Spring Events Newsletter
The Library’s Spring Events Newsletter for March, April, and May is available here. Continue Reading
3D Printing Certification
Learn how to use our 3D Printers in our lower level Makerspace! 3D Printing Certification is now available through an online Niche Academy tutorial. Complete the tutorial and then stop by the YA desk to obtain your official certification and start using the 3D printers. Policies and costs for 3D printing can be found here.
Hoopla
So, what’s all the “hoopla” you’re hearing about Hoopla!?!
Hoopla is a digital media service that allows you to borrow movies, music, eAudiobooks, eBooks, comics/graphic novels, and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone!
There are no holds and multiple users can use the same title at the same time!! Titles can be streamed, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. There are hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily. The platform is simple, intuitive and allows 4 downloads to you each month. If you’re a regular Hoopla user you may have encountered the message “The collective daily borrow limit set by your library has been reached and will reset at midnight. Please browse and add titles to favorites so you can easily access them after midnight.” This is different than your 4 item monthly limit and has to do with the daily budget that we at the Library have set in order to budget for this service and keep it available to you year round. If you encounter this message, remember that the budget will reset at midnight. Don’t forget about our other digital resources through the Up North Digital Collection using Overdrive or Libby, and our movie streaming service, Kanopy- all available 24/7 at no charge to you! Library cardholders can learn more about Hoopla and how to access and sign up to start instantly streaming films. On a mobile device, borrowed content may be temporarily downloaded and accessed offline or, in either the app or on a computer, all borrowed content may be enjoyed while connected to the internet by streaming. Continue Reading
US 31 Construction
Construction and detours for US 31 will begin on March 18. It will be worth the chaos of construction, as it will bring us a very pedestrian friendly roadway with crossing islands and better intersections. Library visitors can still find street parking on Mitchell, but remember Woodland Ave. and Michigan St. have parking too. Please read below for more information and a tentative detour schedule. Continue Reading
This Week’s Movie Wednesday and Friday
This Wednesday (3-13) and Friday (3-15) the Petoskey Film Series and the Petoskey District Library will be showing the film Green Book (Rated PG-13; 2018; 130 min.). Green Book won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. Films are shown at 7:30 p.m. at the Petoskey District Library Carnegie Building (the old library) at 451 East Mitchell. Donations are appreciated.
For more information on upcoming films, like us on Facebook®. To receive weekly email updates send an email to petoskeyfilmtheater4@gmail.com.
Plant Based Nutrition Support Group
Are you curious about plant-based foods and want to incorporate them in your life? PBNSG (Plant Based Nutrition Support Group) is a non-profit organization dedicated to evidence-based education and advocacy of plant-based whole food nutrition and an active lifestyle to help prevent or reverse chronic disease and achieve optimal health. This group meets to empower all who want to optimize their health by following a plant-based, low-fat diet. Newcomers are always welcome. For more information, please visit here.
We meet the third Monday of every month in the lower level classroom. The next meeting will be Monday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. and we will be video conferencing with vegan chef Amber Poupore. Amber is the head chef at GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale and owns Royal Oak raw eatery Cacao Tree.
PDL Page Turners Book Club
We meet the third Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room (second floor). If you have any discussion comments or questions regarding our current title, please bring them with you to the next meeting. Registration is not necessary, but greatly appreciated.
We hope you can join us at our next meeting on Tuesday, March 19, when we will discuss The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries From A Secret World by Peter Wohlleben.
Reading List:
March 19: The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries From A Secret World by Peter Wohlleben.
April 16: Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts
May 21: She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Carl Zimmer
Friends @ the Carnegie: Those Magical Dames
Celebrate Women’s History Month and join magician Jania Taylor for a historical lecture of women in magic on Monday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the Carnegie Building. Jania features six overlooked female magicians, starting with those that paved the way back in the 1800s, trouping shows by steamer ship and trains, then, as time went on, to those performing on modern day stages. Audiences will get a peek at their trials, triumphs and will witness some of the magic that was performed in their shows.
All Friends @ the Carnegie programs are held at the Carnegie Building at 451 E. Mitchell Street, unless otherwise noted. The programs are offered at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Monday of every month, except May (third Monday) and December (no program). All Friends @ the Carnegie programs are open to the public and admission is free.
Tax Form Information
IRS (Federal) Tax Forms
The 2018 IRS 1040 Forms and instruction booklets available in the reference area on the second floor. We will gladly assist you in downloading and printing forms or ordering forms by mail at the Reference Desk on the second floor. The following list contains links to some common IRS tax forms, instructions and publications. Other forms and publications are also available at the IRS website.
Tax return preparation and filing options include Free File and e-file can be found here. Continue Reading
Foundation Directory Online
Discover a wealth of information on searching for grants, writing proposals, establishing nonprofits, and fundraising at the Library. Through a subscription to Foundation Directory Online, users can search unique databases of information on more than 140,000 foundations, corporate donors, and grantmaking public charities and over 4 million of their recent grants. This service can be used free of charge on a Library computer. We currently can allow access to the directory from a Library computer one patron at a time, so it is recommended to call ahead to reserve a time slot. Continue Reading
NEW! Self-Checkout Kiosks
Petoskey District Library patrons can avoid lines and choose to checkout their own materials on one of three new touchscreen self-checkout kiosks, all located on the Library’s first floor. Patrons simply scan their physical library card (or card saver app), place items on the kiosk pad, print or email their receipt and they’re done. Fines and fees can be paid for quickly with the kiosks’ credit/debit card readers. Circulation staff is ready and willing to teach patrons how to use the self-checkout kiosks. Continue Reading
Cooking and Travel Databases
We are happy to introduce two new databases available for use remotely (log-in with your library card) or in the library on our computers or on your own device using our WI-FI connection. A to Z World Food™ is the world’s largest database of global food culture and recipes, with 6,500 recipes covering 174 countries, as well as 884 articles on national and regional cuisine, dining etiquette, and special occasion foods; 545 ingredient articles linked to recipes from around the globe; beverages, sauces, quotes, cooking conversions, food history, glossaries and more.
A to Z World Travel™ is a comprehensive travel resource with information about points of interest, security, transportation, food and recipes, culture, language, and more. With 202 World City Travel Guides covering over 67 topics each, plus an additional 56 travel resources it provides the knowledge you need to experience the world and all its wonders.
Library Wins Grants to Enhance Makerspace & Teen Area
3D Printers, crafting supplies, photo printing, sewing machines, a Shotbox portable photo studio, video editing software; these are just a few of the things available to the public at the Petoskey District Library’s Makerspace, and now the Library is excited to expand that list due to a $4000 grant awarded by the Bay Harbor Foundation, a $3500 grant awarded by the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, and a gift from the Friends of the Petoskey Library.
The grants provide funds to support purchase of new equipment and kits for the lower level area of the Library known as the Makerspace and Teen Area, including a laminator for public use, and more. The newest addition is smartboard technology. A smartboard is essentially an interactive white board which can be connected to one or more laptops, PCs, tablets, or other electronic devices. This smartboard will be used for Library programs and classes, teen activities, and will be available for individuals and organizations who book the Library classroom for their meetings. Continue Reading
Mah Jongg
Join us every Monday, 10:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m in the library classroom for Mah Jongg, a game of skill, strategy, calculation and a certain amount of chance and luck. Mah Jongg originated in China about 2,000 years ago. The goal is to build a hand of 14 tiles and win. Come and play with others who enjoy this competitive game. Beginners are welcome.
Book Club Kits
Attention book club members! As you are thinking about your next titles, you may want to consider checking out one of our book club kits. Choose from the following titles:
– A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman
– The Turner House, by Angela Flournoy
– Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl.
– The Little Paris Bookshop, by Nina George
– The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Hguyen
– Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
– The Girls of Atomic City, by Denise Kiernan
– 1984, by George Orwell
– Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett
– Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
– First Darling of the Morning, by Thrity Umrigar
– Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance —NEW
Visit here for descriptions of each of our book club kit titles.
Coming soon:
– A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles Continue Reading
Michigan Activity Pass (MAP)
Did you know that your library card can be your best travel companion? Discover hundreds of Michigan’s cultural destinations and natural attractions with your Michigan library card! You can “check out” FREE or discounted admission passes (or other exclusive offers) to hundreds of Michigan state parks, campgrounds, museums, trails, arts & cultural destinations, seven National Park Service venues, and more. The Michigan Activity Pass (MAP) is the product of a partnership between 638 public library buildings and over 400 destinations. Use your valid library card to reserve and print a pass, either from home or at the library. Take that pass with you to the cultural attraction, and present it to staff. That’s all there is to it!
Each MAP pass expires within one week from the date it is printed. Limit one pass per library card every 7 days.
Like us on Facebook here.
Wi-Fi Hotspots Available
At Petoskey District Library (PDL) you can check out more than just books! The library is pleased to announce the addition of six mobile Wi-Fi hotspots which can be checked out from the Reference Desk for a one week period by PDL cardholders aged 18 and up. The portable hotspots allow patrons without internet to easily get online using any Wi-Fi enabled device such as a phone, tablet or laptop anywhere there is a cell connection. Currently, the library lends hotpots from Verizon and T-Mobile.
PDL has long offered free Wi-Fi to anyone in their building and on the library grounds. With over 1400 Wi-Fi users per month, the need to extend the service beyond the building was clear. “These mobile hotspots accommodate a number of situations including people who are traveling and want to avoid roaming charges, those who live in locations without reliable internet service, or for those who can’t afford internet service but may want to try it out,” said Technology Supervisor Mary Sue Prantera.
To check out a Hotspot, visit the Reference Desk on the second floor anytime during regular business hours.
No Daily Overdue Fines!
We no longer charge patrons daily fines for overdue Petoskey District Library materials. Checked out material will have an extended grace period of two to four weeks, depending on the type of item borrowed. Understanding their responsibility to the library’s collection and tax payer dollars, the library board decided the Library will charge fines for any materials returned past the grace period. The elimination of a daily fine is one way the library hopes to break down financial barriers that often shut off access to some patrons.
“Most of our patrons return their items on time, though there are situations that occur that prevent people from getting items back before the due date. We hope that taking away the stigma of overdue fines will encourage more people to continue to use the library even if they forget to return a book on time,” says Library Director Valerie Meyerson. “It is our goal to get the public here to use the services we provide, and we hope this is one way to do that.”