We're Well Beyond Books Here

Judging by my minions' latest promo trailer, I'd say we're well beyond books here.

Beyond Books Infomercial

by Mooresville Public Library

You may checkout any of these items (and many more) using your Evergreen Indiana library card.

Some of those things looked like they'd be fun for felines to play with.  So how come I wasn't invited to appear in the video?  Just asking.

Perhaps someone felt I might swat something off a desktop.  I would NEVER do such a thing, at least while anybody was looking.  Anyway, I categorically deny all responsibility for that thing that broke.  I didn't knock it off the circulation counter.  I don't care what the surveillance videos show.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

 

Beyond Books

Lady RaDA has created a cool "beyond books" display featuring lots of fun items you may checkout with your Evergreen Indiana library card.  The display is across from the library circulation desk, next to the Paul Hadley paintings.

Minions, make with the photos (click them to bigify):

The only item missing that would make the perfect display would be some canned tuna-in-oil.  I'd check that out, pronto.  Well, I'd have my minions check it out for moi.  I'm not sure how I'd return it to the library, however.

If you have any questions about checking out these items, just ask our circulation staff or Lady RaDA herself.  I'd explain it all, but my department is cuteness, which actually explains itself.  Just look at my photos, and it's self-explanatory.

Yep.  Pretty Much.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Okay, Fine

Remember my last blog posting, when I poked fun at my library colleagues for not having any training materials ready to assist patrons wanting to use our new credit card payment capability for library fines?  Well, now Scowl-Face and Queen Settler have made a promo trailer about it.  Okay, fine.  Here it is.

Paying Fines by Credit Card (Promo Trailer)

by Mooresville Public Library

Took you guys long enough.

Need more assistance?  Just ask our helpful staff.  I'd help you, but it's my dinner time.  Priorities, after all.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Swipe Your Library Fines Away

T. Rex has installed a credit card payment machine at my library's self-checkout kiosk #2 (at the circulation desk), so patrons may now pay some library fines on credit.

All set to pay those fines?

Larry Fine (Louis Feinberg) (1902-1975)

Oops!  Wrong fine.

Let's see what this credit card swiperdoodle looks like.  Click the photos to bigify.

That's some of the screens that will appear on the self-checkout kiosk monitor (and credit card machine) while you're going through the paying process.  I'd explain the steps, but staff training hasn't happened yet, and there's no instructional handout or video yet.  Sounds like (... wait for it ...)

Yep.  Pretty much.

May 16, 2018 update:  Now we have a training video (see below).

Click Above to Play Video

Now for the boilerplate.

"Pay your library fines by credit card at self-checkout kiosk #2 at the circulation desk. Payment of full fines (greater than $3.00) has been enabled; partial fines (or sums less than $3.00) must be paid to circulation staff."

So, give it a try, next time you want to pay down your library fines.  Or pay the old-fashioned way.  We'll gladly take your money.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

For When You Need A Really BIG Book Cart

My library has these little handheld metal baskets patrons may pickup and carry around to hold all the stuff they want to checkout.  They're perfectly adequate for ordinary needs, but what if you want to checkout LOADS of books, movies, audiobooks, kits, music CDs, or whatever?  You'll need a REALLY BIG book cart for that.  Fortunately, we've got you covered.

Click Photos to Bigify

Key Words:  Inside and Return Here

Obviously (Duh!)

These grocery carts are kept next to the Hold Shelves by the elevator.  Patrons may use these carts throughout the inside of the library.  Don't take them outside, or else we'll unleash our finely-trained crew of feline enforcers--like this dude.

You've Been Warned

After gathering together everything you wish to checkout, and our helpful circulation staff (or our self-checkout kiosks) have checked the items out to you, then you should return the cart to where you found it.  If not, then, once again, it's attack cat city.  Nobody wants that.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Our Go-To Go-Tabs

So, you're visiting my library, and you need to access the Internet, but you've forgotten your mobile device or laptop or whatever.  You could use our computer lab, but that cramps your style (I'm only guessing here, but let's just say for fun).  You'd really like to be able to checkout a portable tablet with Internet access that you could use while you're inside the library, taking it to one of our many quiet areas with tables by the windows.  Guess what?  We've got you covered.

Use your Evergreen Indiana library card to checkout our Hublet portable Internet tablets available at the circulation desk.

Click Photos to Bigify

You'll need your Evergreen Indiana password (i.e., PIN) to checkout the tablets.  If you've forgotten your password, our circulation staff can reset it for you.

Our I.T. guru T. Rex has pre-loaded these tablets with our mobile app (MPL2GO), as well as some popular, super helpful apps.  These may require your own login credentials, however, so you may need to setup an account with the app providers to use them.

These tablets only function inside the library, so don't try to take them outside.  If you do, we've got a highly trained squad of attack kitties standing by.

Okay, Maybe Not

The tablets should automatically connect to our WiFi network after you check them out.  There are instructions on each tablet to help you.

When you're done, just return the tablet to the Hub at the circulation desk, insert it into a vacant slot, and it automatically checks-in.  It's as simple as that.

Try out our tabs on the go.  (We need a catchier name.)  Go-Tabs?  I like the sound of that.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

The Holodeck, It's Not

Lady RaDA sent my minions an email announcing that my library now offers a virtual reality headset (called Cynoculars) to checkout at the circulation desk.  The holodeck, it's not, but it's a start. Here's what the headset looks like:

Or Not

Something Like This, I'll Venture

Yep, Pretty Much

You'd Better Not Grab My Tail

(You've Been Warned)

This is what Lady RaDA had to say about the new Cynoculars:

"We now have a Virtual Reality headset available for circulation. It has a 7-day circulation period with no renewals, $.25 per day overdue fine, and $20.00 replacement fee. It is holdable. Please note that the patron will need an iOS or Android Smartphone that will fit into the cartridge. Larger Smartphones may not fit, so you may want the patron to see if theirs will work. The patron will need to search “VR” in the App Store or Google Play for apps to download and use with the headset.

"Here is a link to the Cynoculars website: [NOTE:  LINK IS BROKEN]  I strongly advise you to view the video on this website to learn about how it works (and to enjoy some rather bad acting)."

Can-do, Lady RaDA.

Introductory Video courtesy of Cynoculars.com

Lady RaDA continues:

"For now, we are going to keep the VR headset in a kit bag. The bag includes a remote control with 2 AAA batteries and a polishing cloth. It also has 7  laminated instruction cards on a ring."

To checkout the device, you'll need an Evergreen Indiana library card.  Ask about it at our circulation desk.  If you have the correct technology to work with the headset, it's yours for the taking.  Well, the checking-out, anyway.  You can't just take them.  Unless you're on the holodeck.  But that's not until the 24th century.

Your (Retired) Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  The pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) introduced us to the holodeck.  Here's a clip with Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) discussing the technology.

We Can't Spell Ukulele Without U

For several months, my library has offered a beginning ukulele workshop for folks interested in learning how to play.  There's a new batch coming next month (see our online events calendar for details).

If these famous dudes can learn to play ukulele, why can't you?  You can uke, Luke, even if your name's not Luke.

L to R: Jake Shimabukuro; Barack Obama; George Harrison

But, wait, you protest.  You don't have a ukulele, so how can you attend our workshop? We're way ahead of  you.  Checkout a ukulele with your Evergreen Indiana library card, and then come to the classes.  How easy is that?

Our promo trailer (video) explains.

Can't make the workshops?  Checkout our books and DVDs to learn to play ukulele. They, too, are available in our Evergreen Indiana catalog.

This could be you among these ambitious beginners.

Or how about these guys?  (I think they're actually instructors.)

Anyway, you're out of excuses now.  Come on in and have some fun!  You could use it.

Your (Retired) Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  In 1994, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr performed "Ain't She Sweet?" on ukulele.  You can't get much more fun than that.

My Library Rewards Follow-up

AUGUST 2020 UPDATE:  My Library Rewards was discontinued on August 31, 2020.

 

Checkout These Rewards

AUGUST 2020 UPDATE:  My Library Rewards was discontinued on August 31, 2020.