Overdrive eLibrary is back

The Overdrive eLibrary is back and running once again.

My apologies to those dedicated eReaders amongst you who have been missing downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks for the past couple of days.

Regards, ePaul.

Catalogues Down for Maintenance over Christmas

Just letting everyone know, the online Catalogues will be receiving some holiday love over the Christmas Period and will be down for maintenance until 9am Thursday the 27th.

Sorry for any inconvenience! Please contact one of our branches within our Christmas Hours should you have any queries.

Until then, have a fantastic holiday,

The ERL Virtual Team

Our libraries are closed from 5:30pm tonight for a regional staff meeting

Just a reminder that all of our libraries are closing at 5:30pm tonight so that staff may attend a regional staff meeting.

We apologise for any inconvenience. Items may be returned via the bookchute or renewed online.

Cheers, webgurl

Library email notices are currently bouncing back

We are currently investigating an issue whereby email alerts for holds, overdues and pre-overdues are not being delivered but are bouncing back.

It seems the catalogue email address has been incorrectly listed on a blacklist that many Internet Service Providers use. We are working on getting it removed from the list.

In the meantime anyone expecting an email notice will instead receive a paper notice.

We apologise for any inconvenience. We hope to have the matter resolved soon.

Cheers, webgurl

Rocking Out at Lilydale Festival - African Drums get the Thumbs Up

Showbags! Lots of give-aways at the
ERL tent at the Lilydale Show

What can we say - Eastern Regional Libraries loves a festival and the Lilydale Festival was no exception. Held at the Lilydale Recreation Reserve, there was a great selection of agricultural and horticultural displays and marquees with the festival enjoying some beautiful weather and a fantastic turnout.

Lilydale library staff were also at the festival this year, with the number of visitors to the ERL tent keeping staff well and truly run off their feet. Rowanne, a staff member from Lilydale library,  had this say; "We were flat out and completely exhausted by the end, but it was well worth it. It was great to see so many people stopping by to see us." Yes, we agree - it's always nice to know we're loved!

One of the major highlights of the festival was the African Drumming Workshop organised by ERL Lilydale Crew at the main marquee. Sessions for the this rhythmic gathering led by the charismatic and talented Koffi were completely booked out - we ran out of chairs. Children, parents and grandparents were all delighted by the musical instruction and it is no doubt they left with a bit of pep in their step by the end of it. The workshop proved so popular, ERL is looking forward to seeing Koffi again for more workshops in the future - so watch this space.

Overall, it was a fantastic day. Thank you to all the people who visited the ERL Library Crew at their display tent and participated in the African Drumming Workshop - we look forward to seeing you all next year.

Knox Mobile off the road for service from 29th November

The Knox Mobile is off the road for service from 5pm 29th November until 5pm 10th December. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Items may be returned or renewed via any Eastern Regional Libraries branch (apart from Knox Library which is currently closed for maintenance).

Cheers, webgurl

New titles added to the eLibrary

We have added 1,332 new eBook titles to the eLibrary in the past week due mainly to the fact that Transworld Publishers (part of Random House) and Harper Collins Australia have released their titles into Overdrive. This means that eLibrary members now have access to eBooks by the following authors:

Transworld (mainly international authors) - Monica Ali, Dan Brown, Lee Child, Michael Crichton, Roddy Doyle, Ben Elton, Frederick Forsyth, David Gemmell, Tess Geritsen, Bear Grylls, Mo Hayder, W.E. Johns (Biggles!!), Alexander Kent, Sophie Kinsella (Shopaholic), Henning Mankell (Kurt Wallander series), W Somerset Maugham, Andy McNab, Richelle Mead, Iris Murdoch, James Patterson, Terry Pratchett, Katie Price, Douglas Reeman, Anne Rice, Salman Rushdie, Chris Ryan, Jacqueline Wilson, Karin Slaughter, Irvine Welsh, PG Wodehouse (Jeeves and Wooster).

Harper Collins Australia (mainly Australian authors) - Robert G Barrett, Carmel Bird, Deborah Challinor, Peter Fitzsimons, Nikki  Gemmell, Linda Jaivin, Elizabeth Knox, Karl Kruszelnicki, Stephanie Laurens, Tobsha Learner, Stuart Littlemore, Colleen McCullough, Linda Lael Miller, Tara Moss, Lynne Wilding, Sally Wise.

We have also added some Allen & Unwin titles including the latest books by Kate Morton, Chris Masters and Christi Malthouse's biography of her famous dad.

Happy eReading.

Cheers, Paul.

Lee Child eBooks now available in the eLibrary

Before you go along and see the new Jack Reacher movie starring Tom Cruise why don't you first read the book on which it is based 'One Shot'? Transworld Publishers have just released the series as eBooks and you can find numbers one ('Killing Floor') to thirteen ('Gone Tomorrow') in the eLibrary.

The other four books in the series are all available as paper books (pBooks)  and audiobooks in the branches. The latest book in the series, 'A Wanted Man', has just been released and you are able to place a reservation from home or by giving one of our branches a call.

Happy eReading,

Paul.

Catching up with Caravan Parks - New Outreach Vehicles Timetables

Eastern Regional Libraries has expanded their Outreach Vehicle Service to include caravan parks, more retirement homes, public housing developments, industrial areas and train stations.

The Knox Flexi Vehicle will now be including Wantirna Caravan Park and Bayswater Railway Station.

Meanwhile, the Yarra Ranges Flexi Vehicle has added Brittania Ridge, Doon Reserve and Pinehill Caravan Parks to their schedules.

The new timetables have been in effect for approxinmately six weeks now - so how has it all been going?


Greg, our Manager of the Mobile Community Services, reports that this new mobile service has so far been well received, with lots of new memberships being signed up at each stop. Positive feedback has also included "What a great idea being more accessible to community housing" and "Love the new truck" and our personal favourite - that the truck itself was rather "cute".


Commuters, in particular, have also found the service at Bayswater Railway Station to be extremely useful.

"I was so surprised to see the library truck at seven in the morning," wrote Elise (28, sales assistant), from Boronia. "Being able to grab something for the train ride to work is so handy."



The new timetable for the Outreach Vehicles are now available.
Knox Outreach Vehicle Timetable
Yarra Ranges Flexi Vehicle Timetable

Knox Outreach Vehicle offroad for maintenance Nov 30 - Dec 10

Just a heads up for all our Knox Outreach Vehicle patrons - the truck will be off the road for scheduled maintenance between November 30th - December 10th. This may impact people who have sent their reservations to the mobile truck whilst Knox Library is closed.

Sorry for the inconvenience - please don't hesitate to call with any enquiries on 1300 737 277.

Christie Heart - Singing her way to Success

Christie with her novel
Leave the Wake Behind

Congratulations to local author and songwriter Christie Heart for the release of her debut novel Leave the Wake Behind. Complete with an accompanying CD, the book was 7 years in the making - an effort well worth the wait. In support of self-published local authors, Christie was invited as a special guest for the Ferntree Gully Library Bookchat on the 18th October to share her work.

Talking about her experiences as a self-published author, the challenges she faced and the fulfillment in writing her novel, many visitors to Ferntree Gully couldn't help but pause and listen to Christie's talk throughout the afternoon.

Christie was an absolute delight and an amazing performer. Beautifully read extracts from her book as well as playing songs from her CD, it is no wonder patrons were stopped in their tracks. In an effort to bring her passion for writing and music together, Christie has created a storyline inspired and formed from a selection of her own original songs.

Whilst Christie's book, Leave the Wake Behind, is written as a stand alone novel and great read in its own right - there was a teaser that Christie is working on a sequel...

Congratulations to Christie on the success of her debut novel - it was a pleasure to have you visit at Ferntree Gully Libray!

Copies of Leave the Wake Behind

Copies of her book are also available on the ERL Catalogue - so have your card in hand and order a copy today (especially if there is a sequel coming!).

If you would like to know more about Christie Heart and the inspirations behind her work, please visit Christie at her website.

Get your Bond on in the eLibrary!

There's only a week to go until Skyfall, the new James Bond movie, premieres here in Australia but if you can't wait until then to get your dose of thrills, spills and adventure you should go to our eLibrary where you will be able to find all of the Ian Fleming penned Bond adventures on eAudiobook. There are 12 in the series and they are read by such British acting luminaries as Damian Lewis (Diamonds Are Forever), Kenneth Branagh (The Man With The Golden Gun), Bill Nighy (Moonraker) and David Tennant (On Her Majesty's Secret Service).
In the eLibrary you can also find the eAudiobooks for the Young Bond series written by Charlie Higson - meet James Bond before the name became a legend and the boy became a man.

If you like your spy thrillers a bit more gritty and realistic you will also find the Bernard Sampson and Harry Palmer series by Len Deighton available as eBooks. Several of the Harry Palmer series were made into movies with Michael Caine taking the part of the downtrodden hero. The most memorable being The Ipcress File and The Billion Dollar Brain.

But if you want to find out what it was really like to work for MI5 and MI6 you should listen to the Circus spy stories starring George Smiley and written by ex-British Intelligence agent John Le Carre. You can find all of the Karla Trilogy in the eLibrary beginning with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, continuing with The Honourable Schoolboy and finishing with Smiley's People.

Enjoy!
Paul.

PS: If you want to see how Fleming envisaged how James Bond looked go to the following Wikipedia article - James Bond.

Halloween Hullabaloo was a Scream! Fright-Night Highlights from Knox Library

Professor DeeJay's Magic
Punch & Judy Show

Oh, what a night! Thrills, chills and screams of delight - Knox Library once again hosted the annual Halloween Hullabaloo on October 31st.

At 6:30pm, the library was descended upon by ghouls, fairies, witches, little monsters, a swathe of superheroes and many more brightly costumed children and their parents for the evening festivities. A whopping headcount of approximately 100 children attended this year.

Professor DeeJay was a master at keeping the crowd entertained with his ever-popular Magic Punch and Judy Show. Both kids and parents were in fits of giggles throughout the show - thank you Professor Deejay for such a wonderful performance.

A massive shout out to Knox's Branch manager Carolyn, masquerading as "Bride of Frankenstein" on the night, along with her supernatural lieutenants - the ghostly Di and Cara the Warlock - for making the evening a huge success. Everything from the decorations, food to the fun atmosphere - we can all agree by the tonnes of positive feedback that you out-did yourselves. Three cheers!

Mmmm - Treats indeed!

Party nibblies of a ghoulish nature were also arranged, with everything from cupcakes, short "fingers", jelly brains, chocolate crackles, chips, assorted lollies, cookies and lots of cordial (yes, mums and dads - you are most welcome **winks**).

Thank you to everyone who came and had such a great time - the costumes were fantastic and we look forward to hosting another Halloween Hullabaloo next year.

Our Eyes are still Burning - ERL raises $136.00 for Loud Shirt Day!!

Rose, Raelene and Federica at Rowville
Library celebrating Loud Shirt Day!

Everyone has a shirt hidden in their closet that seems to have a pulsing, radioactive colour energy that makes people squint. It's the shirts we love to hate and hate to throw away, but one day a year we can let that shirt shine with Loud Shirt Day on October 19th. In the spirit of the Fashion Meets Fiction exhibition, the staff at Eastern Regional Libraries brought together fashion with their love of books to raise funds to support hearing imparied children.

Loud Shirt Day is an initiative created by the First Voice Organisation that focuses on providing listening and spoken language therapy to deaf children in Australia and New Zealand. First Voice is a world class leader for the early childhood intervention and research for children who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Currently, First Voice have supported more than 1,000 hearing impaired children in Australian and New Zealand and perform almost 70 cochlear implant procedures a year.

And didn't the librarians look absolutely smashing? Eastern Regional Libraries raised $136.00 for Loud Shirt Day to go to the First Voice Organisation. Congratulations!

Maroondah Festival Fun at Croydon Library This Weekend

Who doesn't love a festival? Music, dancing, market stalls, amusement rides, community spirit and just a whole heap of fun - it's happening this weekend at the Maroondah Festival.

Croydon Library will also be open during the festival with a range of delightful activities! Professor DeeJay will be back with his ever-so-popular Magic Punch and Judy Show in the morning. Then enjoy a family-fun workshop after lunch with Ron the Clown in the afternoon.

Hope to see you there!


-- Croydon Library at Maroondah Festival --

Professor DeeJay's magic Punch & Judy Show
When: Sunday 11th November 11:30am
Where: Croydon Library, Civic Square, Croydon
Cost: Free event

Circus Workshop with Ron the Clown
When: Sunday 11th November 1:30pm
Where: Croydon Library, Civic Square, Croydon
Cost: Free event

Knox Library Closed Nov 11 - Dec 10

New gizmos and a lick of paint! It's all happening at Knox Library - which will be closed from Sunday 1th November at 4pm and will be re-opening on Monday 10th December at 10am.

So what exactly is going on? A new Smart Returns 5-bin sorting system is being installed to help with the heavy returns workflow at Knox Library. Those of you who are familiar with Croydon Library will have seen a similar returns system over there. New tech in the branches is always exciting for us, especially for staff. Not only do we love having new toys to play with and equipment that is seen in leading library services, but it also means a reduction in repetitive wrist-strain injuries for our staff.

But there are benefits for our patrons, too. By returning items through the new system,  you will be able to see them being crossed off your card as they go through (Nice! It's always good to know they are done) and subsequently your account will be completely up to date when you use the Venus Checkout stands to borrow your books or visit the Customer Service counter.

Whilst we are closed, we've arranged the following details.

Extended Loan Period: Members borrowing at Knox Library in the month prior to the closure will receive an extended loan period

No holds on Knox items: From the 22nd October Knox Library stock will not be available for holds

No Knox Pickup: From the 22nd October Knox Library will not be available as a pickup branch in the catalogue

Holds transfer: Knox members with holds that are likely to arrive during the closed period should arrange to have their holds transferred to another branch or suspended

Bookchute: The bookchute will be closed, so items should be returned to other Eastern Regional Libraries branches

Internet/WiFi: Internet, WiFi and photocopying will not be available at Knox Library during the closed period

In the meantime, pencil in that re-opening date and if you have questions or concerns  - please don't hesitate to call any of our branches on 1300 737 277.

cheers, Jess

Libraries closed for Melbourne Cup Day

Rounding the first turn in the 2005 Melbourne Cup (courtesy of VRC)

All branches and mobiles of Eastern Regional Libraries will be closed for Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 6th November.

Branches and mobiles will resume normal hours on Wednesday 7th November.

You will be able to return items through the bookchute during this time.

So plan early, either return your items on the weekend or, if you know your PIN, you can renew your items via the library catalogue. Follow the instructions in the catalogue tutorials. If you don't know your PIN, apply for it now through the library website.

For the latest news and events on the Melbourne Cup Carnival, visit the Victoria Racing Club's Cup Carnival website.

If you're looking for something else to do on Tuesday check out what's on at 101 things to do in Melbourne.

Cheers, webgurl

Books in Print online service unavailable due to Hurricane Sandy

Books in Print is currently unavailable due to the storm affecting the New York and New Jersey area where Bowker, the vendor that produces Books in Print, is based.

Hopefully all is well. We will advise as soon as we know the service has resumed.

Regards, webgurl

Get your Greenie On! Stringybark Suburban Sustainability Festival this Weekend!

The Stringybark Festival is back again! With successful turnouts of around 25,000 visitors every year, the Stringybark Festival has become an incredibly popular festival for families and the community.

Be prepared to walk your legs off - there is heaps to do and see. This year there is over 80 free workshops and activities for the kids - so make sure you have space in the "pool room" or on the fridge because chances are you'll need it. Teens can also jazz up their social media profiles with "I've been Boothed" and the "Canvas Challenge" from Knox Youth Services - so be sure to check out the details and "Like" their Facebook page.

Eastern Regional Libraries will also be there with the Knox Flexi Vehicle - so keep your eyes open on the day. We'll be there to answer questions, sign up new memberships and just say hello!

Stringybark Festival Activities include:
* Fair Trade and locally made goods Market Stalls
* Handmade crafts
* Children’s fairground (with a low environmental impact)
* Roving performers
* Native animal displays
* Event kitchen cooking demonstrations
* Fabulous food from around the world
* Live music and performances across four stages – one sustainability pedal powered
* Learn tons of ways to save money whilst saving the environment
* The Stringybark Festival is a Plastic Bag Free event, so be sure to pack your eco-bags.

Sounds like a plan, guys - So get out there and enjoy the weather this weekend. Apparently it's going to be quite lovely. See you at the Festival!


When: Saturday 20th October & Sunday 21st October 10:30am-5:00pm 
Where: Rowville Community Centre, Fullham Rd, Rowville
Cost: See Knox City Council for details.
Details: Stringybark Festival Flyer and Program and Stringybark 2012 Community Bus Timetable.

School Holidays were a Smash with Record Turn-outs!! Favourite Events Recapped

School Holiday Activities were an absolute hit this year. We had approximately 5,736 children and parents attend over 50 events across the region. That has beaten our record for this time last year!! Woohoo!!

Here are some of the highlights from a few of our branches.

Lilydale Library
Magic Punch & Judy Show with Professor Dee-Jay

There were many giggles and delighted gasps from our young audience as they were entertained by the hilarious antics of Professor Dee-Jay. The Punch and Judy puppet show was also fantastic - such classic entertainment.

Rowville Library
CARP Productions 2012 Bookweek Show

There is always a fantastic turnout for CARP Productions - the kids just love them. Based on the 2012 Book Week short list, CARP Productions were an absolute delight to our audience at Rowville. With lots of bright costumes and music, children watched as their favourite storybook characters came to life. What a way to insipre young children to read!

Ringwood Library
The Flash Twinkle Toes Silly Circus Show

In one word - AMAZING. This show was completely packed out, as children were enticed into fits of giggles as they watched accomplished circus performer and puppeteer, Flash (pictured left). Through many circus feats of plate spinning, magic and contact juggling, everyone had a ball of a time.

Mt Evelyn Library
Yarra Woodworkers

Dads and Grandads were able to get in on the School Holiday fun by joining the kids for the Yarra Woodworkers Workshop. With a choice of bird houses, trinket boxes, tool boxes and more - children were assisted in putting together their wood-working project and decorating it.

Celebrating Good Eating with Elizabeth Chong for Seniors Week

Food is a wonderful way to keep in touch with old friends and make new ones. Whether it be going out for meals, cooking together or celebrating special events, appreciating good food with good company is definitely one of life's perks.

As part of the Senior's Festival, celebrity chef and award winning author Elizabeth Chong will be Celebrating Good Eating at Knox Library.

So, bring some friends (the more the merrier) and indulge in morning tea with Elizabeth at Knox Library.

When: Monday 8th October 10:00am
Where: Knox Library, Knox City Shopping Centre,Wantirna South
Cost: Free event
Bookings essential phone 9801 1422 or Book Online

Cheers, Jessica

Recommend eBooks to the Library with Overdrive

It is #followalibrary day @EasternRegional on Twitter - and to celebrate Eastern Regional Library is rolling out a new feature on the Overdrive eBook Collection that allows people to recommend eBooks and eAudio books to the library.

Yes - you read that correctly! If there is something we don't have, you can search for it in the "Additional Titles" collection. Here you can choose the item you think we should add to the library and click the blue "Recommend" button. Ta Da!! It is that easy.

It gets even better - when you make a recommendation, Overdrive will also give you the option of being notified if we buy the item and can also automatically place you on the reservation list to borrow when it comes in. People will be able to recommend up to 5 items per day.

So, get in there and have your say about what you would like us to have in the Overdrive eLibrary Collection and tweet us @EasternRegional what you recommended!!

Read Magazines on your eReader with Zinio

Alrighty, folks - we are very proud to release the latest in our online resources... **drum roll**...Zinio!

Zinio is an online magazine platform that allows you to download your favourite magazines right into your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook. With over 200 titles to choose from, with another 100 to be added over the next couple of months - there is plenty to help keep boredom at bay.

Zinio comes with a number of fantastic features:

• Zinio will notify you when the next edition of your magazine is available to download (we love this!), so you'll never miss out on an issue ever again.
• There is no limit to the number of magazines you "subscribe" to.
• There are no due dates and therefore no overdue charges with using Zinio. Also, once you have downloaded your magazine copy, it is there to view whenever you want.
• No more waiting lists (how good is that??). You can download the latest issue straight away. Zinio works on a multi-user model, so an unlimited amount of people can access the same publication simultaneously. Hooray!

Want to get started? Simply login to Zinio with your library account and follow the prompts. There is also a User Guide and a Video Tutorial available, too. Soon you'll be reading your favourite magazines wherever you are - in bed, on the train, or even the salon.

Back by Popular Demand - Boronia Fashion Parade

Boronia Library is once again hosting their very popular Fashion Parade. In conjunction with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Fashion Parade will feature a range of gorgeous and affordable couture that can be found in op-shops. A range of styles and sizes will be on show, with all items on display being available for purchase (and much more!) on the night. Last year raised over $700 for our charities, so we're hoping to top it this year!

There is also a chance to win two tickets to the Fashion Meets Fiction - Darnell Collection Exhibition at Burrinja Cultural Centre opening later this year.

Special guest fashionista, Erica Louise will also be available on the night for free up-cycling advice for your wardrobe. So with a glass of champagne, a fashion consultant and a catwalk presentation - looking good for less was never this much fun.


When: Friday 12th October 7:00pm
Where: Boronia Library, Park Crescent, Boronia
Cost: $5 (with all proceeds going to the McGrath Foundation)

Bookings essential phone 9762 4099 or book online.

Cheers, Jess

New Knox Outeach Service Timetable Starts Today

Knox Outreach Service

Just a reminder that the new Knox Outreach vehicles are out and about in the community today. This is quite exciting as the service aims to reach parts of the community unable to access our Knox, Ferntree Gully, Boronia and Rowville service points. There has been some slight changes to the timetable, so be sure to check it out.

View the new Knox Mobile timetable (pdf, 159Kb).

Hope to see you out there

Cheers, Jess

New Knox Mobile truck & timetable starts 17th September

Knox Outreach Service
Run by Eastern Regional Libraries on Council’s behalf, the Knox Outreach vehicle brings the library to you - making it easy for anyone to access the perfect book.

This mobile library service has been popular with Knox residents for many years and will house about 2,000 books inside a newly designed space. The new vehicle is actually smaller than the original. We’ve designed it that way so it can go to more places, like industrial estates, retirement villages, and special community events, as well as regular stops in Knox.

The service aims to reach parts of the community unable to access the four library service points at Knox, Ferntree Gully, Boronia and Rowville.

The new service starts on Monday 17th September. View the new Knox Mobile timetable (pdf, 159Kb)

Cheers, webgurl

New print management system coming to Eastern Regional Libraries

A new print management system called Paper Cut will be installed at all ERL branches over the next three weeks, starting at Boronia on Monday 10th September. It includes a web access portal for customers to view their account balance and what printing they have done in the past.

Public PC users will experience some disruption while the new equipment and software is being installed. As each branch is upgraded, public PCs will be unavailable during that time. Members may use the PCs at other library branches.

Update 11th Sept: Any funds on members cards will be transferred across to the Paper Cut Print Management System database once Paper Cut is in place at all branches.

Cheers, webgurl

Writes of Spring - Short Story Competition

The Writes of Spring is a short story competition for all ages from the State Library of Victoria.

Simply pick up a postcard at any of our Eastern Regional libraries and write a short story about the postcard illustration. It's that easy! Winners will be published in a keepsake book that will be available at all public libraries.

Don't forget to add your contact details to the back of the postcard.

Entries close 21 September 2012.

For more information - visit the State Library of Victoria.

cheers, Anoewyn

New Travel Guides in the eLibrary

Lonely Planet are one of the latest publishers to release their books in the eBook format and you can now find over 40 of their latest titles available in our eLibrary. So if you are considering a trip overseas you can log on to the eLibrary and download a guide that will help you plan your great adventure. And while you are at it why not brush up on your foreign languages by registering with our Mango Languages online resource. By registering you are then able to download an App from the Apple App Store or the Android equivalent from Google Play that will allow you to learn your language on the go.

Aurevoir, Paul.

Interesting statistical factoids

I have been number crunching figures regarding how many items the library purchased in the last financial year and have converted them into the following set of factoids which may be of interest.

We purchased 77,612 items for the libraries last financial year.

Now close your eyes and imagine that you are in the Eastern Regional Libraries Cheer Squad behind the goals at the MCG.

If you placed the 3585 CDs that we bought on top of each other they would make a pile twice the height of two goal posts placed on top of each other.

If you then decided to place all of the magazines that we purchased on top of each other (11,295) they would reach as high as a light tower at the MCG (75m in height - the equivalent of a 24 story building).

If you then placed all the DVDs we bought end to end (10,985) they would stretch from the MCG all the way up to the front steps of the State Library of Victoria (2.1 km).

And then if you were to place all of the books that we have purchased this year (Fiction, Non-Fiction and Paperbacks = 33,990) in equal piles in front of the State Library you would have 24 piles of books reaching as high as the library's dome.

But what was even more amazing was the following calculation based on the items purchased for the eLibrary. 

The eLibrary collection contains 7,636 eBooks and 1,607 audiobooks.

I was able to calculate an average for the file size of the eBooks and audiobooks and then calculated that the total size of the eLibrary equated to approximately 60,000,000 kilobytes......... which sounds pretty impressive until you realise that 60,000,000 kilobytes equates to 60 gigabytes or 0.06 terabytes.

Basically you would be able to store our entire eLibrary collection on a 1TB portable hard drive from Dick Smiths and have room for another 15 ERL eLibraries on it!

A 1TB portable hard drive is the same size as a normal paperback book and costs $150.

Cheers, Paul.

beamafilm - watch docos online via the library website

Dare I say it...... but if you're tired of watching the Olympics on your TV why not take a look at our new Online Resource 'beamafilm'. You can watch over 40 award winning documentaries from around the world in the comfort of your own home. Some of the Australian titles include, 'Cane Toads' by Mark Lewis and 'The Triangle Wars' by Rosie Jones. All you need to do is click the link above and then enter your library card number when prompted - the one beginning 20023 on your card.

Happy viewing.

Cheers, Paul.

Learn a new language online

Are you about to head off overseas and would like to be able to order a caffe latte in Italian, French, Indonesian or Japanese? Or are you a native Mandarin speaker and would like to brush up on your English conversational skills? Or would you like to develop your swashbuckling and improve your command of 'Pirate'? Than our new language learning resource, 'Mango Languages' is the place to go.

There are over 40 foreign languages to explore and over 15 ESL (English as a Second Language) courses provided. You can also learn Ancient Greek, Latin or Biblical Hebrew if you are of a Classical mind! My favourite is Pirate.... avast there landlubbers!!

Go to the Online Resources page on our website and scroll down to Language Learning to access Mango. You can also download an App from the Apple Store or the Android Market so that you can learn on your smart device.

Aurevoir, Paul.

ERL members saved over $62 million in the past year by borrowing from our libraries

Paul, our Manager - Information Services, has had his statistics hat on the past couple of weeks and shared some interesting comparisons....

Last year we had 2,042,407 people come through the doors of our libraries – this works out to 39,277 folks turning up each week. To put it into perspective it means that we are filling The Gabba, the Brisbane Cricket Ground, to capacity each Saturday for an entire year or playing to a sold-out crowd at Docklands stadium for 38 consecutive nights.

We have 126,444 members which is the equivalent of the entire membership of Collingwood and Hawthorn Football Clubs combined. Last year we joined up 15,304 members which is the equivalent of filling the Myer Music Bowl to capacity and still having a thousand people queuing up outside clamouring to get in.

Speaking of cultural institutions we had 91,209 people, large and small, come along to our adult and junior activities. This equates to filling the newly refurbished Hamer Hall at the Arts Centre for 34 nights – beat that KD Lang et al!

And as for loans…… well we have had a terrific year – 3,444,650 items have gone out and come back again. Now if we were to put a monetary value on these items you would get the following set of numbers for the main categories of items that people borrow (I have averaged out the RRP costs of these items):

• Hardback Fiction – 923,000 items @ $20 an item = $18,460,000
• Paperbacks – 226,000 items @$10 an item = $2,260,000
• Non-Fiction – 465,000 items @ $25 an item = $11,625,000
• Picture books – 430,000 items @ $15 an item = $6,450,000
• DVDS – 727,000 items @ $25 an item = $18,175,000
• CDs – 130,000 items @ $20 an item = $2,600,000
• Magazines – 180,000 items @ $8 an item = $1,440,000
• Graphic Novels – 25,000 items @ $30 an item = $750,000
• eBooks – 29,000 items @ $20 an item = $580,000

Which makes a grand total of $62,340,000 that you, our members, have saved themselves by being members of the library…… membership certainly does have its privileges.

Well done everyone!!

Cheers, paul & webgurl

Congratulations to Amie & Tiana, winners of the Children's Storywriting Competition

Congratulations to the following winners of the ERL Children's Storywriting Competition:

Winner 6-8 years $75 book voucher - Amie - Pokey Puppy
Winner 9-12 years $100 book voucher - Tiana - Tommy and his Magical Powers

Andy Griffiths presented the winners with their prizes at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party at Mooroolbark Library.

Cheers, webgurl

Update: Healesville Library is now open until further notice

Healesville Library is now open until further notice. However the library may need to close later. We will keep you updated.

Cheers, webgurl

Healesville Library closed due to fire in the main street overnight

Due to a fire in the Main Street overnight and ongoing health concerns due to toxic smoke in the area, Healesville Library will not open to the public until cleared to do so by Yarra Ranges Health Department.

Regards, webgurl

Want to report an issue to your local council? Check out the Snap Send Solve app

I just discovered an amazing app to report incidents to your local council with your smartphone. With Snap Send Solve you can report damaged roads or footpaths, issues with hard waste or parking. The reports are emailed to the council responsible with your email address. You can also attach photos of the issue with the report.

Snap Send Solve (Android) | Snap Send Solve (iPhone)

Cheers, webgurl

Congratulations to the winners of the Mt Evelyn Book Cover contest

There were so many amazing entries in the Mt Evelyn Library Book Cover contest (19 altogether), that it was a tough choice.

Rowanne and Andrea presented the prizes to the winners and Gil, an artist with Community Link, gave a talk on the merits of each winning entry.

Congratulations to the following winners:

Bethany (Winner 14-16 years)
Sylvia (Winner 12-13 years), Neal (Runner-up 12-13 years)
Lien (Winner 10-11 years), Ava (Runner-up 10-11 years)
Emily (Winner 8-9 years), Kyle (Runner-up 8-9 years)
Oscar (Winner 5-7 years), Sarah (Runner-up 5-7 years)
Josh special encouragement award

Bethany (Winner 14-16 years)

Lien (Winner 10-11 years)

Emily (Winner 8-9 years)

Sarah (Runner-up 5-7 years & the youngest entrant)

Cheers, webgurl

Returning to Work after a prolonged absence? Free information sessions that may help

Return to Work series

Swinburne is hosting a series of free morning tea events at the Lilydale and Wantirna campuses to promote the return to work program for parents. These information sessions will provide a unique opportunity for parents, particularly mothers, to identify their opportunities if they wish to return to work after prolonged time out of the workforce.

When: Thursday 19th July 10:30am-12noon - Wantirna campus
When: Wednesday 1st August 10:30am-12noon - Lilydale campus

Refreshments: Morning tea will be provided
RSVP: Complete the registration form
Enquiries: 9214 4535    

Children
Children are more than welcome to come under parent supervision.

Cheers, webgurl

Update on the Internet Service Provider changeover & paper notices

We have recently switched Internet Service Providers and the IT department have been hard at work to make the transition as streamless as possible. The final two sites Mooroolbark Library & the Monbulk Community Reading Room are expected to be back up today.

Meanwhile during the changeover you may find that you receive a paper notice for holds and overdues. Your usual phone, email or SMS notification will be back soon.

Thanks for your patience during the changeover.

Cheers, webgurl

Notice: Disruption of Internet service & website Wednesday 27 June

Update: The changeover for our new Internet Service Provider has been confirmed and will take place on Wednesday 27 June. ERL internet services and website will be unavailable between approximately 8am - 10am whilst this chageover takes place.

We apologise for any inconvenience!

Cheers, Anoewyn

Celebrating Mt Evelyn Library's 25th birthday - check out the photos!

Last Friday morning Mt Evelyn Library hosted a birthday celebration for the library.

Acting Team Leaders Andrea Ramsey and Suzanne Allan were joined by councillors Tim Heenan and Len Cox, local historian Paula Herlihy, students and teachers from Mt Evelyn Primary School, library members and Corporate Manager - Customer Services, Lorraine Seeger and Web Administrator - webgurl.

Local Historian Paula Herlihy educates everyone about the history of the Station House in Mt Evelyn, the railway and even stamps.

Students from Mt Evelyn Primary School entertained councillors, staff, parents and library members with songs including our favourite, a song about reading.

Group photo with students from Mt Evelyn Primary School, historian Paula Herlihy, Councillors Heenan and Cox, Acting Team Leaders Andrea Ramsey and Suzanne Allan

Thanks to:

• Suzanne and Andrea for organising the event and putting on an amazing morning tea
• Mt Evelyn Primary School students and teachers for a fantastic performance
• Historian Paula Herlihy for an informative talk on the history of the Mt Evelyn Station House
• Councillors Tim Heenan and Len Cox for their support of the library and attendance.
• Parents and library members.

Cheers, webgurl

Join the fun with our July School Holiday Program

School Holidays are just around the corner!! Come and join us for a wide range of fun activities to keep the kids entertained. Everything from author visits with Felice Arena, Adam Wallace and Andy Griffiths to Bedtime Storytimes and Cupcake Decorating to name a few. It's all happening these holidays - don't miss out!!

Bookings are essential - so sign up for activities on our Events Calendar or phone 1300 737 277.

Cheers, Jess

Where have my favourites gone on the catalogue?

If you've discovered on logging into the catalogue that some of your favourited authors and subjects aren't appearing it may be because of a recent purge. Previously the author and subject of items borrowed were stored as favourites, leading to a mass of extra data on the server.

An alteration was made so that only those authors and subjects manually added are stored as favourites and those ones added automatically by the system were removed.

It's easy to add your favourite authors and titles manually by following the instructions on our Catalogue Help - Favourites.

Cheers, webgurl

Update: Internet and library website will be available next Thursday

We have just been advised that the planned changeover of Internet Service provider, that would have caused a disruption in our Internet service and website next Thursday, will now be taking place on another day (possibly the following week).

Members will now be able to book the library PCs for Thursday. We will keep everyone updated as soon as we have the new date confirmed.

Cheers, webgurl

Notice: Disruption of Internet service & website Thursday 21st June

Due to a changeover of Internet Service Provider at Eastern Regional Libraries on Thursday 21st June there will be a disruption to the Internet service and website availability on that day.

• PCs are not available for booking on that day
• The library website may not be available for a period of time on that day
• The catalogue will be available for searches, renewals and holds directly through the following link: Library Catalogue

Cheers, webgurl

Library Collection Survey - have your say in what we buy

Should we buy more Science Fiction or Supernatural Romance? Should we buy downloadable magazines? Here's the perfect opportunity to have your say in what we buy for Eastern Regional Libraries.

Fill out the 10 minute Library Collection Survey.

Cheers, Maryanne

New Beginner's Internet and Basic Email training dates added

We've added a few Internet and Email training sessions over the next two weeks.

Basic Email - Tue 19th June 10am Ringwood
Beginner's  Internet - Wed 20th June 11am Mooroolbark
Beginner's Internet - Wed 27th 12noon Belgrave

To book into the sessions please phone Maryanne opn 98006438

Cheers, webgurl

Over $2900 raised for the Cancer Council for the Biggest Morning Tea! Well done!

Eastern Regional Libraries staff and members strongly supported the Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for Cancer research. Some of our branches hosted special events with demonstrations, choirs and musicians.

In total we raised $2925.75. Special mention must go to Ferntree Gully who raised $1018.65, Rowville who raised $770.20, Boronia who raised $535, Yarra Junction who raised $266 and Mooroolbark who raised $150.

Cheers, Maryanne

Eastern Regional Libraries closed Monday 11th June for Queen's Birthday

All Eastern Regional Libraries branches and mobiles are closed on Monday 11th June for the Queen's Birthday.

Items may be returned through the bookchute at all branches. Items may also be renewed via our web catalogue with your library card number and PIN.

Cheers, webgurl

Library Catalogue Offline between 11pm - Midnight

Our library catalogue will be offline approximately between 11pm - Midnight for maintenance. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Cheers, Jess

We are currently troubleshooting slowness on the website

The IT department are currently troubleshooting slowness on the website. We apologise for any inconvenience and we'll have it back up to speed very soon.

Cheers, Maryanne

Yarra Junction Library's events are featured in May's National Year of Reading newsletter

Yarra Junction Library appeared in May's National Year of Reading May newsletter:

"Yarra Junction Library, part of Eastern Regional Libraries in Victoria, is running three events each month for the National Year of Reading. There’s a bag-a-book competition, to win a mystery Australian book by answering clues; a local writer is chosen each month to be an ambassador for reading, and there’s a monthly discussion about one of the Victorian book nominations from the Our Story program we ran earlier in the year."

National Year of Reading Newsletter May 2012

Well done Yarra Junction staff and members.

Cheers, Maryanne

Join Underbelly author Andrew Rule for brunch & tales of crime in Melbourne

Andrew Rule is known for his work in co-authoring the hugely successful Underbelly and Chopper books which led to both the TV series and the award winning feature film Chopper.

As a journalist Andrew has received a number of awards including the Gold Walkley, eight Quill awards for excellence in Victorian journalism and he has twice been named Graham Perkin Journalist of the Year.

Please join us for an interesting and thought provoking brunch.

When: Sunday 24th June 10am
Where: Montrose Town Centre, 935 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, Montrose
Cost: Free event
Bookings essential phone 9728 4224 or book online - Andrew Rule

Cheers, webgurl

Yarra Ranges Outreach is off the road Tuesday & Wednesday - apologies

The Yarra Ranges outreach vehicle will be off the road Tuesday 29th May and Wednesday 30th May to have the trailer brakes replaced. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Items may be returned to any branch or renewed online via the library website.

Cheers, Maryanne

Ferntree Gully Community Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project

Do you know how to crochet or would you like to learn how to crochet?  Please join us and have fun. Please bring your own crochet hook and yarn and join us to create a Ferntree Gully Community Satellite Reef as part of a Global Community Project created by Margaret & Christine Wertheim of The Institute for Figuring in Los Angeles. Help it Grow!

For further information about the project visit www.melbournesatellitereef.blogspot.com and www.crochetcoral.org

Refreshments provided.

When: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month 6-8pm
Every 3rd Friday of the month 2-4pm
Where: Ferntree Gully Library, 1010 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully
Cost: Gold coin donation appreciated
For further information please contact Julie at Ferntree Gully Library on phone 92948140


Cheers, Maryanne

Celebrate 200 years of Dickens with Playing Miss Havisham

Celebrate 200 years of Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870). Join Eastern Regional Libraries and Willow Productions for Playing Miss Havisham, an intimate comedy with music, song and an endearing array of characters.

"This is a wonderful piece of theatre by a consumate professional and should not be missed."

Nelson Times

Actor Helen Moulder trained in her native New Zealand and in Melbourne, prior to starting her professional career in the UK spending a year with the D'oyly Carte Opera Company. Since then she has performed in the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand winning the New Zealand Actress of the Year in 2000 and 2003.

We are pleased she is joining us during her Australian tour.

Payment must be made prior to the event in person or by telephone (credit card payments) to secure your booking.

When: Sunday 20th May 2:00 pm
Where: Ferntree Gully Library, 1010 Burwood Highway, Ferntree gully
Cost: $10 or $8.50 concession includes afternoon tea
Bookings essential phone 9294 8140 or book online - Havisham

Cheers, Maryanne

New additions to eLibrary

For your delight and delectation we have added 260 new audiobook titles and 717 new eBook titles to the eLibrary. You can browse and peruse these new titles by doing an Advanced Search and choosing Within the last 7 days in the drop down menu next to Date added to site.

Amongst the audiobooks you will find works by Dick Francis, Frederick Forsyth, David Attenborough, Nick Hornby and P.D. James. The eBooks have titles written by Augusten Burroughs; the Inspector George Gently series by Alan Hunter; horror stories from the pens of Graham Masterton and Phil Rickman; plus many of the Text series of classic Australian books including Miles Franklin's My Brilliant Career and Nino Culotta's They're a Weird Mob.

Happy eReading and eListening.

Cheers, Paul.

Yarra Glen returns may now be made at the Yarra Glen Memorial Hall

The old Yarra Glen mobile library returns bin was permanently removed this morning by the Shire of Yarra Ranges. 

Members should now return items to either the Yarra Glen Memorial Hall Reading Room, or any ERL branch.

Cheers, webgurl

Biggest Morning Tea - Have a cuppa with us & support the Cancer Council

This year the Biggest Morning Tea will be hosted at the following branches:

Rowville

When: Tuesday 22nd May 10:30am
Where: Rowville Library, Stud Park Shopping Centre, Stud Rd, Rowville
Cost: Free. Donations to support the Cancer Council greatly appreciated.

Morning tea will be served from 10:30am and music will be provided by the wonderful guitarist, Ramon.

Ferntree Gully

When: Thursday 24th May 10am
Where: Ferntree Gully Library, 1010 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully
Cost: Gold Coin donation appreciated.

Join us for a cuppa and morning tea while listening to the smooth, relaxing vocals and guitar playing of Alex Legg.

Enjoy two craft demonstrations this year with pottery by Helena Griffiths and jewellery by Yvonne Jonas.

There will also be plant sales and lucky prizes!

Mooroolbark

When: Thursday 24th May 10am
Where: Mooroolbark Library, 7 Station St, Mooroolbark
Cost: Free. Donations to support the Cancer Council greatly appreciated.

Help us raise money for Cancer research and prevention programs by coming along to the Mooroolbark Biggest Morning tea.

While you are having your cuppa, enjoy the enchanting songs of the St Peter Julian Eymard Primary School Childrens Choir.

Children from Grades 3-6 will be singing songs from their repertoire leading up to their singing competition in August. Choir will commence approx. 10.45am.

Boronia

When: Thursday 24th May 10am
Where: Boronia Library, Park Cr, Boronia
Cost: Gold Coin donation. Finger food demonstration by Jill Hess - $5 donation. Book online - Jill Hess

Come along and join us for the annual fundraiser for the Cancer Council. Bottomless tea and coffee and morning tea snacks. Gold coin donation

Finger food demonstration by Jill Hess at 11:00am - $5 donation.

Bookings required for Finger Food demonstration.

Cheers, webgurl

Website will be unavailable between 8-8:30am tomorrow due to a website update

The library website will be unavailable for a short period between 8-8:30am tomorrow morning due to an update to the Content Management System of the website. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Access the library catalogue (renewals, search, place holds)

Cheers, webgurl

Create, make & shape: Fantastic community art workshops in Knox

Feeling creative? Want to participate in some worthwhile community projects. The following workshops in Knox may be just the thing for you!

Model Making Workshop
When: Wed 23rd May 4–7pm
Where: The Hut Gallery, 157 Underwood Rd, Ferntree Gully
Cost: Gold coin donation on arrival. Tea, coffee and snacks provided.

Replicate a local park within a tiny ceramic boat on legs! This model making workshop is hosted by the Ferntree Gully Arts Society.


Painting Workshop
When: Sat 2nd June 11am–12:30pm
Where: The Chesterfield Farm, Old Homestead, 1221 Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby
Cost: Gold coin donation on arrival. Hosted by The Chesterfield Community Garden all donations will support the development of the garden.

Paint a picture that depicts an idyllic, sustainable park using ceramic letters and collage materials.


Trees & Swings Banner Workshop
When: Sat 16th June 11.30am-2:30pm
Where: The Basin Progress Hall, cnr Mountain Highway & Forest Rds, The Basin
Cost: $4 per person; $10 family of 4. Cash only paid on the day. Devonshire tea included.

Raise funds for The Basin CFA while making a collaborative fabric and model banner representing a playground of trees, swings and flying foxes.

Bookings are essential for all workshops. Places are limited. Workshops are suitable for all ages and families. Contact Jules Kornaat on 9298 8000 or email



Cheers, webgurl

Changes to ERL eLibrary

We have changed the borrowing periods for both eBooks and eAudiobooks in the eLibrary. All items can now be borrowed for 21 days in order to give you more time to read or listen to your downloads.

Happy eReading!

Cheers, Paul.

New website feature - add events to your personal calendar

This feature was suggested to us by Catharine, who loves our Calendar of Events but wanted a way to add these events easily to her calendar. Thanks Catharine!

We've added an ical icon on the event listing on the calendar

1. Browse the Calendar to search for events
2. Click on the event required.



3. Click on the ical icon - looks like a calendar page with a 9



4. Click on Open in "Calendar"



5. Click on Add to Calendar and done. If you have more than one calendar on your device you may be asked to select the calendar to add your event.

Cheers, webgurl

Join in the National Simultaneous Storytime Wednesday 23rd May 11am

Join 170,000 children at over 1,100 locations across Australia and share a
heartwarming tale about friendship, sacrifice and learning that appearances
aren’t important.

Story: The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland

When: Wednesday 23rd May 11am
Where:
Belgrave Library - Reynolds Lane, Belgrave
Boronia Library - Park Crescent, Boronia
Healesville Library - 110 River St, Healesville
Knox Library - 425 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South
Yarra Junction Library - Hoddle Street, Yarra Junction

Ferntree Gully Library will be having their storytime on Wednesday 23rd May 2pm 

Cost: Free event
No need to book! Come along.

Cheers, webgurl

Rowville Library's bookchute was unavailable - apologies!

Rowville Library's bookchute was unavailable over the weekend due to concreting work being undertaken around the chute. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. If you were unable to return items please advise staff on return.

Cheers, webgurl

Author talk cancelled

The author talk with Joy Dettman has had to be cancelled.

When: Tuesday 1st May 1:30 pm
Where: Lilydale Library, Anderson Street Lilydale

Library website unavailable between 8 and 9am tomorrow

Due to a planned upgrade of the webserver, the ERL website will be unavailable between 8 and 9am Friday 20th April 2012. For access to the catalogue for renewals, searches and holds please access the catalogue directly. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Cheers, webgurl

Healesville Library closed today due to a power interruption

Healesville Library is closed today due to a power interruption. We apologise for any inconvenience. Items may be returned via the bookchute or renewed via the catalogue.

Cheers, Maryanne

All Eastern Regional Libraries branches closed over Easter

All Eastern Regional Libraries branches and mobiles are closed from Friday 6th April - Monday 9th April inclusive for the Easter break. The libraries will re-open according their usual schedule from Tuesday 10th April. Items may be returned via the book chutes at each branch. With your userID and PIN you may renew items via the library catalogue. Be safe everyone.

Cheers, Maryanne

Library web server upgrade tomorrow - website unavailable 8-9am

Due to a webserver upgrade the website will likely be unavailable for a short time between 8-9am Friday 30th March.

We apologise for any inconvenience. We'll try to make it as seamless as we can.

Cheers, webgurl

At the stroke of midnight Thursday night Harry Potter will be available on our Overdrive eLibrary

Harry Potter ebooks & downloadable audiobooks will be available for loan from our Overdrive eLibrary from midnight tomorrow (Thursday) night. The launch has been brought forward by a month. 

 

We have a couple of copies of each title and we already have a waiting list of 10 people for the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone audiobook, so there may be a wait.  

 

You may place yourself in the waiting queue for one of these titles via the Overdrive eLibrary website

Cheers, webgurl

Library catalogue will be unavailable from midnight tonight

Due to a planned upgrade the library catalogue will be unavailable from midnight tonight until approximately 4am. We apologise for any inconvenience.

So for all the night owls, please plan your renewals and holds earlier than usual or wait a few hours.

Cheers, webgurl

Yarra Ranges Outreach will not be at Yarra Glen today

Apologies for the late notice but the Yarra Ranges Outreach will not be at Yarra Glen today. Items may be renewed online via the web catalogue or returned to another library. If you have any difficulties please contact us via the website

Cheers, Maryanne

Upcoming Beginner's Internet & Basic Email training in our branches

If you know anyone needing Beginner's Internet or Basic Email training, book them in for the upcoming training sessions:

Basic Email - Wednesday 21st March 1pm Boronia
Beginner’s Internet - Tuesday 27th March 1pm Croydon
Beginner’s Internet - Thursday 29th March 10am Knox

To book into one of these sessions please call Maryanne 9800 6438. The only prequisite for Internet training is that trainees must be able to use a mouse. For email training trainees must have a basic knowledge of Internet use or have done the Beginner's Internet session.

Cheers, Maryanne

Do you use the computers or WiFi at the library? Please help us with a survey

The More Knowledge for Library Advocacy Workgroup is conducting a study of computer and internet use in Victoria’s public libraries. This study will report on who uses these services, what tasks they perform and the benefits of free computer/internet access to public library customers, their families and communities.

If you use the public PCs, Internet or WiFi at our libraries could you please give us a hand and fill out the survey?

Computer & Internet use survey

Cheers, Maryanne