Safety Tips for Parents and Children in Public Places

Recently a child was attacked at the New Bedford Public Library...you may have read about it in the newspapers. His mother was within earshot, but he was not within her sight. Libraries are public buildings, and the variety of people who use are building is large. Please keep your child within earshot AND within sight at all times. We recently saw a sign in a public library that said "Please keep your child within hugging distance." Children under 8 should never be further from a parent than that. Older children in public are at risk too, and should be taught safety procedures. Our doors are busy, and frequently open...children can move through them very quickly. In addition, our shelves can block the view from what is happening. Please help us keep everyone safe!

Ellen Degeneres on librarians

This is from Ellen Degeneres' blog, and it struck me funny!



My Thought...And I Do Have One
SHHHHHHHHHHHH!Today I’d like to talk about librarians. I don’t know how many of them watch my show. If they do, they probably watch my show while reading or working on the Dewey Decimal System. They probably don’t watch much TV at all. They just wait for the transcripts. If they do watch the show, they probably keep the sound turned down and put their fingers up to their mouths and say, “Shhhhhhhh” every time the audience laughs.
Librarians are the opposite of cheerleaders. At the library, if you make any noise, they deal with you immediately. First you get the silent, “How dare you?” look. If that doesn’t work, they give you the universal zip the lip signal. And if that doesn’t work, they do the lock up the lips and throw away the key move. I always trick them. I pretend to throw away the key, but keep it in my hand and slip it in my pocket. I’m sure I’m gonna get some phone calls from angry librarians. Of course, I won’t be able to hear what they are saying.
Have you ever been yelled at by a librarian? It tickles. I bet when they go out at night, librarians are totally different. It’s probably something like “Librarians Gone Wild.” I bet its just like the “Whitesnake” video. You remember the video? They take their glasses off, the wind starts blowing in their hair and end up on the hood of a Camaro. ..It’s because they can’t see. They think it’s their bed.

Live Homework Help

It is time to remind everyone again that we offer Live Homework Help through our website!
It is available for children in grades 4 through beginning college, and is available from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. every day except major holidays. After students have used it, they fill out a little questionnaire, and we receive the answers each month. Comments are overwhelmingly positive. Spring brings flowers and lots of projects and reports for students, and Live Homework Help is ready to assist!

Internet and Printing

Big changes are here in the sign-up for our Internet stations! Two weeks ago we started using "PC Reservation" which allows you to sign up yourself instead of stopping at the desk. When stations are open, you can just walk up to an open one and sign in, using your library card # and your pin #...your pin is usually the last four numbers of your phone. If all the stations are in use, there is a reservation station right next to our printer where you can sign in for a particular time or for "next available." When you sign in, you need to specify Internet (as opposed to JUV Internet, which is for kids up to age 15 that have permission slips) or for word processor. All our word processing stations are part of this too. If you owe us money over $3.00, your card will not work and you'll need to pay your overdues. Last week we instituted a print management feature too. When you choose to print from the Internet or from the word processors, you'll now need to choose what you are printing and also feed the coin machine in order to get your copies. We know this will save you from printing things you didn't need to print, as well as save us from spending tax paper dollars on wasted paper. Do let us know if you have any questions.

NoveList

Readers of this blog have seen several references to NoveList, which is linked on our website.
Recently NoveList (which helps you find books you'll like, help guide you through series, help you find a book by just typing in a plot description, etc) has undergone an overhaul. I took a look today, and find it tricky to work with...there is definitely a new learning curve. If you are used to using it, please take a look, try it out, and give me some feedback! The old NoveList was terrific, and I'm sure this one is too, we all just have to get used to it.

Federal Tax forms

We're not receiving as many tax forms from the feds as we used to, so many people are doing their taxes online or electronically. We still do have forms, of course, and here's a link to the IRS site (title of this article). Mass.gov also has links to Commonwealth of Massachusetts tax forms.
Let us know if you can't find what you need. We're not tax experts, so can't give advice, but we can find forms!

3 Cups of Tea

Well, our first "community read" is coming to a close, with a wonderful, wonderful event with Greg Mortenson last night. He truly is an example of how one person can change the world. Nearly 650 people attended his talk and book-signing, people were lined up for about an hour to get an autograph! We've also got a hike in the Blue Hills scheduled for March 2 at noon.
Belatedly, but still something to look forward to, we've got a cooking demo with local cook Florencia coming up in April, when Florencia will be dishing up some central Asian meals.
Lots of folks are still reading 3 CUPS OF TEA, and we've got lots of copies available if you haven't had a chance yet. The book is available in hardcover, paperback, large print, and on audio compact disc.

Greg Mortenson's program Feb 27

Tickets for Greg Mortenson's appearance here on February 27 went like the proverbial hotcakes on distribution day, February 9. We know there are lots of disappointed folks out there, and we're very sorry about that fact. The response to our program has been phenomenal. Last night's program on Islam, whose speakers were students from Al Noor Academy, was very thought provoking and we had nearly 70 people there to enjoy it. Keep your eye on the library's calendar on our website for additional programs still to come.

Information Databases

We've told you before about all the wonderful databases we have available through our Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System and through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. We just received an update of databases available from the MBLC, and it includes lots of new titles for all ages, including teachers, school administrators, and librarians!

There's a collection of more than 4,200 scholarly periodicals, including much full text. We even have the full-text of the New York Times back to 1995, and it is updated daily. Something new is Inform, geared to Spanish language speakers and students. Massachusetts History Online includes full-text articles gathered from almost 50 sources that directly relate to MA history.

You are sure to find help, whether researching for a high school or college paper, checking a health resource whether as an academic or a consumer, reading about popular culture, or reviewing current events.

THREE CUPS OF TEA

We're really gearing up for our Mansfield Reads month, starting next week! Borders is now also sponsoring our event, as well as the Friends of the Mansfield P.L. and the Mansfield Cultural Council, a local agency, funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Border is highlighting Greg Mortenson and his book.