Library Closure
To help mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus, the Petoskey District Library will be closed for regular business beginning Monday, March 16, hoping to reopen for regular hours on Monday, April 13. All materials, excluding our Library of Things, will be automatically renewed through April 13, however, you may return your items throughout the closure to any of our outdoor book returns (in the alley off of Waukazoo Avenue, or our walk-up box near the front door). We will continue to empty our township book returns weekly (Bear Creek, Little Traverse, Resort and Springvale).
All programming and meeting room reservations scheduled during this closure have been canceled. Check back for updates, and for information about virtual programs during the closure.
You can still contact library by email
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Access to Materials
Access Information and Materials from Home
As always, PDL cardholders may download or stream books, movies, magazines and music directly to any computer or to most of the following devices: Android, AppleTV, Chromecast, FireTV, iOS, Roku. For info about how to get a library card during our closure click here.
Hoopla: Checkout 4 items per month, choosing from audiobooks, eBooks, movies, comics, TV shows and music.
Kanopy: Stream classic cinema, indie films, and top documentaries, 4 per month. Starting Monday March 16, Kanopy will open free, unlimited access for 30 days to Kanopy Kids. Kanopy has also put together a collection of films that you can watch without using your 4 credits. You can find a full list of titles here.
Mango Languages: Access online language learning software providing over 80 language tutorials.
Overdrive/Libby: Download up to 5 audibooks, eBooks, or videos at a time.
RB Digital Magazines: Download and read from over 50 magazine titles.
For information and resources about COVID-19, please visit here.
A State of Michigan hotline 1-888-535-6136 has been set up to answer general questions regarding COVID-19 and resources that are available for all Michigan communities. This state hotline will be staffed daily from 8:00am-5:00pm.
For community and online resources, virtual tours, databases, and more, please visit here. Continue Reading
Spring Events Newsletter
The Library’s spring events newsletter for March, April, and May is available here. Continue Reading
Tax Form Information
IRS (Federal) Tax Forms
The 2019 IRS 1040 Forms and Instructions are 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
Service of the Month
For the month of March, Ask Us About… Joining a PDL Club
Connect with others who enjoy the same things as you! Our schedule is full with activities, including a variety of weekly and monthly clubs for people of all ages. Please visit our online calendar to learn more.
Kids
Chess Club: Learn to play or play against others every Monday at 3:30 p.m. (ages 8-18).
Code Club: Create video games & websites through coding every Monday at 4:00 p.m.
Tweens/Teens
Anime Club: Watch anime while getting to know others every Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Dungeons & Dragons: Teen-led group for newbies and experienced players alike, meets every Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
Adults
Jane Austen Book Club: Discuss the author and her works with other Austen enthusiasts on the third Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
PDL Page Turners Book Club: Gather and discuss the month’s current selection on the third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Fine Free 2020
If overdue fines have kept you or your family from using the Library, we have great news for you! Petoskey District Library (PDL) is proud to join fine-free libraries across the country and we look forward to welcoming back many patrons who have stopped using the library because of overdue fines. Starting January 1, 2020, overdue fines will no longer be charged on most items. Most patrons’ existing overdue balances will be wiped clean to give them a fresh start to the year. Continue Reading
What Michigan Residents Need to Know about Real ID
On Oct. 1, 2020, the federally mandated REAL ID law goes into effect, and if you travel by air, this law will impact you. REAL ID is the post-9/11 federal requirement that sets higher security standards for identification. Once in effect, a REAL ID will be required to board any U.S. flight or to enter some federal facilities. A REAL ID can be a U.S. Passport or an Enhanced Driver’s License – or you can turn your standard driver’s license into a REAL ID at the Secretary of State’s office. Learn more about the law and what documents you need to bring to get a REAL ID at www.Michigan.gov/REALID.
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.
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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
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. 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. Staff is ready and willing to teach patrons how to use the self-checkout kiosks which can be found near the first floor checkout desk, outside of the children’s room, and near the second floor reference room. 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.
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
Library Wins Grant to Support Tutoring Program
The Library is pleased to announce they are a recent recipient of a $750 Community Grant from Petoskey’s Walmart store #2417. Aligned with our mission to nurture knowledge, drive discovery, and connect community, this grant will support the Growing Readers Together program, a partnership between the Library and the Public Schools of Petoskey. Growing Readers Together, which is now in its second year, is a three-pronged approach to supporting children in their reading quest: direct tutoring for students, Family Literacy Nights to help families learn more skills to support their student’s achievements; and Brain Boxes, to provide materials for students to take home. Continue Reading
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 eight 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 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.
Michigan eLibrary (MeL)
Administered by the Library of Michigan in partnership with Michigan’s libraries of all types, the Michigan eLibrary provides all Michigan residents with free access to online full-text articles, full-text books, digital images, and other valuable research information at any time via the Internet, as well as providing an easy-to-use interlibrary loan system, known as MeLCat, to allow Michigan residents to borrow books and other library materials for free from participating Michigan libraries.
For links to the complete collection, go to the MeL Databases page.
eResources Training
Sign up for one-on-one introductory training with library staff. Learn how to download eBooks with Overdrive, eMusic with Freegal, and eMagazines with Zinio to your computer, eBook reader, tablet or mobile device. MS Word & Excel sessions are also available. Sessions available Mondays, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and Fridays, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Please bring with you your charged registered device, library card, and a valid email address.
In order to better serve you, please call ahead to make an appointment at 231-758-3100 or register online .
Ancestry® Library Edition
Thanks to a gift from the Friends of the Library, we are pleased to make Ancestry® Library Edition available to our Library users. Ancestry® Library Edition provides instant access to a wide range of unique resources for genealogical and historical research. With more than 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, Ancestry® Library Edition includes records from the United States Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists Continue Reading
Mango Languages
Founded in 2007, Mango Languages is recognized as a leading provider of online language learning services to libraries, government agencies, corporations and the general public. Designed by a team of linguists, teachers, software developers, human interface specialists, writers, voice talents and designers, the company’s award-winning language learning system has drawn acclaim from prominent national and international reference groups, educational resources, web organizations and travel guides. Continue Reading