March 03, 2010

Consumer Reports Available Online

In case you weren't already aware, library patrons have online access to Consumer Reports reviews and articles online. The library foots the bill so you don't have to. Use the links provided at www.kentcountylibrary.org to get free access to the consumer information you rely on to make informed purchasing decisions. Categories include new and used cars, appliances, electronics, and more.

Start at www.kentcountylibrary.org, click Search, Articles & Info, Magazines, and finally Consumer Reports. You will be asked to enter your 14 digit library barcode with no spaces or punctuation.

From there, you're free to search or browse the articles and reliability ratings. Soon you'll know the top 10 cars and trucks for 2010, what to look for when considering a new digital camera, and more.

February 23, 2010

Learn the Library's Online Catalog

Having trouble finding what you need? Puzzled by the library's computer catalog? Sign up now for an introductory lesson on how to search and find what you want! We'll provide the computers and answer all your questions. Sessions are held at the Chestertown Branch, last approximately an hour and a half, and will take place the following Wednesdays in March. To reserve your spot, register online through the links below, by phone at 410-778-3636, or in person at any of our branches.

findit200.pngMorning Sessions (10-11:30 AM)
Wednesday, March 3
Wednesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 24

Evening Sessions (6-7:30 PM)
Wednesday, March 10
Wednesday, March 24

January 25, 2010

Picturing America

picturingamerica.jpgThe Picturing America collection is on display now in the Chestertown Branch of the Kent County Public Library. Please stop in to take a look and learn something new about our artistic heritage.

Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country's history and character through the study and understanding of its art.

More information is available online at www.picturingamerica.neh.gov.

December 29, 2009

New & Hot at Your Library

We have lots of new books, audiobooks, movies, music and more showing up at the library every day. So, we have the New & Hot page on our Web site devoted to showing you what's new to the library, what's coming soon, and what's currently on the New York Times Bestseller lists. These lists link directly into our catalog so you can easily place requests for the books you want, and get a call when they're ready for you to pick up at the circulation desk.

The new book lists have been updated today, so now's the time to place your hold. And, if you need any help with your account or placing holds online, we'd be happy to help.

December 23, 2009

eAudiobooks Now Available

(Chestertown, MD, December 2009) - eAudiobooks are now available at Kent County Public Library through OCLC NetLibrary. Library patrons now have anytime, anywhere access to 2,800 different eAudiobook titles.

eAudiobooks can be accessed and downloaded via the library's Web site, www.kentcountylibrary.org. Click Search > Downloadables > NetLibrary Audiobooks. You can log in through the library's site using your library card barcode.

eAudiobooks are books that have been read aloud and recorded. eAudiobooks are available from notable authors, such as Meg Cabot and Alexander McCall Smith.

"Audiobooks, in the form of cassettes and CDs, have been popular in libraries for many years," said Jerry Keiser, Director of Kent County Public Library. "The ability to download eAudiobooks from the Web is being embraced by long-time listeners as well as new listeners who want material for their portable media devices."

A popular format in many libraries, eAudiobooks allow library users to listen to materials on-the-go. eAudiobooks can be checked out from the library or from a personal computer via the library's Web site, 24/7. Users may check out up to 10 eAudiobooks at a time, and they are automatically returned to the library at the end of the checkout period.

eAudiobooks can be downloaded or played on any desktop, laptop or portable device that supports Windows Media Player version 9 and above. Users can also transfer favorite titles to a wide range of portable devices, including portable music players, portable media centers and more.

Call the library at 410-778-3636 with any questions.

November 18, 2009

Get the Facts on the Flu

Kent County Public Library would like to bring your attention to a great online resource for evidence based information about the flu. There's information for health care providers as well as information for a general audience on treatment and prevention.

So please, take a moment to get the facts on the flu.

November 09, 2009

Ask a Librarian Live Chat, Now Available

For those who like the convenience of live text-based chat, you will be happy to hear that the Kent County Public Library Reference Desk is now chatting. Patrons can type messages that will appear immediately on the reference desk computer thanks to AOL Instant Messenger and Wimzi. As long as there's someone at the desk, you should get an answer quickly and be able to "chat" back and forth. To see this in action visit the "Ask Us" page. We're excited to be able to provide this form of online reference, and hope to be able to answer your many questions. While you're at it, please let us know what you think about this new addition to our reference services. Happy chatting!

November 04, 2009

New & Hot at Your Library

We have lots of new books, audiobooks, movies, music and more showing up at the library every day. So, we have the New & Hot page on our Web site devoted to showing you what's new to the library, what's coming soon, and what's currently on the New York Times Bestseller lists. These lists link directly into our catalog so you can easily place requests for the books you want, and get a call when they're ready for you to pick up at the circulation desk.

The new book lists have been updated today, so now's the time to place your hold. And, if you need any help with your account or placing holds online, we'd be happy to help.

November 02, 2009

Improved Calendar of Events

The Kent County Public Library now has a new and improved online calendar of events. This new calendar allows us to feature upcoming events on our homepage. It also allows you to find events of interest to you by displaying only the types of events you ask to see, according to branch, audience, and event type. It also makes it possible for patrons to subscribe to our calendar of events by email or RSS feed, forward events of interest to friends, and add our events to your own Google/Yahoo/Outlook/Facebook/etc. calendar. Please take a look and let us know what you think! We hope you'll like the new calendar as much as we do and take advantage of its interactive features. And, as always, if you have questions, that's what we're here for.

October 26, 2009

New "Parents Page" on Your Library's Web Site

The Kent County Public Library's Web site has recently grown to include a Parent's Page featuring reviews of children's books, tips for reading to toddlers, and a large collection of resources of interest to parents. We hope you'll find this page useful and informative.

Visit the new parents page through this link or click the "Parents" menu option in the left hand menu on any page of our website.

This is just one more way, we're trying to tailor our website to fit your information needs. Don't forget, if you want to access our website from home, the web address is www.kentcountylibrary.org.