check in at the circulation desk for your assigned computer. (No switching computers during appointment)

Printing is allowed during appointment times. Please let staff now when and how many pages you will be printing.  (Regular prices apply)  Other services; Photocopying, Fax, Scan to email, ONLY for materials printed in house during appointment time and only with staff supervision. No outside paper at this time. (All materials coming into the building are currently quarantined for 72 hours before staff handling)

You will be given a 15 minute then a 5 minute “heads up” before the end of your time and then you will be required to leave.  The computers and the elevator will be cleaned between each set of appointment times. You may call to set up another appointment any time.

When you leave, you will leave through the Lower Level door using the elevator.

For the safety of our staff and patrons, if you are ill or have come in contact with someone with COVD-19 please cancel your appointment.

A two week observation period will determine adding Browsing by Individual Appointment,  determined upon adequate availability of public area sanitation supplies and a decline in positive cases in Appanoose County.