DPL Blog

Is that something new at the Dover Public Library? No! We just revamped the Outreach program.

We have a team of dedicated individuals that we have affectionately named Book Buddies that deliver materials to our homebound patrons and residents of care facilities in Dover. But we deliver more than books. Besides the obvious, books, magazines, CDs and DVDs, we also deliver a friendly face and a smile. Some of our patrons don’t have any family or friends to visit them on a regular basis, and we get to have the privilege of being that someone to visit with. It just gives you that warm fuzzy feeling when you come around the corner and the men we call the “Boys Club” are waiting in the lobby because it’s Tuesday, and the library ladies are coming that day. Or when you knock on the door of one of our homebound patrons and they state, “it must be Wednesday!”

Not only are we making a difference in the lives of those who are not able to make it to the library on their own, but they are making a difference in our lives as well. It is very rewarding to hear how much they appreciate the service we provide. Even though they may be shut-in, the possibilities are endless of where they can go with the materials the DPL has available. So if you know of someone who could benefit from this program, please feel free to contact me at ltoohey@doverlibrary.org or call 330-343-6123.

Linda

– Outreach Librarian

With Seeds from the Dover Seed Library!

We here at the Dover Public Library are always looking for great ways to help our patrons and our community.  So, with that in mind, we have started a Seed Library.

What’s a Seed Library you ask? Well, it’s just the greatest thing ever.  We have a classic card catalog (the kind I used as a kid) located just inside the front door of the library.  And since we haven’t used a card catalog like that in… well… never mind how many years, we have placed packets of seeds in it. The top half of the cabinet has flowers and the bottom half has vegetables. You come in, open up a drawer, take some seeds, fill out a form, bring it to the front desk,  and you’re done. Easy peasy.

Then you plant the seeds. Watch them grow. Bring back in the seeds from what you grew. This is a great family activity to share with those you love! And, it’s so easy, you don’t even need a passport to adventure (your library card) to check out seeds. The Seed Library is here for everyone!

Not a gardener? That’s okay. We have a variety of gardening books that can help you out if you have questions, and as always, the staff are here to help you.

Stop in and see our new collection of seeds!

Happy gardening!

– Denise

Adult Services

Hey, Guess What?! You can read a book on your phone! And, you can listen to a book on your phone.

I may be a little behind on the times, but I just discovered this wonderful feature when I got rid of my dummy phone in favor of a smartphone.

Your library card is your passport to adventure, and with a smartphone, you can go anywhere, anytime.

With the Dover Public Library’s two, count ‘em, TWO, ebook collections, The Ohio Digital Library and Axis 360, the sky’s the limit to the books you can access. (Actually, the sky is not the limit, as you can download the books on the ground then take them on the plane with you.) These collections, listed under “Downloadables” and “eBooks” on our website are your ticket to books for your computer, iPad, MP3 player, Kindle, and your smartphone.

This is such a great way to continue the reading experience anywhere and everywhere you go.

If you need help with our ebook collections, we can get you started. We here at the Dover Public Library are ready to take you your reader.

Check out all our links under Downloadables to see what audiobooks, movies, TV shows, magazines, and more wait for you in our collections.

Happy eReading!

-Denise
Adult Services

Bah dah, bah dah dah dah. So many songs have been written about this most hated day of the week that you can find one to suit practically any musical taste. The first one to pop into my head when I hear the word “Monday” is the one written by John Phillips for The Mamas and the Papas. Don’t ask me why, it’s not even from my generation. I am also a fan of Wilco and John Prine; here is a link if you want to explore the variety of artists caught with “a case of the Mondays:” http://antonk.com/music/songs-about-monday/

Why am I talking about Monday? Because it is now my favorite day of the week. I get to spend my Mondays at Dover Public Library in our fabulous new local history room, The Roots Cellar, and I invite you to come to the library and check it out! We are located in the basement right next to the Book Cellar, in the old community room area. Here you will find Dover High School Yearbooks and City Directories, books on the history of Tuscarawas County, including notable places and people, genealogy books, general Ohio reference books, war rosters, and archival collections. Unfortunately these materials do not circulate, but you are welcome to come and browse the collection during The Roots Cellar’s hours:

Monday: 12:30-4, 5-8

Tuesday: 5-8

If you would like to look at something from the collection when the room is closed, no problem! Ask at the front desk and staff will be happy to retrieve a title for you to enjoy upstairs in the main reading room.

So, if you are stuck in the middle of John Prine’s loooooong Monday and want to break up the monotony, come visit me in The Roots Cellar and see what there is to learn about your hometown.

Claire Kandle

Local History & Genealogy Librarian

One of my favorite things about checking out library materials is the fact that I can check out new things, whether they are books, movies, TV shows, or magazines, for free. I love it! Not sure about that new movie? Check it out first to see if you like it. Want to catch up on the gossip magazines without paying $5 an issue? Check them out from the library! Don’t feel like spending $40 on the doorstopper that is The Goldfinch? That’s ok, just check it out from the library!

I only occasionally run into snags with this system. Maybe I’m on vacation already and can’t stop by the library because it’s in Ohio and I’m in North Carolina, or maybe I don’t think I can fit those 5 books into my carry-on and still manage to lift it over my head once I get on the airplane. Sometimes, it’s even simpler: my Sunday afternoon is suddenly wide open, and the library is closed for the day. Fortunately, the library has a wealth of digital resources that can be accessed from anywhere with a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Axis 360 is one of my favorite digital resources the library provides. It’s like a hidden treasure trove of new, popular titles, and usually there is almost no wait time. It doesn’t have hundreds of older titles, but I’m almost always able to get the newest bestsellers with long wait lists on the print editions.  It’s my go-to for these newer titles–I was able to check out and read The Girl on the Train without any wait time at all 🙂

Another one of my favorites is Flipster. It’s the library’s new eMagazine service. The best part about Flipster: you never have to wait (ever). I use it all the time to read the more popular magazines, especially the weeklies. It’s really easy to download and print pages, which is helpful when I find a new recipe or an article I don’t want to lose. Plus, I’m able to read the Sports Illustrated articles on the latest March Madness developments before the tournament ends in a couple of weeks.

Don’t get me wrong: I still love a good, physical book. It has a heft that you just can’t beat. But when I can’t wait to get my handson a new title (this happens frequently), or I’m traveling and don’t want to increase the weight of my suitcase by 30 pounds, or when the library is closed, etc., going digital provides the solution. And the bottom line is, whether it’s print or it’s digital, as long as I’m reading, I’m happy 🙂

-Kathryn Green, Technology Manager

“What do you mean, you never read The Giver?”

Thus began a lengthy discussion with my roommate about what we had to read in school. She shook her head at me, suddenly suspicious of my education, since I had been cheated out of Lois Lowry.

Neither had I suffered through A Brave New World or Their Eyes Were Watching God. I had not read Heart of Darkness in high school, but I had to for a college course, which I think was probably worse.

In regards to Steinbeck, I have my roommate soundly beat. She never read The Pearl or Cannery Row or The Grapes of Wrath.

We both had to read To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, and, to our mutual dismay, Wuthering Heights.

Both of us had the freedom to choose what books we read for our book reports, though my roommate had to choose from a list. I almost shivered when she said that. I had no such list to go by. I distinctly remember reading Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson (an adult romance), All-American Girl by Meg Cabot (a tween book), and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (yes, all three of them, thanks to a boxed set I got for Christmas). In other words, I used that freedom to explore all kinds of books, not just the ones that would have made it onto a teacher’s reading list. To not have had that freedom – I dread to think what I would have ended up reading.

The discussion went on to include the best stories by Edgar Allan Poe and left me with some observations about the books we have to read in school.

First of all, my librarian brain noticed immediately that the vast majority of the books we talked about have been banned or at least challenged at one point or another.

I also wondered about the reputations that some of these authors have. In school, I never read a comedy by Shakespeare. It was all tragedy, all the time. If I hadn’t been a complete Nerd and read A Midsummer Night’s Dream on my own, I’d never have known that the Bard can be funny. Likewise, if I had only been forced to read The Pearl, I would never have picked up a Steinbeck by choice. It wasn’t until I had to read Cannery Row that I recognized Steinbeck’s entertainment value and searched out more Steinbeck at the library.

I believe that what we read in our youth, especially what we read in school, has the capacity to make or break us as readers. If we like it, we’re set for life. If we have the freedom to read what we like, not just what we have to, we’ll learn the value in all reading, not just in high literature.

Part of the fun of reading is being able to explore different worlds. There really is something for everyone. Luckily for us, we have libraries to help us find the right book, even if we missed it in school.

Liz

-Teen Librarian

PS: After having this discussion with my roommate, I did, in fact, check out The Giver, and it is, as she said, awesome.