Friday, September 14, 2007

MP3 audiobooks, aka "Playaways" are here!

Are you addicted to audiobooks, like I am? If you are, prepare to feed your habit with a new format, MP3 audiobooks! We are very pleased to introduce this new collection. MP3 audiobooks, also called "Playaways" after the company that has introduced them, are audiobooks recorded onto their own self-contained MP3 player. You no longer need to confine your audiobook listening to your CD or cassette player! With Playaways, you can carry the small MP3 player with you wherever you go. Our Playaways circulate with a fresh battery in the player AND a spare, so you'l never be without power, and also a lanyard to make wearing the Playaway easier. You may either provide your own headphones, or purchase a set of earbud headphones from the circulation desk for $1.00. Our collection of Playaways includes popular fiction and non-fiction, and will continue to grow steadily. Try one out the next time you're at the library!

New Internet session management

Attention library Internet users, there's a new sherriff in town! We are now using a software package called "PC Cop" to manage Internet sign-on, session management and printing. The first time you use one of our public workstations, you will need to stop at the circulation desk to receive/update your PIN number in our records. After you have done that, you no longer need to sign in at the desk and may just go directly to any open computer. PC Cop gives you several warnings before your session time is about to expire, and if no one is on the waiting list for a computer you may extend your time by simply clicking a button.

We are very pleased with the new system and have noticed it has made using the public computers more convenient for both patrons and staff. Stop in and try it out soon!