New & Noteworthy @ WHPLibrary

A little nostalgia!
Here's what our library looked like just before we moved from the Chestnut Street School to our new building at 500 Hempstead Avenue in October 2007:

Now take a look at our library after 4 years!
If you haven't already done so, we welcome you to visit us (in person, or online). Join in our programs, check out (or download) our materials, and use the many services we offer to our West Hempstead residents and the local community!

We are all anxiously awaiting Hurricane Irene, by monitoring the National Weather Service and local news services, stocking up on batteries, and tying down our trash cans and lawn furniture!

We have been advised by our web hosting service that they are taking precautionary measures to minimize damage, so our library website (www.whplibrary.org) will NOT be in-service from 5 pm on Saturday, August 26 through sometime on Monday August 28, depending upon local conditions.

If you want to know if the library is CLOSED, please call us at 516-481-6591 and press #1 for the Hours. We will post a message on our answering machine. We will also post our status to the Events Calendar on our website and to Facebook and Twitter once our status is known. Remember that these services will only work if the electricity is running both at our location AND at the hosting service, so please be patient!

If you are calling to see if an adult or teen program has been CANCELLED, please wait until an hour or two before the scheduled start time, and ask for the Reference Desk 516-481-6591 x22. For children's programs, call x32.

Long Island Talking Book Library (LITBL) is a free library service for individuals who cannot hold, handle or see well enough to use regular print books. LITBL is a subregional library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress that produces books and magazines in braille and recorded media for people with visual or physical disabilities.

Downloading is the easiest and quickest way to obtain these National Library Service audio books. Using a blank digital cartridge or USB flash drive, LITBL patrons download books and play them on the digital talking book machine.

In the past, LITBL sent professionally recorded books and magazines as cassettes. Now the service has gone digital with a collection of digital books, which currently number about 25,000, including over 50 magazines. They are available for download via the BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) web site: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/.

The older cassette collection and the new digital cartridges can still be delivered by mail, but the new players support standard usb memory devices. Once a borrower has established service with LITBL, they may apply for a BARD account to begin downloading books that can be read from the special player lent to the eligible resident.

For information about talking books and magazines, Long Island residents should contact the Long Island Talking Book Library at the Suffolk Cooperative System.
627 North Sunrise Service Road, PO Box 9000, Bellport, NY 11713-9000; telephone: (631) 286-1600, toll-free: (866) 833-1122 (Nassau/Suffolk).
To find out more about braille materials they will be referred to the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, 40 West 20 Street, NY, NY, 10011-4211.

We anticipate crowds on the morning of July 5 when we begin signing up patrons for the upcoming Adult Programs announced in the Summer Newsletter.

We will try a new system to make it easier on everyone. A Reference Librarian will direct patrons to specific signup stations for the more popular programs. We ask your cooperation and patience with this new arrangement. We hope to get you in and out as quickly and efficiently as possible!

The weather this wintry season has been particularly trying for us all. We are keeping an eye on tonight's/tomorrow's predicted conditions. Please understand that it is our goal to maintain our services to the public, whenever possible. Decisions to cancel programs or close the library are subject to actual conditions, which we cannot know until close to the time of a program or when conditions become severe.

If you want to know if we are CLOSED, please call the library and press #1 for the Hours. There will be a message on our machine. We will also post our status to the Events Calendar on our website and to Facebook and Twitter once a decision has been made.

If you are calling to see if an adult or teen program has been CANCELLED, please wait until an hour or two before the scheduled start time, and ask for the Reference Desk 516-481-6591 x22. For children's programs, call x32.

Our questions in March asked about your familiarity with the library's online content. We expected that people who rarely use their computers would not fill out the survey (exactly one respondent indicated no online content accessed), but we were somewhat surpised that our many computer and wireless users also failed to fill out the survey. Only 15 people answered our questions, and 4 of those responses were submitted online. We are listening. Our next survey will not deal with technology in any way.

Not surprisingly, 80% of our respondents have seen or used our library website. To help you remember, the address of our website www.whplibrary.org is printed on your library card. 66% have accessed the Online Catalog either directly from our website or from its own unique address www.alisweb.org. 40% of respondents have tried our Research Databases, either for homework or genealogy research, or just to catch up on newspaper or magazine articles from many national and international sources.

33% have checked our Events Calendar or Newsletter online, and 33% have read one or both of our Blogs. One of our blogs, "West Hempstead Wants to Know!" is dedicated to these surveys and the other, called "New & Noteworthy" is our general library blog covering the latest information from our reference librarians regarding books, events, new media, or resources on the Internet, in the library, or in our local community, that interest and delight us.

26% of our respondents have viewed our Facebook pages. We have established 3 pages to cater to the Children's Room, Teens and the general Adult population. Even if you aren't interested in registering and interacting with us as a Facebook fan, you can still view our status updates just by viewing our library webpages.

Only one person was familiar with our Flickr and Picasaweb pages, but if you've seen our website, you may have clicked on the albums on the Teen pages, or seen the Photo Archives which are hosted by Flickr. These free sites are great places for presenting, sharing, and storing memories. Check them out! You may want to try them for yourself.

The question was: Which of the following online content have you seen or used? (Mark all that apply.) Here are the results in rank order:
12 = Library Website
10 = Online Catalog
06 = Research Databases
05 = Event Calendar or Online Newsletter
05 = Either of our 2 Library Blogs
04 = Any of our 3 Facebook pages
01 = Our photos on Flickr or Picasaweb

Our April survey concerns your favorite type of FICTION.

PLEASE LET US KNOW. Answer our survey on SOCIAL MEDIA either online or in the library.

The February surveys are the little pink slips found at the Children's Reference Desk or at the Adult Reference desk in the main library.

We want to know more about you! Interact with us on our Facebook Fanpage.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE LIBRARY?
77 patrons answered our first survey of 2010. Multiple responses were allowed so some patrons voted for more than one service. Here are the results in rank order:

42 = Free DVD's, CD's, downloadable books
38 = Free Programs for all ages
34 = Free Internet access
28 = Free Museum passes
12 = Free On-Line Tutoring

Not surprisingly, our free media products (movies, music, recorded books) are most appreciated. Trailing by 4 votes are the free programs (trips, crafts, exercise, concerts) we offer to children, young adults, and adults. Another 4 points behind in popularity is the free Internet access we provide to young adults and adults in the main library and to children for homework assignments in the Children's Room.

A more selective group voted for the free Museum passes. Perhaps this is a service you have not checked out yet. Remember that we have Family Passes that you may borrow for a few days as well as the Museum Lottery we hold 5 times a year for tickets to the New York Hall of Science. Don't miss your chance for the next giveaway in February!

The least favorite service is the free on-line tutoring. We think we need to do a much better job of promoting this very valuable service. Not everyone will need to take advantage of it, but you should know that it's not just for kids. In addition to academic subjects for elementary through high school, the tutors help adults in the areas of Citizenship, Financial Literacy, GED, Helping Children with Homework, Job Openings, Job Resources, Resumes and Cover Letters. Be sure to check it out, on our library homepage.

Thanks for participating! Our February survey will be about social media.

So far 55 patrons have participated in our first survey of 2010. Multiple responses are allowed so the results add up to more than 55.

The Question is: What do you like best about the library?
- Free Internet access = 23
- Free Museum passes = 21
- Free DVD's, CD's, downloadable books = 30
- Free Programs for all ages = 27
- Free On-Line Tutoring = 08

If you haven't completed a survey for us yet, there is still time to give us your opinion. It'll take less than a minute. There are forms at the Reference Desk and in the Children's Room, or do it here!

We had to make date/time and program specific changes for a few events listed in the Printed version of our Newsletter for Winter 2010 that you received in the mail.

You will find that our Online version has all of the up-to-date changes. To recap, here is what changed:

(1) 2010 Tax Seminar on Wed. February 3, will begin at 7 p.m.
(2) 12 dollar fee for Jewelry Workshop on Wed. February 10 - Please write your check of $12 to "WHPL".
(3) Blood Drive originally scheduled for March 16 will be held instead on Tuesday March 30 4-8 p.m.

Here's a snippet from a wonderful concert we enjoyed on May 17, 20009 when the Long Island Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra performed for the West Hempstead Public Library community.

ChiriBiriBin at West Hempstead Public Library Concert from WH Librarian on Vimeo.

Come one, come all to celebrate the Wearin' O' the Green with the great one, Jimmy O' Moore and his legion of fans. You'll enjoy a wonderful afternoon of upbeat Irish fun that will get your Irish eyes smiling. After all, everybody's Irish on St. Paddy's Day!

Join us on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 pm on the Lower Level of the West Hempstead Public Library.

Please be here at least 15 minutes before showtime.

Our programs are accessible by elevator and are free to both residents and non-residents.

Those of you who have been lucky in the past know how exciting it is to get a phone call announcing that you have won the lottery!

This year, the prize will be single-use tickets that provide free entry for four people to the New York Hall of Science in Queens.

West Hempstead library patrons who are 18 and over may enter the lottery once to be eligible for all five drawings this season. Drawings will be held in October, December, February, April, and June.

For more information, and to fill out an entry form, stop at the reference desk when you are in the library.

Don't miss a grand opportunity to celebrate the August opening of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics right here at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, LI.

The Chinese Center on Long Island, Inc. (a West Hempstead institution since 1967), has planned a spectacular pre-show presentation prior to Nassau County’s Chinese American Night on Sunday, August 3. This pre-show presentation and the following two hour cultural performances are open to the public at no charge. Bring your lawn chairs and snacks.

PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES 6:00 PM-7:00 PM
• Musicians on the lawn, Hands on Arts and Crafts for Children
• Learn Origami, Calligraphy, Name Painting and more!
• Author Ai Ling Louie will read Yeh Shen: A Chinese Cinderella Story
• Meet your favorite WGBB radio hosts in person on the lawn

7:30 PM - CHINESE AMERICAN NIGHT PERFORMANCES BY:

CCLI CHINESE FOLK DANCERS

Come and hear Jimmy Moore and his piano accompanist as they combine the best of standards and show tunes for a Valentine's Day Show at 2 pm on Sunday, February 10.

The theme of the show, of course, is "LOVE", with heart-warming romantic numbers and other lovely tunes.

Bring the entire family to our Community Room on the lower level of the library, accessible by elevator or stair. Refreshments will be served!

Check the Events Calendar for other entertainment at the library

As you may have noticed, our events calendar, which is usually bursting with activities for all ages, is looking rather forlorn right now. Please be patient. We are all excited about the new library and counting the days until we can open the doors at 500 Hempstead Avenue to welcome you. We are preparing a wonderful schedule of programs headed your way after our move.

Wear the green and keep those Irish eyes smiling when you join us on Sunday, March 25 at 2 pm on the lower level of the library. You'll be singing along with Jimmy Moore as he fills the room with his great Irish spirit and songs that charm us all through the year.