New & Noteworthy @ WHPLibrary

Will you be away for an extended period this summer?

You don't have to take a break from reading!

You can still borrow our free library books without worrying about running up overdue fines. Take advantage of our Vacation Loan program, which begins on Friday, June 26 and ends on Tuesday, September 8.

HOW IT WORKS:
Patrons are allowed to borrow up to ten (10) FOUR-WEEK BOOKS at one time. All items will reflect a due date of September 8, 2009. Your library card must be handed in at the start of the program and will be retained until the books are returned. Patrons may begin returning the Vacation Loan books no sooner than August 31. The final date to return all Vacation Loan books is Tuesday, September 8.

EXCLUSIONS FROM THIS PROGRAM:
New books, paperbacks, and books on school required reading lists are NOT included in this program!

Stop at our Circulation desk to check out our sturdy totebags with our beautiful new logo!

We are selling these reusable canvas bags at a mere $4 to encourage you to do your part to help save our planet.

The West Hempstead Board of Trustees hopes you will Go Green with us.

When our current supply of plastic bags are gone, we will not be ordering any more. At that time, you will need to bring your own bag to carry away your heavy loads!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 is the date when our new service begins.

Email reminders with the subject line "LIBRARY COURTESY NOTICE" will be generated automatically from the Nassau Library System catalog to help you manage your library transactions and avoid fines! Notices will be sent 3 days before an item is due. Don't worry, we won't annoy you with reminders for any items lent for 3 days or less.

If you would like this service, make sure that your email id has been entered as part of your contact information. You may add, update, or delete your email address in your personal account by using the "My Library Account" page in the library catalog. Click on the icon that says "Modify Personal Info".

How can we best reach you?

Our policy now is to call you, instead of using snail mail, when an item you have requested arrives, so please make sure the phone number we have on your library account is up-to-date.

Perhaps you have switched phone carriers and your phone number changes, or you are using your cell number most of the time and you would like us to make that your primary contact number. Let us know when you visit the library.

If you prefer, you may update the number yourself using the "My Library Account" page in the library catalog. Use the icon that says "Modify Personal Info".

In the not too distant future, we may contact you by email, if you provide us with your email address.

It'll be a sizzlin' summer at WHPL as our WIFI hotspot goes live!

You will be able to access the Internet from anywhere in the library with your compatible laptop or wireless device. To use the service you will need a valid Nassau County Public Library barcode and your account PIN number. You may create your PIN number via the Internet from home or in the library by following the prompts under "My Account" in our online catalog system at www.alisweb.org. Call the Reference Desk at 481-6591 if you need help.

Please read the Information Sheet that lists the technical parameters and the guidelines for using our free Wireless service. Please be aware that library staff cannot provide technical support for your laptop or wireless device and will not assume responsibility for any damage to your computer, data, or configuration resulting from your use of the Internet service. Always remember to backup your device's configurations before making changes.

Thanks for your patience as we worked through the technical challenges involved in setting up this service over our fiber-optic lines. The wait ends on July 1!

Patrons have been seeking a quiet zone in the library for many years. At last, we are able to accommodate this need in our new building.

We have designated the space on the second floor outside the Tutor Rooms and in the Periodicals (magazines and newspapers) Section as our Quiet Study Area. Here you will find individual study carrels similar to those you find in university libraries, large tables where you may spread out your materials, and easy chairs where you can sink in and get comfortable.

Patrons in this area must maintain reasonable silence. Conversational noise is allowed only within the Tutor Rooms. No audible tutoring may take place in the Quiet Study Area. Groupwork is likewise banned from this area and should be carried out elsewhere in the library. There are areas on the first floor to accommodate these needs.

Persons making noise or in other ways disturbing the Quiet in the Study Area will be instructed to leave this area immediately.

Please respect our "Silence is Golden" policy.

am·nes·ty / noun, 1. a general pardon for offenses, esp. political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction. 2. Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, esp. to a class of persons as a whole. 3. a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense. (Definiton retrieved August 09, 2007, from the Dictionary.com website.)

From Monday 8/27/2007 through Sunday 9/16/2007 ONLY for West Hempstead library cardholders at the West Hempstead Public Library: if you return an overdue library item owned by the West Hempstead Library, you will not be charged an overdue fine.

Read the fine print in our press release.

For those who request items ...

Reserved items will now be held at the circulation desk for pickup for 7 days. This system-wide change went into effect on April 19, 2007. Please be sure to pick up your reserved items as soon as possible!