New & Noteworthy @ WHPLibrary

If you live by your text messages, you may want to opt-in to this supplementary feature, built into our library catalog.

When you activate this optional feature, you will receive short text messages alerting you to holds ready for pickup, items about to become due, and items overdue. Be aware that messaging charges may apply based on your mobile carrier terms. Read the "Terms and Conditions" page.

You may opt in, and opt out at any time by logging in to your library account (using your barcode and PIN number) and entering your mobile number into a special Mobile Phone record field.

The SMS alerts you receive are NOT item-specific (not the entire notice); therefore, patrons who request SMS alerts will also receive the corresponding circulation notices, either printed or via email.

E-Commerce is coming!...on or about JUNE 21.

Patrons who perform their own transactions using the MY ACCOUNT feature of the online (Alisweb) catalog will have the added ability to use Visa or Mastercard to pay fines/fees. The minimum payment amount will be $5. (No debit cards, American Express, or Discover cards may be used in the initial offering.)

We are pleased to offer this service and hope it enhances your library experience. If you need help creating or accessing your account, call the Reference Desk, 481-6591.

You can now search the Nassau Library System catalog, view your patron record, renew and request items, from anywhere, at any time using AirPAC, (m.alisweb.org) an online catalog designed for small-screen browsers. AirPAC includes full search capabilities, item information display, patron record display, and renewal and request capabilities.

AirPAC for Smartphones currently works with the following devices:
   • Apple iPhone
   • Apple iPod Touch
   • BlackBerry Storm
   • BlackBerry Bold 9000
   • Motorola Droid
   • HTC Droid Eris
   • Palm Pre

AirPAC will continue to evolve with the increasing number of small-screen devices available on the market.

We hope that you use our library and appreciate that public libraries are a great, cost effective way for the general public to expand their knowledge, and enjoy many forms of entertainment (books, DVDs/CDs, computers, E-Books, audiobooks, newspapers, magazines, library programs, etc.)

But in order for us to work within our budget and keep costs down, library materials need to be returned promptly, and in good condition.

The Board of Trustees has revised the policies regarding fines and administrative fees, which we will begin implementing as of November first. We ask for your understanding and cooperation as these changes take effect. Please be aware that you are always welcome to attend a Board meeting to discuss the policies and procedures of the library.

Board meetings take place every month on the 3rd or 4th Monday of the month in the conference room on the second floor of the library. Exact dates are posted in the library and on the website.

If you usually handle your renewals from home, please be aware that on Tuesday June 29, the online catalog for the entire Nassau Library System will be unavailable for 24 hours for a major system upgrade. In the library, we will use a manual system to handle CHECKOUTS ONLY. We will NOT be able to checkin or renew materials on June 29, so you will not incur late fees for books or other materials due on that day.

We expect the catalog to be available again starting Wednesday June 30. Thank you, in advance, for your patience and support.

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!