Audio Books - for People on the Move!

This scenario may sound familiar to you: A new book comes out by your favorite author, and you can't wait to get your hands on it! However, once you buy the book or check it out from the library, you find that you just can't find the time to read it with work or life always getting in the way. There is a solution to this common problem - check out an audio book!

Instead of fighting to find time to sit down and read, you can listen to actors reading the books on your long commute, while doing the dishes, crafting a project, or working out at the gym. We have Junior, YA, and Adult audio books that you may check out, many of which are popular books (We have the Percy Jackson series and all three 50 Shades of Grey audio books at our library!). If your child is just learning to read, we also have book bags containing audio books and the matching physical book, so your child can listen to the spoken words as they read the book.

There are three different audio book formats: books on cassette tapes, for those of you with older cars or boom boxes, books on CD, which are great for the car or the kitchen, and if you have an iPad, iPhone, or an e-reader that supports an audio format, you can check out the downloadable audio books we have available through the eBook catalog, located here! And as always, if we don't have an item at our library, we can have it sent here from another Berks County Public Library for you to pick up!

We have hundreds of audio books in the Berks County Library System, and you can check out any one of them with your library card! Why not try one today?

Hidden Gems @ the Library

We have all sorts of helpful books and materials (like every other library), but we also have special "hidden gems" that are available to you @ our library!

Ancestry.com: Are you trying to figure out your familial background? Did you ever wonder what your great-great grandfather did for a living? Do you need access to an old census? You can find out the answers to these questions by using our subscription to Ancestry.com. You must be in the library to use this feature, but you'll have free full access to everything on the site!

Consumer Reports Online: If you need to buy something new, this is the best way to figure out the perfect item for you! View in-depth ratings, test results, and compare prices of appliances, technology, and other items for free with our subscription to the Consumer Reports website. Simply go to the website on one of our computers, and we'll sign you in for free full access!

Online access to your library account: Did you know that you can access your library account online? Visit our official website, then click on "My Account" on the left hand side. Log in using your barcode and your PIN (the last 4 digits of your phone number), to view the items you have checked out, see if you have any fines or overdue items, search the catalog, and request books! You can do this here, at home, or on the go!


Reading Museum Pass: If there's an exhibit you want to see at the Reading Museum, request the Reading Museum Pass! With the pass, up to 2 adults and 4 children can get into the Reading Museum for free! You may check the pass out for up to one week.

Passports: Traveling in the near future? We do passports here! You'll need to fill out an application in black ink, have pictures taken, find your birth certificate (it must be issued by the state and have both parents' names on it), and have a driver's license or other photo ID before you come for your appointment. Feel free to call the library for any questions or to schedule an appointment! You can also visit the official Passport Website

Free Wi-Fi: When your internet is on the fritz, bring your laptop, tablet, or ereader to the library and access the Internet with our free Wi-Fi! Open a browser, read our policy, click "I agree," and you're free to do what you need to do!

Scanners, faxing, and copiers, oh my! Whether you need to copy important papers, scan your homework and email it to your professor, print out a picture, or fax information to an office, we've got you covered! Black and white copies are only 10 cents a page, color prints are 50 cents a page, and faxes are 50 cents a page. Note: while we can send faxes out, we cannot receive any faxes.

Book Room: Every Saturday, we have a used book sale in our Book Room, though you may ask to visit the room any time the library is open! We have great deals on books, VHS, CDs, and occasionally other items, and our prices can't be beat! The best part is, the proceeds benefit the library, so come on out and see what we've got!

And of course, we have a Facebook page and a Twitter account to keep you updated about new events, programs, meetings, closings, etc!

If you have any questions about any of these "hidden gems," don't hesitate to call the library for more information! You're welcome to use any and all of them! See you here!

ebooks!

While we strive to update our current physical collection, we look to the future and provide access to a virtual collection as well!

Besides the physical books and audio books we have in the library, we also provide access to all kinds of ebooks through our library system. These ebooks and online audio books are available in different formats for various e-readers, such as Kindles, Nooks, Sonys, iPads, iPhones and more! And of course, the best part is, it's free, and there are no late fees or fines! All you need is your library card.

To browse the current collection of popular books, visit http://reading.lib.overdrive.com. You can search the collection via title, authors, or subject. Once you find the ebooks you want to read (or audio books you want to listen to) you can check them out by following the screens and using your library card. If an ebook you want is already checked out by another patron, you can request the ebook, just as you would a regular book at the library. You can check ebooks out for 7 days or 14 days. When you are nearing the due date, you will receive an email reminder, and on the due date, the book will be removed from your e-reader. You may have up to 5 library ebooks or audio books at one time.


If you have any questions, feel free to call the library! We have bookmarks with detailed instructions as well as papers with further tips and explanations. Enjoy!

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Note: Every e-reader requires ebooks to be in a certain format, and they download ebooks using different methods. Know your e-reader!

Rocking the Reference Section

Many people think of old, dusty books when they hear the words "Reference Section," and prefer to turn to the Internet to do their research. While the Internet is usually helpful for general information, it just doesn't always have the specific answers you're looking for. This is where the Reference Section really comes in handy.

In our reference section, we do have standard encyclopedia sets and dictionaries, the ones that people immediately imagine when they hear those words. However, we also have Black's Law Dictionary, the Dictionary of American Foreign Affairs, as well as dictionaries of Economics, foreign languages, superstitions, Ecology, Medicine, Biblical Studies, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, musicians, and personal financing! Various subject encyclopedias also pepper the shelves.

Our reference section also contains specific items about local interests, such as Berks County maps, the Berks and Borough's books of Codes, Berks County authors, the historical Passing Scene set and the A Most Agreeable Town: A Photographic History of Kutztown set. In addition, we have the MLA Handbook, the Index of Fairy Tales, the 2012 Blue Book, quotation anthologies, biographies and chronologies...in short, a wealth of specific information on precise topics, which you'll be hard-pressed to find online, unless you know where to look!

On top of these useful items, we have copies of elementary and middle school textbooks from the Kutztown Area School District - so if your 3rd grader accidentally left their math textbook at school, or your 8th grader can't find their Spanish book, they can certainly finish their homework at the library!

So, the next time you're having trouble finding information about a certain topic, whether you're just curious or you're working on a big project, try the reference section first @ your library. It really helps!

Keepin' It Local

We all know about big-time authors and movie-makers...but did you know about our local authors and filmmakers?

As a library, we acquire books by all kinds of authors, from Austen to Kingsbury, Hemingway to Patterson. However, we also focus on local authors, who write quality materials, even if they aren't well known. Try a picture book by children's author Mara Rockliff, read an investigation into local legend by Dave Yocum, view adventures in riding by Dodie Sable, or Kick the Clutter! with Ellen Phillips! You can find local authors by browsing the shelves for the dark blue "local author" sticker on book spines, or by searching the catalog. We also have some older books by local authors, such as Mildred Jordan, in our Local History bookcase. These books cannot be taken out of the library, but you are welcome to browse and read them at your leisure.

Besides local authors, we also have works by local filmmakers. Check out one of the DVDs created from the entries at previous Virginville Film Festivals, held close by in Virginville, PA. They contain various independent short films and commercials created by local filmmakers, some of whom you may know!

The next time you find yourself bored by big names, try seeking out some local works @ your library!

Computers and the Library

Every day, we have patrons who come in to use our computers. Some are merely passing the time, some are checking email and gaming, and some are only using our computers until theirs are fixed. However, there's been a real increase in patrons who use them to type up new resumes, search for jobs, and fill out applications. Other patrons have used our computers to study for GRE's, take skills tests, and attended our free computer classes to learn how to use Word, Excel, and look things up on the internet. Our staff members also do their best to answer technological questions and explain programs on the fly!

It's inspiring to see so many people learning new computer skills and accomplishing things they previously thought were beyond their reach, and we're proud that we provide such great opportunities!

 If you'd like to learn more about computers, or you know someone who does, contact the library to learn about upcoming computer classes! And as always, you are welcome to use our computers, scanners, wi-fi, and printers, as long as you have your library card! :)

Nonfiction is Awesome!

The library is full of books that are for more than just entertainment!

One of our staff members recently wanted to re-paint her craft desk. The desk in question was old, chipped, and covered with scratches and various art materials from previous projects. She wasn't quite sure how to go about redoing the desk, so she checked out a number of library books on painting and refinishing furniture. It wasn't until she checked out the non-fiction book Mod Podge Rocks! by Amy Anderson that she finally had the great idea to apply the methods in the book to her desk! She reported that the project was easy to do and that the desk turned out as bright and colorful as she'd planned. It never would have happened if she hadn't checked the book out of the library!

Start your own success story ~ check out a non-fiction book @ your library!