We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
We’re traveling to to every continent for our Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program. Grab a Take & Make Craft Kit starting on Monday to take home, craft along with us in-person on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-5 pm, or craft along with us on Facebook on Friday morning at 9 am. Or, click on our video to watch from home right now!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
It’s Monday and we have a new Story Walk available for visitors! Take a walk around library property with friends and family while enjoying a story. The walk begins in front of the historic marker and loops around the building and back to the front sidewalk. Weather permitting, a new story walk will be in place every Monday morning through the end of August. Enjoy!
The Lisbon Hepburn Library will be open for modified services starting Tuesday, September 8th. Our hours are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3pm-8pm and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am-5pm. In order to keep library visitors and staff safe, everyone over the age of 2 MUST wear a face covering over their mouth and nose at ALL times while in the building AND maintain a 6-foot physical distance from anyone outside of their household unit. No appointments are necessary, but we must limit visitors browsing the collection to 10 minutes per day, and we must limit the number of people browsing… Read More »Library Opens for In-Person Services on September 8, 2020.
The library is open for pickup services starting June 15th at the front door of the library. Books, audiobooks, magazines, Blu-Rays, DVDs, board games, and jigsaw puzzles may be be requested in advance from the library’s catalog or by contacting the library. Pickup hours are Tuesdays 4-8pm, Wednesdays 10-1pm, and Fridays 10-3 pm.
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and is typically held during the last week of September. The 2018 theme is “Banning Books Silences Stories. Speak Out!” The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to our Constitution is the basis for the ALA’s Freedom of Information and Freedom to Read statements. According to the ALA, intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. Banned Books Week is… Read More »Libraries Recognize Banned Books Week from September 23-29, 2018
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide join together to remind parents, caregivers and students that signing up for a library card is the first step towards academic achievement and lifelong learning. It’s the perfect time to visit a St. Lawrence County library and obtain a library card if you don’t have one! Families, students, and people of all ages who have a library card have access to fun and informative resources that help people pursue their passions and succeed. Be sure to visit your local public library and check… Read More »Libraries Celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month in September
Thank you to Senator Patty Ritchie for honoring me as a “2018 Woman of Distinction” at a recent reception at the Riveredge Resort in Alexandria Bay. Senator Ritchie has always been a library supporter, and those of us in the library community are grateful for the impact she has had on our local public libraries. According to Senator Ritchie’s website, the “Women of Distinction” program honors distinguished women from our region and throughout the Empire State who have been trailblazers in business, academics and civic life, as well as those who have performed heroic or selfless acts, or have personally… Read More »Lisbon Library Director Thanks Senator Patty Ritchie
School is out and summer has officially begun at St. Lawrence County Libraries! This year, our Collaborative Summer Reading Program theme is “Libraries Rock” and our county libraries have special programs and events geared for children of all ages. Each library has its own calendar of activities which may be found at the library, on the library’s website, or the library’s Facebook page. Here are some highlights: The Canton Free Library program runs from July 10th through August 2nd and includes age-appropriate storytime activities, storytellers, music, a pet show, and a visit from Daniel Tiger. The Gouverneur Library is hosting… Read More »Libraries Rock This Summer
June is National Audiobook Month and our St. Lawrence County libraries have plenty of audiobooks on our shelves, available through interlibrary loan, and downloadable from our Overdrive collection. The North Country Library System (NCLS) has over 12,000 audiobook titles in our catalog, with the vast majority (over 10,500) of titles available on CD. Titles include all genres including romance, western, mystery, biography, and self-help. In addition, NCLS has over 845 digital titles that may be downloaded via our Overdrive system to a computer, tablet, or smartphone. So far in 2018, NCLS libraries have circulated over 20,000 audiobooks to our patrons,… Read More »June is National Audiobook Month at St. Lawrence County Libraries
The North Country Library System annual Battle of the Books competition took place Saturday, May 5th in Gouverneur. Eighteen teams of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade children from St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis Counties competed in a double-elimination competition consisting of trivia questions based on twenty books the children read and studied over the past eight months. Congratulations to The Grimoires from the Morristown Public Library for winning the overall competition! The team included Isaac Begel, Reagan Butler, Ivan Kring, Joseph Kring, and Coach Jane Kring. Second place went to the Platinum Dragons of Reading from the Canton Free Library:… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Excel at Regional Battle of the Books
In St. Lawrence County, our public libraries and branches serve a population of approximately 111,000 residents. We all pay for library services in some manner – primarily through our local municipalities, school districts, or special legislative districts. Have you ever thought about the value your local public library brings to your community and your family? Our communities benefit from libraries in many different capacities. Our libraries offer not only printed books and magazines, but newspapers, books on CD or tape, Blu-Ray or DVD videos, and so much more. In addition to traditional materials, our libraries offer digital books and audiobooks… Read More »How Much is Your Library Worth to You?
St. Lawrence County Libraries are celebrating the 60th year of National Library Week from April 8-14, 2018 with the theme, “Libraries Lead.” Tuesday, April 10 will be celebrated as National Library Workers Day, a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. If you’d like to recognize a local library worker, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SubmitAStarforNLWD to submit a star! Locally, many of our libraries are offering special activities and programs. Please check with your public library for details! The Ogdensburg Public Library is hosting a Rock Painting Activity on Monday,… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Celebrate National Library Week April 8-14, 2018
Every year the American Library Association recognizes books and media for children and teens. The ALA Youth Media Awards (YMA) encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature. Many of these highly recommended books are available at our St. Lawrence County public libraries. For the youngest of readers, the Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott and is awarded to the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children. The 2018 award winner is Matthew Cordell, illustrator and writer of Wolf in the Snow, a picture book about… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer Award Winning Books for Youth
Recently, a local elected municipal official referred to his local public library as “unsustainable”. The quote, during an open meeting, was in reference to anticipated budget cuts in the upcoming year. Another local official in a neighboring municipality recently commented that he didn’t know why the municipality was paying for repairs to the library building. The person to whom he was speaking reminded him that the public library building was owned by the municipality, situated on municipal property, and by a 100-year old agreement, must be maintained by the municipality. In the first case, the library is one of the… Read More »Libraries are Vital to Our Communities
February is National Library Lovers’ Month and Saturday, February 3rd is Take Your Child to the Library Day! Our St. Lawrence County Libraries are active, vibrant destinations for both children and adults. Our county libraries have about 580,000 items cataloged for patron use. The vast majority of those items may be borrowed and utilized outside of the library by anyone with a North Country Library System (NCLS) library card. Another million items are available through interlibrary loan from NCLS libraries in Jefferson, Lewis, and Oswego Counties. On an annual basis, our county libraries host almost 500,000 visitors – people checking… Read More »February is National Library Lovers’ Month
The Hepburn Library of Lisbon wrapped up its 97th year of service to the residents of Lisbon and its surrounding communities with an increase in both visitors and circulation. Last year, the library saw 9,565 visitors who checked out books and movies, accessed the internet, completed homework assignments, read a magazine, socialized with friends, made crafts, listened to storytime, watched a movie, shopped our book sale, donated blood, attended a community service organization meeting, or made use of the community room for a party or special event. Last year, the library hosted 136 program sessions that included story time, Lego… Read More »The Hepburn Library of Lisbon Shows Increases in Visitors and Circulation for 2017
As we approach the end of 2017, St. Lawrence County Libraries are looking to increase eBook circulation as part of the Overdrive Digital Dash incentive program. If we can reach our check out goal of 59,670 books by the end of the year, we are eligible to win Overdrive content credit – which means free eBooks for our community! Overdrive is a service that allows library users to download and read digital books and audiobooks to a computer, tablet, eReader, or smartphone. EMedia may be borrowed for free with your library card and downloaded to your device from the internet. … Read More »Help Us Reach Our Checkout Goal
The North Country Library System (NCLS) Digital Catalog has recently added new features that allow users to manage their library account more efficiently. As of November, users may update their email address and phone number online, reset a lost or forgotten PIN, and pay outstanding bills with a credit card. Library card holders have long since been able to search for items in our catalog, place items on hold, request items from other libraries, view a list of items checked out, and renew eligible items for an additional loan period. To access your library account from a computer’s browser window,… Read More »Library Users Have More Online Options
Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates print picture books during the month of November. Our St. Lawrence County libraries have over 48,000 picture books on the shelves, with over 89,000 more available through interlibrary loan from other libraries in the North Country Library System. Not surprisingly, our larger libraries have the largest picture book collections: the Massena Public Library has the largest collection in St. Lawrence County with over 7,600 picture books; the Potsdam Public Library is a close second with just under 7,000. The Ogdensburg Public Library and the Canton Free Library have 4,700 picture… Read More »Libraries Celebrate Picture Book Month in November
Every year, the North Country Library System (NCLS) hosts the annual Battle of the Books competition for children in grades four through six. St. Lawrence County libraries are always well-represented, and our local teams have done well every year. The program is a great opportunity for children to work together while answering book-related trivia questions. Titles are selected by a committee of library staff who read twenty books and write over 1,000 questions for local and regional battles. Teams consist of up to four children who read and study the selected books throughout the fall and winter in preparation for… Read More »It’s Time to Start Preparing for the Annual Library Battle of the Books Competition!
National Friends of Libraries Week will be celebrated October 15-21, 2017. Many of our St. Lawrence County libraries have a Friends group that helps support the library’s mission and goals. Traditionally, many public libraries were established by community members who understood the value of libraries and the need for libraries to have support for long-term survival. Within our own community, there are many examples. All of the Hepburn libraries (Colton, Edwards, Hermon, Lisbon, Madrid, Norfolk, and Waddington) were formed only after each town’s residents voted to provide continual financial support for the libraries Mr. Hepburn offered to build. Other libraries… Read More »Check Out Your Library’s Friends Group!
The North Country Library System recently released a new “app” for managing library accounts on mobile devices. The free app is available for Android, Apple, and Kindle phones and tablets, and is a must have for anyone in St. Lawrence County and the rest of the North Country Library System. I’ve download the app to my Android phone and my iPad, and there are a lot of great features packed into the relatively small file size – it won’t take up a huge amount of valuable space on your device. The obvious benefit to the app is the ability to… Read More »Manage Your Library Card Account with a New App
This September marks the 30th anniversary of Library Card Sign-Up Month – a time when the American Library Association (ALA) joins 17,566 public libraries nationwide to highlight the value of a library card. Originating in 1987, Library Card Sign-Up Month is held each September to mark the beginning of the academic year. Obtaining a library card is the first step for many children when it comes to academic achievement and lifelong learning. Our St. Lawrence County public libraries encourage families to obtain library cards for children in conjunction with our preschool storytime and other youth programs. In addition to books… Read More »September is Library Card Sign-Up Month in St. Lawrence County Libraries.
In mid-1917, philanthropist and financier, Alonzo Barton Hepburn approached the Town of Lisbon with a proposal to build a library for its residents. Mr. Hepburn was a locally born philanthropist and banker from Colton who gifted libraries to seven St. Lawrence County communities: Colton, Madrid, Lisbon, Hermon, Norfolk, Waddington, and Edwards. The conditions of the gift were quite simple: Mr Hepburn would pay to erect a “substantial and credible Library building”, furnish and equip the Library, and provide a small endowment. In exchange, the Town of Lisbon would need to pass the proposition by a two-thirds majority of its residents,… Read More »100 Years Ago, A. Barton Hepburn Offers Lisbon the Gift of a Library
Starting September 1st, St. Lawrence County children and teens can nominate their favorite books for the 3 Apples Book Award, an annual award sponsored by the New York Library Association. Launched in 2007, the award was developed to encourage the joys of reading for pleasure. The nominated titles are selected, and eventually voted on, entirely by participating youth throughout the state. A book by any author, in any genre, may be nominated as long as it hasn’t been a winner in previous years of the contest. Children are often encouraged to read based on book displays, school assignments, or their… Read More »It’s Time to Nominate Your Favorite Children’s Book Titles!
The North Country Library System offers a program entitled “ArtistWorks for Libraries” which provides St. Lawrence County library patrons with self-paced online video lessons from music and artistic professionals. Lessons are geared for novice to intermediate users, all at no charge with your library card. Classes are suitable for youth and adults, with beginner to advanced lessons covering an array of instruments, music theory, scratching, and art. Classical music topics include piano, guitar, flute, clarinet, french horn, trumpet, and violin lessons. Bass lessons include electric bass, jazz bass, and bluegrass bass. Additional bluegrass classes include banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and bluegrass… Read More »Libraries Offer Online Music and Art Instruction
St. Lawrence County library users have access to downloadable e-books and audio books via Overdrive, a service we implemented in 2011 that allows users to read (or listen to) books on their mobile phones, tablets, Kindles, and dedicated e-reader devices. All you need is a device, a library card, and your PIN number to sign up for Overdrive or access your account. Overdrive has recently added a new application (app) to their offerings – users now have a choice between the original Overdrive app and the new Libby app. Both apps are developed by Overdrive, provide users access to all… Read More »Library Users Have a New E-Reader App Available
Senator Patty Ritchie has been a long-time advocate of our local public libraries and library staff, trustees, and patrons are always thankful for Senator Ritchie’s support. As Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Libraries, Senator Ritchie visits our libraries often to see first-hand what we are doing in our communities, speaks out in favor of libraries both locally and at the state level, and helps secure special funding for individual libraries every year. St. Lawrence County libraries are funded almost entirely by local funds – whether the funding comes from a local municipality, a local school district, a special… Read More »Thirteen County Libraries Are Grateful to Senator Patty Ritchie for Her Support
Many of our St. Lawrence County communities are participating in the “Painted Rocks” activity that has gained popularity in recent weeks. If you’ve noticed painted rocks and stones hiding in plain sight, and aren’t familiar with the premise, it works basically like this: people paint rocks and distribute them around the community – in parks, along sidewalks, in retail stores, in community buildings, and public libraries – for other community members to locate. When someone finds a rock, there will be a message on the bottom similar to “post to Lisbon Rocks on Facebook”, or “post to Heuvelton Rocks on… Read More »Libraries Rock!
Happy Independence Day from your local libraries! As we celebrate our nation’s history, it’s a good time to reflect on the local history that surrounds us every day. Our St. Lawrence County libraries are a great place to start your research. Our local libraries have a wealth of history housed in each building. Many libraries have a variety of local history books and publications that may be browsed while visiting the library, and in some cases, borrowed to read at home. Some libraries, such as the Ogdensburg Public Library, have a local history expert on staff, a local history room,… Read More »Celebrate Local History At Your Library
School is out and summer has officially begun at St. Lawrence County Libraries! This year, our Collaborative Summer Reading Program theme is “Build a Better World” and our county libraries have special programs and events geared for children of all ages. Each library has its own calendar of activities which may be found at the library, on the library’s website, or the library’s Facebook page. Here are some highlights: The Gouverneur Library is hosting the Thompson Park Zoo on July 10th, a Lego Build Off on July 18th, Professor Klutzo’s Great Inventions of the World on July 19th, a week… Read More »Libraries Strive to Build a Better World This Summer
Did you know that many of our local libraries offer discount museum passes that may be borrowed with your library card? This summer, libraries are lending passes to The Adirondack Experience and The Wild Center. The Adirondack Experience (formerly the Adirondack Museum) is located in Blue Mountain Lake and provides 121 sprawling acres and over two dozen buildings and exhibition spaces to explore. A visit to the Adirondack Experience is action-packed, entertaining, educational, and fun for the entire family. From feeding trout, to bird watching, to interacting with craftsmen as they ply their trades, to strolling gallery after gallery of… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer Discount Museum Passes
Wednesday, June 21st is the first day of summer, which kicks off one of the busiest seasons at our St. Lawrence County libraries. Libraries are typically busy in summer as many of our communities have a large influx of seasonal residents looking for books, movies, and internet access. In addition, our local residents are looking for summer programming for kids, rainy day activities, and a place to relax with the latest bestseller. All of our libraries have computers, printers, fax machines, and internet access. Feel free to use our computers, or bring your own laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Library cards… Read More »Get Ready for Summer at Your Local Library
Audiobooks were first envisioned by Thomas Edison in 1877 when he invented the phonograph. One of his ideas was to provide sound recordings of books to the visually-impaired, and his first recording was of the poem, Mary Had a Little Lamb. Early efforts to produce “talking books” were restricted due to maximum recording length, and very little was produced until the mid-1930’s when the Books for the Adult Blind Project and the American Foundation for the Blind produced excerpts of Helen Keller and O’Henry on long-playing records. Over the years, improved technology has taken the audiobook industry from vinyl records… Read More »June is National Audiobook Month at St. Lawrence County Libraries
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a free service provided by our local libraries in conjunction with the North Country Library System (NCLS). ILL allows libraries to share items through the NCLS delivery system, giving patrons easy access to a diverse collection of materials. Thus far in 2017, NCLS has transported 42,802 books, movies, and other items between 65 public libraries in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Oswego, and Lewis Counties. In St. Lawrence County, our public libraries have lent 15,486 items through interlibrary loan. Local libraries that have lent over 1,000 ILL items are Potsdam, Massena, Ogdensburg, Canton, Colton, and Lisbon. Although the… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Lend Over 15,000 Items Through Interlibrary Loan
The North Country Library System annual Battle of the Books competition took place Saturday, May 20th in Gouverneur. Fifteen teams of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade children from St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis Counties competed in a double-elimination competition consisting of trivia questions based on twenty books the children read and studied in depth. Congratulations to The Bookie Monsters from the Canton Free Library for bringing home the first place trophy! The team included Griffin Scafidi-McGuire, Maya Thomas, Natalie Todd, Claire Waters, and Coach Heidi Todd. Second place went to The Book Rebels from the Morristown Public Library: Connor Flack,… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Sweep Top Three Prizes at Battle of the Books
All libraries in St. Lawrence County offer free internet access to visitors. Some libraries offer desktop computers while others also have laptops or tablets that may be used throughout the library building. A few libraries also allow patrons to borrow e-readers to take home for a limited period of time. Libraries offer wi-fi access for your smart devices or laptops. Wi-fi range is usually throughout the entire building, and may extend outside to the parking lot or lawn where it may be accessed after hours. If you want to relax and surf the internet or check your email, library wi-fi… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer Computers and Internet Access
Children’s Story Time is a mainstay of public libraries and continues to be a popular program in many St. Lawrence County libraries. Libraries host storytime for a wide variety of reasons that may include entertainment and community outreach. Beyond the fun, however, are the more serious goals of engaging children in the written word, helping children develop creative imaginations, and encouraging early literacy skills. Reading aloud to children helps enhance language proficiency by introducing new words and phrases. Many stories are written in rhymes or use repetition to help children model pronunciation, recall what has been read, and predict what… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer Many Options for Children’s Story Time Programs
National Library Week will be observed April 9-15, 2017 with the theme, “Libraries Transform.” First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. St. Lawrence County libraries will be offering a variety of special programs in addition to regular activities and events. Several libraries will be offering amnesty on library fines. The Massena Public Library will forgive overdue fines when library materials are… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Observe National Library Week
Have you ever thought about the value your local public library brings to your community? We all pay for library services in some manner – through federal, state, and local funding. In St. Lawrence County, the vast majority of library funding comes from local sources – through our towns, villages, school districts, or special legislative districts. So, what kind of value are you receiving for your money? Our communities benefit from libraries every day as we strive to serve all residents in different capacities. As one would expect, all of our county libraries offer printed books and magazines for children,… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer More Than Just Books
Many libraries offer the print edition of Consumer Reports magazine for patrons to read in the library or to borrow and take home. What if the issue you need is checked out to another patron, or your library doesn’t have the space to store last year’s back issues? Unlimited access to Consumer Reports Online is available for free simply by using your library card. Doing research takes time. Choosing the wrong product wastes money. Consumer Reports Online provides the user with a comprehensive archive of expert, unbiased reviews to help the reader make the right purchasing decision every time. Online… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer Free Access to Consumer Reports Online
Spring is officially here, and it’s time to start thinking about summer gardens! Several libraries in St. Lawrence County offer what is commonly called a “Seed Library” where community members can borrow, share, and donate all varieties of vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seeds. The benefits of a seed lending library are many: it is a way to have fun, build relationships with fellow gardeners, and share resources among neighbors. Seed libraries offer an efficient and sustainable way to share community resources. They encourage experimentation, affording gardeners (or aspiring gardeners) a low-risk way to try something new. The way a… Read More »Seed Libraries are Sprouting Up in St. Lawrence County Libraries
Beanstack is a free reader’s advisory service that curates and recommends children’s books available within the North Country Library System. For many kids, figuring out what to read can be intimidating, especially since we have over 75,000 different juvenile titles within our sixty-five libraries! Beanstack is easy to use – parents and caregivers create an online account and register children as participants. Although the program requires some adult contact information, children can be identified simply by a nickname and age. In order to provide book suggestions, participants are asked to input their reading level and select up to three subjects,… Read More »Libraries Offer Book Recommendations Through Beanstack
Are you a member of a local book club? Looking to start one? Your local library’s Book-Club-In-A-Bag service can provide you with everything you need for your next discussion! The North Country Library System (NCLS) has ready-made book club kits packaged and ready to lend to book clubs within our service area. Kits include a canvas bag containing twelve paperback copies of each title and a printed list of discussion questions curated by professional library staff. Book Clubs are a great way to meet new people, expand your reading list, engage in stimulating discussion, and take a break from everyday… Read More »Libraries Offer Book-Club-In-A-Bag Program to the Community
Did you know your public library offers access to Ancestry.com at no charge? Ancestry’s Library Edition is a budget-friendly way to access most of Ancestry.com’s collections and databases from within your local library. Ancestry includes census, vital, church, court, military, and immigration records along with family histories, photos, and maps from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and other areas of the world. The collection contains thousands of databases, over 30,000 record collections, millions of historical photos, and over 11 billion names – all searchable with the click of a mouse. Record collections date all the way back to the… Read More »Libraries Offer Free Access to Ancestry.com
Did you know that your library card gives you access to over 500 Continuing Education classes at no charge? Classes are available online and cover a wide variety of topics to enhance your personal life, expand job-related skills, or boost academic knowledge. Universal Classes are self-directed with lessons, assignments, exams, discussion boards, and an instructor to help you master the content. Students receive actual grades and, upon successful completion of the course, a certificate and CEUs (Continuing Education Units). Most courses are worth 1.0 to 2.0 CEUs and require ten to twenty hours to complete. Class offerings for parents, families,… Read More »Libraries Offer Over 500 Continuing Education Classes
Libraries have been lending movies and television episodes for many years and our collections have been growing steadily. Overall, we have 29,840 DVD and Blu-Ray discs available in our St. Lawrence County libraries, plus an additional 40,000 available through interlibrary loan from other libraries in the North Country Library System. In many libraries, DVDs are very popular – last year NCLS libraries circulated over 178,000 DVD titles to North Country residents. Within St. Lawrence County, our largest collections are in Potsdam, Ogdensburg, Massena, Colton, Canton, and Lisbon. Our catalog spans the entire history of filmmaking from classic black & white… Read More »St. Lawrence County Libraries Offer Almost 30,000 Blu-Rays & DVDs to Patrons
January is National Hobby Month and your St. Lawrence County libraries have plenty of activities and programs geared to hobbies and creativity. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a hobby is “a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation” and dates back to 1816 when it was shortened from the term “hobby horse”. Several libraries offer ongoing knitting programs: the Hepburn Library of Waddington offers a weekly Knitting Group on Tuesdays, the Morristown Public Library offers a weekly Knitting Class on Wednesdays, the Hepburn Library of Madrid hosts a knitting and Crochet Group on Thursdays, and the Potsdam… Read More »January is National Hobby Month
The Hepburn Library of Lisbon has been serving the community for ninety-six years and is committed to providing quality service to those who visit and partake in its programs and services. In 2016, the library hosted 9,230 visitors who borrowed library materials, accessed the internet, participated in a library-sponsored programs, attended an event in the community room, or sought a quiet place to read, study, or visit with friends. The library offered 84 programs to the community for all ages with an attendance of over 1,000 individuals. Library programs included story times, movie nights, craft days, nutrition classes, makerspace projects,… Read More »The Hepburn Library of Lisbon lends 10,000 items in 2016