Somerville Public Library Blog

We’re all stunned and saddened by yesterday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon.  The attacks were cruel and senseless.  The only bright moment yesterday was when people ran towards the blasts to apply tourniquets or help people on to their feet.

It’s nice when it’s possible to be proud of human beings.

Actually helping others is one of the best things someone can do in a situation like this, not  just for the inherent decency of doing so, but also because it reminds us we’re not helpless.

The Boston Globe has posted a list of ways people can help. Some people need places to stay. If you can offer someone shelter, please fill out this form. Donations are being collected for the Richards family: everything  from money for medical expenses to help with housework.

And if you need a place to stay, go here.

News you need to know:

Copley Square is closed from Mass. Ave. to Clarendon and Huntington to Newbury.

The Green Line is running; Copley station remains closed

Bags will be searched on T.

Mass Pike Exit 22 is closed

Emerson & Berklee Colleges, Back Bay businesses closed.

The Celtics-Pacers game at TD Garden has been canceled.

Stay safe.

Did you know that the Library subscribes to LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator, a resource that combines everything you need for a successful job search into one easy-to-use online application?  With this innovative job-hunting system, you can:

• Explore detailed information on over 1,000 different occupations
• Match your interests and skills with the career that’s best for you
• Search over five million up-to-the-minute local and national job postings
• Search for internships, schools & programs, scholarships & financial aid
• Create professional resumes and cover letters
• Practice and master interviewing skills
• Get invaluable tips and advice every step of the way—from your initial search to accepting an offer
• Conveniently organize and track your job-search progress all in one place

Whether you’re looking to find a new job in your current field, or to pursue a career in an exciting new industry, LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator will guide you through every step of the process.

The Library is offering free workshops on how to get started using Job and Career Accelerator throughout the month of April.   Choose from the dates and times listed below:

Tuesday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 16th at 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, April 20th at 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, April 23rd at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 25th at 3:00 p.m.

The workshops will be held at the Central Library.  Please register in person at the Reference Desk or call 617-623-5000 x2955 or email raugarten@minlib.net.

The Somerville Public Library is introducing a new collection, Muslim Journeys, which is currently available for browsing and checkout at the Central Branch of the library. This bookshelf collection aims to familiarize residents and visitors with the places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world. It is intended to address both the need and desire of the American public for trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations.

The acquisition is composed of approximately 30 items, both books and DVDs. They run the gamut from Arabian Nights to The Story of the Qur’an. The topics explored include stories from Muslims in America and other parts of the world; the history of Islam; literary works from both past and present; Islam as a religion; and Muslim art and architecture.

“Muslim Journeys is particularly apt for a town like Somerville, with its rich history of waves of immigrants from all over the world,” says Maria Carpenter, Somerville Public Library director. “Muslim Journeys will help us continue our tradition of community dialogue, promoting cultural understanding, and fostering tolerance.”

Patrons can visit and borrow from this collection as they would any other part of the library; additionally the library will supplement these works with public events to explore the collection and associated topics. Dates will be announced.

The materials were selected with the advice of librarians, scholars and cultural programming experts. For more information about the upcoming events and collection, call the library at 617-623-5000 or visit www.somervillepubliclibrary.org. Watch our blog at www.somervillepubliclibrary.org/blog and our Facebook and Twitter pages to find out when the events will take place.

To obtain a Minuteman Library card from us, just download the form, fill it out and bring it to the Circulation Desk. When you come in to obtain your card, you must also present a valid photo I.D. (a driver’s license, for example) AND proof of residence (no leases, please!), if your address is different than that on your license. Without an I.D. and proof of residency, a card cannot be issued.

Children may obtain a library card when they are 5 years of age. The child’s parent or legal guardian must be present with the child, provide a valid ID and proof of residence and sign the form.

The Somerville Public Library is doing something no other public library has done before.

In a partnership with the Harvard Library Innovation Lab, the SPL’s three branches are the first public libraries to have an “Awesome Box.” (Harvard University has utilized these boxes in some of their libraries.) Pictured on the right, these boxes are near the regular return drop off points. Patrons who have particularly enjoyed a book, CD, movie or any other item can return the item to the Awesome Box. They will then be listed on the library’s Awesome Box page (http://somerville.awesomebox.io/), so patrons can share what they find interesting and discover what their neighbors enjoy.

The main branch’s “Awesome Box”

If there’s something that strikes your fancy, click on the item and the site will send you to the library’s catalog, where you can read more about the item, find out if it’s currently available and place a hold on it. There is also a “most awesome” section, which shows the items that were most thought to be awesome. Users can also search for items that are listed as awesome.

We hope that these boxes will spark conversation among library patrons and their neighbors as we continue to provide the best possible service and resources to you!

Today we’re shaking off the snow and warmly welcoming a brand new business partner for our Library Card Sign-Up Competition – Union Square Donuts! But don’t pull on your boots and hunt them down just yet; their grand opening will be happening this Thursday, Valentine’s Day, at 201 Somerville Ave.

Customers can show their library card/keycard and buy any Union Square donut or an Ocean Ave Pop and receive a free small coffee through March. To keep up with what’s going on with Union Square Donuts, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Union Square Donuts joins these other Somerville businesses in offering discounts during this campaign:

• Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square – Show your library card and your movie ticket and receive a free small popcorn.
• Kickass Cupcakes, 378 Highland Ave. – 10% off your purchase
• Flatbread Somerville/Sacco’s Bowl Heaven, 45 Day St. – Free bowling shoe rental
  

  An example of Union Square Donuts’ tasty goodies. (Courtesy of their Facebook page)

• Magpie – 416 Highland Ave. – 10% off your purchase
• The Arts at the Armory Cafe – 191 Highland Ave. – 10% off your purchase.

Business owners, it’s not too late to join this competition – which has the Somerville Public Library pitted against those in Lexington, Arlington and Belmont to see who gets more library card signups in February 2013 as compared to February 2012. Email Eileen Fontenot at eileenfontenot@gmail.com or call her at 617-842-2278 to discuss joining these great businesses. You’ll get your business promoted in the library’s social media in exchange for offering discounts.

The word’s out about our library card sign-up competition and, with your help, we can spread the word even further. We’ve just launched a tumblr site (http://somervillepubliclibrary.tumblr.com/) specifically to give a lucky patron an added prize during this month’s campaign and to raise awareness of the value of getting a library card.

Take a picture of yourself holding your newly obtained (or even not so newly obtained) library card and post it to our tumblr. You don’t have to have a tumblr account to post, although the site will ask for your name and email address. To post a photo from your computer, click the “submit” link on the blog’s front page. Then, click on “Submit a Text Post,” the link with the arrow. It will give you a drop down list of options; select the second one: “Submit a Photo.” A field will appear with a “Browse” button next to it. Click on “Browse” and then search for and select your photo on your computer. Add a family friendly caption if you’d like, click the “I accept the terms of submission” box, add your name and email address, then click “submit.” We’ll receive your submission and post it on the blog.

And be creative! The patron who has the most entertaining photo (as judged by members of the library staff) by the end of this month will receive a free Somerville Public Library mug. This is just part of our giveaways during this campaign: Sign up for a library card at any of our branches and be entered to win a $50 Redbones gift certificate and an e-book reader. And use your card to get discounts at Magpie, Flatbread Somerville/Sacco’s Bowl Heaven, the Somerville Theatre, Kickass Cupcakes and the Arts at the Armory Cafe.  And we plan on adding to this list!

And while you’re out surfing the web, why not like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter?

Thanks – Gracias – Obrigado – Grazie – Mesi – Gamsahabnida – शुक्रिया – Dhanybhad

What is the Library Card Sign-Up Challenge?

This February, the Somerville Public Library will compete with the libraries in Arlington, Belmont, and Lexington in a Library Card Sign-Up competition.  We are betting that we can get a higher percentage increase in new library card registrations in February 2013 versus February 2012 than they can.  Community pride is at stake!  We want to win and we need your help getting the word out!

What Is the Partnership & Why Should I Get Involved?

Your business would be helping both the Somerville Public Library encourage library card registration and help us win the Challenge.  Additionally, the partnership is a great opportunity for your business to market your goods and services to both local library cardholders and library cardholders in surrounding communities.  During the month of February, when library patrons visit a partner business, they will present their library card or keytag when they make a purchase.  At that time, they will receive something from the business.  This “free something” is whatever you decide to give away, either dollars (or a percentage) off of a purchase or a specific item.

What Could I do to Participate?

What you do is your choice, but here are some ideas:

•     A customer buys a sandwich and gets a free drink
•     $2 off a haircut (No Saturdays)
•     10% off dry cleaning, picture framing, printing services, etc.
•     Free coffee mug, pen, or other promotional item

How Does My Business Benefit From Participating?

The Library will do all of the advertising for partnering businesses. This includes giving out flyers listing participating businesses to everyone that checks out materials at the Library, in addition to including participating businesses on the Library’s website and Facebook page.  Both the Challenge and the Library Card Partnership will be covered in the local media as well.

What is the Cost to Me?

It costs you nothing to partner with the Library on this promotion, except what you give away or discount to library cardholders. This is great publicity for your business and a great community partnership.

How Do I Get Involved?

Simply click here and fill out the online form.

The Library will create promotional materials, including a laminated sign for your front door or window indicating that you are a participating business. We can also send you the Challenge logo electronically by request if you would like to promote your participation on your website.

Questions? Contact Eileen Fontenot by phone at 617-842-2278 or via e-mail at eileenfontenot@gmail.com.

The Somerville Public Library will compete with the libraries in Arlington, Belmont, and Lexington in a Library Card Sign-Up competition throughout February.  These public libraries will perform outreach with local organizations and businesses to encourage residents to sign up for a library card (Somerville will give away prizes for new signees, culminating in the grand prize of an e-book reader.)  Participating businesses will offer a discount to customers who show their library card or keycard during their purchase.

“Library cards offer residents a gateway to a world of information resources, learning tools, and possibilities,” says Somerville Library Director Maria Carpenter. “Residents can grab a book, movie or e-book; take a computer class; practice English; attend a lecture; take a free creative writing class; meet up with friends in the new Teen Space; research family history; and use online college test and civil service preparation databases, among many other options!”

Whichever library has the higher percentage increase in new library card registrations in February 2013 compared to February 2012 will be the victor – and the prize is a platter of baked goods delivered to the winner from the losing cities’ favorite local bakeries. To kick off this campaign, there will be a press conference from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Robbins Library Reading Room, 700 Massachusetts Ave., in Arlington.

New library card registrants and current card holders referring a friend can look forward to incentives such as buttons, bracelets, pencils, bookmarks, and the like when they sign up. These new card holders will then be entered in the grand prize drawing of the e-book reader. In addition, these new patrons can also be entered in a drawing hosted by local businesses – and may win movie passes or tickets to a local performance. Patrons who already have library cards can bring in a friend to register for a card and also receive a prize.

But February’s competition is just the start of Somerville’s endeavor to register new library card holders. The library plans to tie this into a yearlong outreach effort in different areas of the community to obtain new library users. As part of the Library and Schools dual strategy of providing seamless education services, the library and area schools are partnering on this effort. So be sure to look for our announcements and signs throughout the City about upcoming outreach events and patron incentives!

For local businesses who would like to participate in the campaign, please contact Eileen Fontenot, eileenfontenot@gmail.com or 617-842-2278.