Drake Public Library

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LIbrary Services

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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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Friends of the Drake Public Library!

The Friends of the Drake Public Library provides so much to your community’s library.  They sponsor our children’s Summer Reading Program, adult programming materials, children’s after school programming materials, magazine/newspaper subscriptions, large print books, the Bridges online library consortium and the Brainfuse Help Now/Brain Fuse Vet Now databases.  They are also our local champion for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library service. 

All of this is available through the hard work of a few volunteers and their fundraising efforts.  Are you interested in supporting these programs and services at the library? The FDPL is looking for members, sponsors and helpers!  Please take time to read through the Fall newsletter, fill out the membership/sponsorship forms and volunteer to help this incredible organization.  Their motto is “The library needs us and we need the library!”  Please be a part of continuing that tradition!

Look for the FDPL Fall Newsletter, membership/sponsorship form and time&talent survey coming soon to your mailbox or your email inbox!  If you aren’t on our mailing list, please contact Drake Public Library at 856-6676 and we will add you or click on the link in this post.  These forms are also available on the main floor of the library. 

Be a Friend! 

FDPL Fall Newsletter 2022

2023 combined membership_sponsorship form

2022 time and talent survey

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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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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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Services at Drake Public Library

Drake Public Library is taking steps toward restarting services for the public after being closed during the COVID 19 pandemic. We are approaching the process of reopening the library in stages to keep in line with guidelines set forth to protect our staff and patrons during this time. 

The next stage toward reopening Drake Public Library will start by offering Curb Side Pickup for requested materials beginning Tuesday, May 19.

Patrons can begin putting materials on hold by logging into their account through the Follett Destiny Circulation System found on the library’s website at https://drakepubliclibrary.org, over the phone at 856-6676 or by emailing the library at [email protected]. 

So, how do you log into Drake Public Library’s online card catalog system (Follett)?

Go to https://drakepubliclibrary.org 

  1. Click on Follett Destiny

Log In

  1. Select your site (Drake Public Library), and click Log In.
  2. Enter your User Name (Your last name plus the first three letters of your first name, all lowercase, one word) and Password (Your Library Card Number, no letters).
  3. Click Log In. Your site page appears.

How Do You Place an Item on Hold?

  1. Click on Catalog (top of page)
  2. Type in an author’s name, a book/movie title and click on the appropriate category (key word, title, author, subject, series)
  3. Options will come up. You should scroll down the right side of your screen. “1 of 1 available” means that this item is available to check out. “0 of 1” means that it isn’t available yet but you can still put it on hold. Call if you have questions about this.
  4. Click on the availability status
  5. Click available under status (either “available” or a date)
  6. Choose “Add Hold” (on the right side of your screen)
  7. Choose “Save”
  8. We will be checking the system for online holds every morning and will contact you as soon as your turn comes up for the item placed on hold.
  9. Items will be due two weeks from the pick up date scheduled.
  10. Items with several holds on them will need to be picked up within one week of contact.

You will be contacted by a DPL Librarian to set up a time for you to pick up your materials and you will be given further directions during this conversation.

 

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Using the Libby App for Bridges

The library building is closed to the public. But you can still keep reading through online resources. We are very lucky to have access to the State Library of Iowa’s resource for online Ebook, Audio, Live Stream Video and Magazine Consortium through Bridges. The Friends of the Drake Public Library sponsors our participation with the Bridges online resource. You can still go directly to Bridges through our website.  But the Libby App is the newest way to access Bridges.  Here are some easy to follow directions. 

The free Libby app is the easiest way to get started with digital books, audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. Libby is available for Android, iOS, Windows 10, some Chromebooks, and in your browser at libbyapp.com.

Notes:

  • If you have a device that’s not compatible with Libby, you can use the OverDrive app to borrow and enjoy digital titles instead.
  • If you belong to a school, you may be able to use our new Sora app to borrow ebooks and audiobooks instead.

STEP 1

Install the Libby app from your device’s app store.

Or, visit libbyapp.com in your Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge browser.

STEP 2

In Libby, follow the prompts to find your library (Drake Public Library) and sign in with a valid library card number. When prompted for a username, it will be your library card number (just numbers, no P). Your password or PIN will be your last name with the first letter capitalized. 

STEP 3

Browse your library’s collection and borrow a title.

STEP 4

Borrowed titles appear under Shelf > Loans and download to the app automatically when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, so you can read them when you’re offline.

From your Loans, you can:

  • Tap Read With…to choose where you’d like to read the book (Kindle or Libby), then finish sending to Kindle (U.S. libraries only) or start reading in Libby.
  • Tap Open Audiobook or Open Magazine to start reading or listening to that title.
  • Tap Manage Loan to see options like Renew and Return.

If you need more help with Libby, please visit Libby Help or contact Drake Public Library staff at 856-6676 (Leave a message. We will call you back), email us at [email protected] or through a our Facebook page messenger.

Happy reading!