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OH NO I returned my library book to the wrong library!

by on December 22nd, 2014

2014 12 22 oa returns YESEvery day we receive materials returned to Iowa City Public Library that are owned by other libraries. We often receive items from the Iowa City Community School District, UI Libraries and other local libraries. Fortunately we have a good routine in place to return these materials.

As a part of the State Library’s Open Access program, participating libraries around the state routinely mail books back to the owning library. This is also tied to the service where people who live in a community that supports a public library may get a library card and check out books from public libraries in other communities. The formal system to return books is a great deal for all libraries because it means our materials are routinely mailed back to us.

Because not all materials are eligible for return in the mail, patrons who wish to return items to other libraries for mail return should check ahead of time to assure it is something that can be mailed. Materials that are not eligible for mail return are often high-demand collections and mail return means the items are not available to other people while they are “in transit.” Because of this, libraries ask patrons to return these items directly to the library where the materials were borrowed.

Trivia question: Which library do we return the most items to? Choice are:

a. Weber Elementary Library

b. Coralville Public Library

c. North Liberty Community Library

d. Cedar Rapids Public Library

e. University of Iowa Libraries

Feel free to record your choice in the comments box below this post.

The next time you accidentally return your book to Iowa City Public Library that is owned by another library, rest assured the book will find its way home. Feel free to give us a call to check, but chances are it’s already in the mail :)

One Book Two Book Moves to March

by on December 22nd, 2014
One Book Two Book Moves to March Cover Image

If you’ve been waiting for information about One Book Two Book, the annual celebration of children’s literature in the City of Literature, here’s the scoop—the date has changed! Traditionally held in January, the festival will be moving to March 6-8 in 2015. All events will be held in downtown Iowa City, based at the Sheraton Hotel.

Author and illustrator David LaRochelle will be visiting and sharing his work. He has written several picture books, including Moo!, It’s a Tiger, and The Best Pet of All, as well as a young adult novel, Absolutely, Postively Not. LaRochelle didn’t start out to be an author. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a balloon man or maybe a cartoonist like Charles Schulz. During college, his dreams shifted to becoming a Hallmark card illustrator, until he was told he didn’t draw well enough. He decided to become a teacher. While teaching elementary school, LaRochelle began writing for kids. With over 25 books published, LaRochelle now writes and illustrates full-time. Although he no longer teaches, he visits schools and libraries regularly to talk about his books. In his spare time, he is also a professional pumpkin carver, whose artistry has been featured on the Good Morning America show.

One Book Two Book will also feature additional authors, and the full line-up will be announced soon. Other activities will include special events to recognize local student authors, a children’s book fair, live entertainment, face painting, arts and crafts, and more. Kids will also get to meet other special guests—children’s book characters Frog & Toad, Martha from Martha Speaks, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Babymouse, and Geronimo Stilton. It will be a fun-filled weekend, so get out those brand new 2015 calendars and save the dates for One Book Two Book!

ICPL honors staff during InService Day

by on December 19th, 2014

The Iowa City Public Library recently honored employees who have worked at the Library for five, 10, 20, and 30 years.

Seven employees were recognized during the Library’s Staff InService Day on Dec. 12.

Individuals who celebrated five years of employment at the Library include Mimi Blankenship Coupland, Heidi Kuchta, and Mari Redington.

Kate Dale and Patty McCarthy were recognized for 10 years of service, while Beth Fisher was recognized for 20 years.

Hal Penick was recognized for 30 years of employment.

“The Library is pleased to honor these individuals for their years of dedicated service,” Library Director Susan Craig said. “We thank them for their hard work and all that they do.”

For more information, contact the Library at (319) 356-5200.

The Iowa City Public Library recently honored several employees for their service. Honorees include, from left: Mimi Blankenship Coupland, Patty McCarthy, Hal Penick, Beth Fisher, and Heidi Kuchta. Not pictured are Mari Redington and Kate Dale. (Photo by Mara Cole, Iowa City Public Library)

The Iowa City Public Library recently honored several employees for their service. Honorees include, from left: Mimi Blankenship Coupland, Patty McCarthy, Hal Penick, Beth Fisher, and Heidi Kuchta. Not pictured are Mari Redington and Kate Dale. (Photo by Mara Cole, Iowa City Public Library)

Iowa City Public Library to air TaxSlayer Bowl

by on December 19th, 2014

Join the Iowa City Public Library Friday, Jan. 2, as the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl.

The Library will air the game on the big screen in Meeting Room A; beginning with the pregame show at 1 p.m. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

This free event is open to the public. Spirited cheering is encouraged and good sportsmanship required.

For more information, call the Library at (319) 356-5200.

 

Featured Game: Dominion

by on December 19th, 2014

Dominion_gameDominion is the original deck-building game. In it you are a medieval monarch, building a bigger and more prosperous kingdom. The cards in your deck represent all parts of your kingdom, and in each turn you try to accumulate more. Each player starts with ten cards, and over the course of play selects Treasure cards, Kingdom cards, Curse cards, and Victory cards to construct a deck and embellish their very own Dominion. The player with the most victory points at the end wins.

I played this game one New Year’s Eve several winters ago. It’s a novel, fast-moving game once you get the hang of play. It can be played with two, three, or four players, and a game takes probably half an hour. If you’ve ever played Magic: The Gathering or another CCG, but you’ve never played a deck-building game, this is the one to start with.

Come by some time with friends and play!

This just in!

by on December 18th, 2014
This just in! Cover Image

Literally!

We recently received this book that I’ve been pretty excited about since I ordered it almost two months ago, and I wanted to recommend it to anyone looking for something to read during the holidays. Be warned, it’s not your usual holiday read; on the other hand, it does take place in December, so the setting is timely.

On December 3, 1957, in a small town in Illinois, seven-year-old Maria Ridulph disappeared from the front yard she was playing in; her body was discovered five months later. The case quickly gained a lot of attention and was investigated thoroughly, but there were very few clues to go on. The case remained unsolved for 55 years, until new evidence came to light in 2011. And now, the book is here.

I wonder if any of our patrons remember this happening? Just the next state over, a small girl taken from her family during the holiday season…surely not something you forget hearing about. I imagine this could be a very interesting, if not powerful book for some readers who spent time wondering just what happened. Here’s your chance to find out.

Right now, the book is still being processed…but did you know that putting a hold on a book will speed up the processing? Get to it before I do!

Teen Center Tech Hours, Winter Break Edition

by on December 16th, 2014

GOTG-posterGetting ready for a break from school? Me too! The Teen Center tech times will be expanded over the next two weeks, and we even have some special events planned. Get the rundown below:

 

Monday  12/22:  1:00  -  8:00 pm

Tuesday  12/23:  1:00  -  8:00 pm

Wednesday  12/24:  1:00  -  4:00 pm

Thursday  12/25:  CLOSED

Friday  12/26:  1:00  -  6:00 pm

——-

Monday  12/29:  1:00  -  8:00 pm

Tuesday  12/30:  1:00  -  8:00 pm

(Super-special Tuesday event: Super Smash Bros video game tournament on the Wii U, 2-4pm)

Wednesday  12/31:  1:00  -  5:00 pm

(Super-special Wednesday event: watch Guardians of the Galaxy and eat popcorn with us, 2-4pm)

Thursday  1/1:  CLOSED

Friday  1/2:  1:00  -  8:00 pm

Saturday  1/3:  1:00  -  6:00 pm

Special teen events at ICPL Dec. 30 and 31

by on December 16th, 2014

Teens, visit the Iowa City Public Library Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 for two special School’s Out for the Holidays events. Holidays-Teen

Put your game face on Tuesday, Dec. 30, because we’re having a Video Game Tournament from 2 to 4 p.m. Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be playing on the flat screen, allowing up to four players to battle it out at one time.

Join the Teen Movie Club from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, for a screening of Guardians of the Galaxy. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, Guardians of the Galaxy was released in August. The action film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper.

ICPL teen events are for students in grades 7 through 12. All events take place in the Koza Family Teen Center on the Library’s second floor unless otherwise noted.

For more information, contact the Library at (319) 356-5200.

Top 5 Reasons I Use E-Books and E-Audiobooks

by on December 15th, 2014

5. There are loads of books to choose from.

The library’s e-book and e-audiobook collection has over 10,000 books. So whether you are in the mood for something like Tina Fey’s Bossypants, Donna Tart’s The Goldfinch or even a classic like Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, we’ve got it.

4. I never have to remember to return my books. EVER.

Even though I work at the library, I still rack up a considerable amount of fines on my card so I really appreciate that Overdrive automatically returns my books when they are due.

3. I can read or listen to a book without lugging it around.

As long as I have my phone, I can read or listen to a book. Once I’ve downloaded a book, I don’t even need an internet connection to read. This comes in particularly handy when I’m traveling long distances either in the car or on a plane.

2. The library is never closed.

As long as I have my library card and my password, I can check out a book. Whether I’m looking for something to read right before bed at 10:30 p.m. or listen to during that 6:00 a.m. workout, I can open the Overdrive app and generally find something.

1. I always have someone to read to me before bed.

On most smartphones or tablets you can set a sleep function. This means I can play my e-audiobook before bed and it will automatically turn off after a set period of time. I can doze off listening to my book knowing the next time I go to listen Overdrive will pick up at the place when the timer went off. (It’s also easy to go back a little ways in a chapter if you missed something while nodding off.)

Stop by during one of our Tech Help times: Mondays and Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Tuesdays 12 p.m.-4 p.m.  or Thursday from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for Senior Tech Help. Any one of our technology people can get you started with Overdrive on your mobile device!

Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Nelson

by on December 15th, 2014

We asked volunteer Emily Nelson a few questions for this “Volunteer Spotlight:”

EmilyNelsonHow long have you been volunteering at the Iowa City Public Library?
I have been volunteering for about 11 years.

What do you do at the Library?
I check in books and prepare them for reshelving. I also perform other tasks as needed.

Why did you decide to volunteer at the Library?
I’ve loved libraries since I was little. I worked at the Truman State University library while I was a student. When I moved to the Iowa City area, I missed being in a library environment and was seeking a volunteering opportunity, so this was perfect.

What is your favorite part of the collection?
All of it! It depends on the day.

What else do you like to do?
Anything outdoors. I love to bike and am a 13-year RAGBRAI veteran. I also love to run and have gotten into triathlons in the last few years. My husband and I love to travel – especially when it involves hiking in national parks. Obviously, I love reading, but I also really enjoy watching movies.

Thank you, Emily, for all of your time and hard work!

If you are interested in volunteering, go www.icpl.org/volunteer or come in to the Library and fill out a Volunteer Application.





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