Changes to our website

We have been working to improve our new (actual over a year old now) website for the Hutchinson Public Library.  As we create new content and make some changes, I hope you will send us feedback.

The first couple of changes we've made to the home page are circled in red in the picture below:

There is now a rotating book shelf (Newest Arrivals) that shows a selection of the newest acquisitions each week.  You can click the jacket art and go directly to the library's catalog to place requests for the items.  This tool is provided by Wowbrary!.  You can also sign up to receive a weekly Wowbrary! email newsletter that includes not only the items shown on the rotating shelf, but every new item added each week.

The other red circle is highlighting a feed from our HPL Reader Reviews website.  These are books reviewed by HPL patrons.  You can participate by sending in reviews of your own to me at gwamsley@hutchpl.org.  We would love to continue expanding this resource as a reader's advisory tool for everyone to use.

There is also a new repository for the latest press releases from the library.  Here will be a place to find detailed information about significant news, programs, and new services at HPL.  You can find it by clicking Programs & Services on the menu bar and looking under the Programs & Events list.

Please let us know what you think about the changes and give usany suggestions you might have!

Changes are afoot!

Second Floor stacks...with stacks

New homes for the 700's!

We're changing.  What are we changing?  The way we look (hopefully for the better), some things that limit service, some things that created barriers.

This is the start of phase one of a long project.  Please follow along to see some of the awesome things our staff has planned!

New HPL app for Apple & Android

Great news!  The Hutchinson Public Library has an app available for iPad / iPod / iPhone and for Android devices that allows you to access our catalog, access your library account, and generally do everything you can from a traditional computer.  You can search the library's holdings, place holds, renew books, read reviews, and much more using a very clean, easy-on-the-eyes tool.

iPad bestseller list screenshot

To get started, go to the Apple App Store or to your Android store of choice (like Google Play) and search for:

OWL iLibrary

Download the app and once it is installed, open it.  The first time you open the app you choose your library (search by name, map, etc.)  Choose "Hutchinson Public Library".

Enter your library card number - the whole thing.

Enter your PIN.  Unless you have manually changed it, your PIN is the last 4 digits of the telephone number we have in our records.

Once this is done, the app will remember your settings and you won't have to do it again.  Then you can search away!


Here are some screenshots of the app on an iPhone:

Reviews

Search

Search results

Hold Request

Star Wars Reads Day pt. 2

Want to practice your Huttese?  If you are elementary school age and like Star Wars, come read a story to Jabba the Hutt on October 6th and take advantage of an opportunity to practice Jedi skills.  Here is Jabba preparing to receive visitors from all over the Outer Rim territories:

Bring me Solo and the Wookie

You may have been a good smuggler [Solo], but now you're Bantha fodder.

Star Wars Reads Day is October 6th.  The program at the Hutchinson Public Library will start at 2pm and run through 4pm.  There will be activities in the Children's Story time room (first floor) and in the Auditorium (second floor).  Call (620)663-5441 x 145 or visit www.hutchpl.org for more information.

Footfall: Science Fiction Book Group

Continuing with our theme for the year, our next discussion book is the hard science fiction novel Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.  Of the possible "apocalyptic" ends for the Earth in science fiction literature, the alien invasion is probably the most popular theme.  Footfall (1985) was nominated for a Hugo Award and was a New York Times bestseller.

The aliens who invade earth - the Fithp - have come from Alpha Centauri in an enormous ship.  Much of the technology depicted in the book, while far advanced, is hardly incomprehensible to us.  The Fithp have powerful laser weapons, landing craft, the ability to snag and hurl meteors for directed ground attacks among other "theoretical" technology.  There are a number of interesting twists and Niven and Pournelle are great story tellers.  This is (in my opinion) one of their best collaborations, if not the best.

If you would like to join us, read the book and come to the discussion, we'd love to have you participate!  The next discussion is October 4th at 7pm here at the Hutchinson Public Library.

Are You Jedi Material?

You can find out on October 6th at the Hutchinson Public Library.  We are putting on a new program from Lucasfilm and its publishing partners called "Star Wars Reads Day".  Register your school-age child at the Children's Circulation Desk (at the West entrance by the parking lot).  Then come to the Library's auditorium at 2pm on October 6th.  There will be Jedi training and a chance to test your skills.

I would have loved this as a kid.  I was (OK, still am) a big fan of the Star Wars movies and universe.  I must admit though to liking the original trilogy much better than the newer series.  When I saw "A New Hope" in the theater, Han shot first.  If you are unfamiliar with that bit of trivia, here's a link to explain it!

I hope that we have a good turn out for this program.  It combines reading with one of my favorite science fiction film universes.  There have also been numerous well-written, exciting books set in the Star Wars universe.  So, October 6th 2-4pm, HPL Auditorium, geared toward school-age children, register at the Children's Desk.  Hope to see you there!

Little Free Library

Have you ever seen one of these?  I haven't in this particular form, but I've seen the idea expressed in a number of similar ways - usually within a public library.  These are called "Little Free Libraries" and they operate on an honor system - take a book, leave a book.  The library boxes are often built with re-purposed or recycled material and maintained by volunteers or the person who created it in the first place.  The little library gets registered with the folks at Little Free Library, and gets added to their network.  They have a Google map that show you the locations of little libraries all over the country - you can browse it here.

Often in public libraries the spirit of this movement is expressed by way of a paperback exchange where library patrons bring in mass-market type paperback books for donation and then borrow some from the designated collection housed in the library.

We are interested in getting this started in Hutchinson.  There are already some interested parties and who knows?  Maybe there will be a Little Free Library here in town soon!