Friday, July 29, 2011

More on OneClickDigital

OneClickDigitalMany of you have already signed up for an account with OneClickDigital and have had varying success with downloading audiobooks. OneClickDigital is still in beta, and they are aware of the issues you're having. Fortunately, we expect a fix for many of these issues to be working by next week!

In the meantime, you can use our catalog to search for downloadable audiobooks. If you go to Advanced Search and type the word oneclick in the first field, you can then search by author, subject, title, or keyword in the other fields. You can also find a full list of our downloadable audiobooks under the Media & Large Print link in the catalog menu.

Thank you for your patience during this transition!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Vacation!

Icarus is taking a little vacation. We will return with your favorite local library blog on August 1.




Enjoy the break!

Photo by Chris McClave via Wikimedia Commons

Friday, July 22, 2011

A Requiem for Borders

Borders ClosingThe liquidation announcement that signaled the death knell for Borders, the national bookstore chain, was greeted by many with dismay, but not necessarily surprise. For folks who regularly included a sojourn to their local store on Sunday mornings or Friday evenings, the removal of Planet Borders from their orbit is akin to a black hole in their lives. In the widely-circulated Associated Press article about the liquidation, a 42-year-old woman laments, "So where are we going to buy books from? I just got into reading books the last two or three years, and they just keep closing all these bookstores..."

Whether you shopped at Borders or not, whether you liked Borders or not, the closing of the chain will have an impact on our community. Santa Fe is a small city, so chances are you know an alumnus of the Borders sales floor or a recently laid-off employee. Visitors and residents respond with shock when they're told they can't while away a hot summer afternoon in the Sanbusco Borders café anymore. And for such a huge book behemoth to fall, many people are chattering that it's the canary in the coalmine about the fate of the book itself!

But Santa Fe is luckier than many communities. For one, we have a plethora of independent new and used bookstores all over town, pushing us up in the "bookstores per capita" category. While Borders may have been a big name, they weren't the only literary game in town. Let's see, there's Collected Works, Garcia Street, Nicholas Potter, The Ark, Big Star, Book Mountain, True Believers, and about half-a-dozen more. We also have an impressive number of libraries. There's us, the three-branch Santa Fe Public Library, with shelves and shelves of books, CDs, and DVDs; programs for children, teens, and adults; and dozens of free online resources that you can access from home. There are other college, government, and museum libraries in town that can fulfill pretty much every information need you have. And if you want a destination for those Friday nights or Sundays, all of the museums run by the Museum of New Mexico have free admission to New Mexico residents on Sundays, and many museums and galleries have Free Fridays.

I'm not a prophet, so I can't say if the demise of Borders heralds the demise of all print information and entertainment. I can say that the written word has seen upheavals before, and while Borders may have gotten steamrolled by the latest one, libraries have a good track record of adapting and and thriving. To the 42-year-old who mourns the demise of Borders, I encourage her to browse in her local library and seek out other bookstores, and to see what's been there all along.

Image by George England via Wikimedia Commons.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Kill A Watt Program

Kill A WattThe Santa Fe Public Library is partnering with PNM to provide Kill A Watt devices for loan to patrons to measure energy that your home electric devices are using. These meters will be available for loan from the Southside Branch at the Reference desk and the Main Library’s media department as of July 23rd.

The Kill A Watt program is a step toward an energy efficient home. Patrons can check out a Kill A Watt device for 28 days, just like a book, and measure the output from their home appliances. There is no charge for borrowing the device, however it cannot be renewed.

To place a hold on a device, go to the Library online catalog or call any reference desk to place a hold just as you would a book.

Two special kick off events will be held on Saturday, July 23, from 10:30-11:45 a.m. at the Main Library, 145 Washington Avenue and the second program will be held at the Southside Branch, 6599 Jaguar Drive from 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Drawings will also be held for energy saving prizes, courtesy of PNM.

by PCH @Main

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

New! OneClickdigital

One-Click Audio is now OneClickDigital!

"Downloading audiobooks has never been easier"

OneClickdigitalOur downloadable audiobooks are now available in an easier-to-use interface. We still have thousands of books for you to download and enjoy, and will be adding more every month. You will need to sign up for a new account on the OneClickDigital page, but will benefit from new features. If you have audiobooks downloaded right now, you may need to download them again from the new interface.

If you do run into problems, please be patient as we switch over services. There are still some bugs we're working out of the OneClickDigital system. As of today, July 20, the NetLibrary website, Media Center, and Download Manager will no longer be available to us. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.


Features of OneClickDigital:
All titles are iPod-compatible
Exclusive Recorded Books content
Over 10,000 titles from other publishers
Easy-to-use interface
Advanced search features with filtering and saved search
Also, stay tuned for eBooks, coming soon!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Summer Reading Survey


Hey parents! Do you have a kid in this year's Summer Reading Program, One World, Many Stories? If you did, please do us a favor and fill out this survey from the New Mexico State Library.

If you'd prefer to fill it out by hand, you can print a copy here. You can either return the finished survey to your local branch's Children's Desk, or you can mail it directly to the following address:

Eleanor Bernau
Continuing Education Coordinator
New Mexico State Library
1209 Camino Carlos Rey
Santa Fe, NM 87507-5166

There are still a few weeks left in Summer Reading, and don't forget to register your child for one of the End of Summer Parties!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Rep. Luján’s Staff at La Farge

La Farge LibraryLa Farge Library
1730 Llano St.
Thursday July 21
Noon to 2 p.m.


During Mobile Office Hours, Congressman Ben Ray Luján’s staff is available to residents who need assistance with casework, but may not have the means or time to travel to one of Luján’s six district offices. Staff will be on hand to assist residents who have questions regarding Social Security benefits, immigration applications, veterans’ services, and other federal programs.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Change in Library Hours

Starting July 18, 2011, the Santa Fe Public Library has chosen to close the downtown Main Library and the Oliver La Farge Branch Library at an earlier time. Main Library will close at 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday. La Farge will close at 8:00 pm Monday through Wednesday. All other hours, including weekends, will remain unchanged.

This measure is being taken to improve efficiency throughout the Santa Fe Public Library system in this new budget year.

Starting Monday, July 18, 2011, the hours for the Library will be:

Main Library
Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

La Farge Library
Monday - Wednesday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

Southside Library
Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please call 505-955-6780 or email library@santafenm.gov for more information.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Free Wifi!

WiFiIf you're traveling around this summer and need free wifi in a strange place, check out the Wi-Fi FreeSpot Directory! You can scroll through listings in all 50 states, and free spots in Canada and Europe are also included. There are also special categories for free wireless in places such as airports and campgrounds.

If you're a business or public place that offers free wifi, add your listing! You'll find that folks looking to use their laptop or smartphone will flock to your place in droves.

And, in case you missed the memo, all branches of the Santa Fe Public Library offer free wireless access. All details can be found here.

WiFi graphic courtesy of Eurobas, accessed via Wikimedia Commons.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Help Santa Clara Pueblo

The Las Conchas Fire burned over 6,000 acres of land on Santa Clara Pueblo, threatening its watershed and putting Santa Clara at risk of flooding from the finally-started monsoons. Santa Clara needs help!

IF YOU CAN VOLUNTEER TO HELP the Santa Clara Pueblo, please call Ms. Heather Dasheno, who is the contact person for volunteer efforts at Santa Clara Pueblo. You may contact her directly at 925-519-6317 regarding opportunities to volunteer.

Ms. Dasheno said they will need people to sand bag beginning today, 7/13/2011. There is also a need for people to assist the kitchen staff with preparing food and serving food to volunteers.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Catchall of Downloads

eBookA number of links have crossed my screen lately, many of them offering free or low-cost downloads of eBooks or eAudiobooks. Check them out, and expand your eXperience.

LibriVox offers free audiobooks in the public domain. The files are available in mp3 or ogg format, and there's also a weekly podcast. Feeling dramatic? You can volunteer to read!

Open Library allows you to borrow eBooks. If you're already a member of one of the 150+ participating libraries it's an online interlibrary loan, or as they call it: In-Library Lending. If not, don't fret: Open Library also has over a million free eBooks available.

A resource to keep an eye on is Byliner.com, a site for original writing from today's big authors. As of this writing it's in beta, but it's already offering downloads by Jon Krakauer, William T. Vollman, Jamie Malanowski, and Malcolm Gladwell. Also, the Byliner Blog is a great place to drop in, even if you're not actively downloading.

Don't forget: the Santa Fe Public Library subscribes to One Click Downloadable Audiobooks, and we also offer listings of Project Gutenberg eBooks in our catalog!

Monday, July 11, 2011

On Hiatus

Ah, August. When it seems that most of the world is on vacation, and the rest of it slows down to a syrupy crawl. We have a couple of announcements about changes in our usual programming:

Books & Babies will be taking a vacation from July 11-26. The next Books & Babies sessions will start on Wednesday, July 27 at La Farge, and Thursday, July 28 at Southside.

The Art Committee at the Main Library will not be meeting in August. They will have the next meeting on Wednesday, September 7, at 2:00 pm in the Main Library's Pick Room.

The weekly Teen programming will also take a break in August. This includes book groups, movie viewings, and Teen Advisory Board meetings. But, teens can sign up for the Comics & Manga Workshop that will be at the Southside Library on Thursday, August 4 from 3:30 - 5:30 pm. Stay tuned for the next round of Teen activities starting in September.

And while August is one of the busiest months for the Santa Fe community, there are some folks who believe that August should be abolished. We're definitely not in that camp, but we do believe that next month should be enjoyed as much as possible!

Friday, July 08, 2011

Library Summer Reading Grand Prize Entries

Grand Prize 1

Grand Prize 2Our first grand prize entries marking the third week for the Summer Reading Program came in with the children's reading logs as soon as the doors opened Saturday at Southside Library. The grand prizes are 3 bicycles at each branch. The Friends of the Library contributed a boy's and a girl's bike at each location. In addition, the Santa Fe Police Officers Association, AFSCME Local 3999, the Fire Department, and an Anonymous donor also provided funds for a bike to encourage children to read.

A young girl and her brother are enjoying coming into the library for books, and getting prizes every week. The coupons for Pizza sponsored by Papa Murphy’s and GCCC swim passes are exciting for the families as well.

It’s not too late to have your children ages up to twelve years old to sign up at any of the three Santa Fe Public Libraries for the Summer Reading Program for fun and keep them reading through the Summer.

Photos and post by TT @SS

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Brownbag Lectures!

The wildly popular Brainpower & Brownbags lecture series sponsored by the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library starts its new season on Wednesday, July 13 at noon. These free lectures are now being held in the New Mexico History Museum's Meem Community Room, but you should still get there early if you want a seat. Enter the Museum at 120 Washington Ave., and feed your brain while feeding your belly!


Brainpower and Brownbags
Can't make it to the lecture of your choice? The Library has audio recordings of older lectures on this site, and videos from 2011 onward. For more information, contact the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library at 505-476-5090 or email historylibrary@state.nm.us

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

New Online Services

No PhonesIf you're like me and consider the telephone to be a Nineteenth Century invention best kept in museums, we're taking steps to help you out. While we've had the general contact email address, library@santafenm.gov for years, we've added two more to help you get to the right person on the first try.

If you have questions about overdue items, holds, your patron record, or lost / damaged items, you can email circulation@santafelibrary.org directly. As always, you can renew your SFPL items online or by calling the Renewal Line at 955-6987.

If you have questions about our Interlibrary Loan services, need to inquire on the status of an interlibrary loan request, or would like to renew your interlibrary loan (ILL), you can email interlibraryloan@santafelibrary.org. Also, you can now submit your requests online! Request forms are available here. You can email these requests as an attachment, or print out the forms and bring them in to any library branch. You can still call the Interlibrary Loan Department at 505-955-6720 to renew items or ask questions and still be notified by phone, email, or postcard when your ILL request arrives.

So now you can do the library business you need to do, all from the convenience of email!

Image courtesy of Roland.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Library Hours Changing

Starting July 18, 2011, the Santa Fe Public Library has chosen to close the downtown Main Library and the Oliver La Farge Branch Library at an earlier time. Main Library will close at 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday. La Farge will close at 8:00 pm Monday through Wednesday. All other hours, including weekends, will remain unchanged.

This measure is being taken to improve efficiency throughout the Santa Fe Public Library system in this new budget year.

Starting Monday, July 18, 2011, the hours for the Library will be:

Main Library
Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

La Farge Library
Monday - Wednesday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

Southside Library
Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please call 505-955-6780 or email library@santafenm.gov for more information.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Trail Closures & More

From the City of Santa Fe Fire Chief:

Trial closures are being implemented by the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County and the Forest Service due to the ongoing wildland fires surrounding the City. These fires are posing significant risk to the public and are limiting availability of resources.

The following City trails will be closed immediately until further notice:
Dale Ball Trail
Nature Conservancy Trail
Dorothy Stewart Trail
Atalaya Trail

The following County trails will be closed immediately until further notice:
Rio En Medio Open Space
Little Tesuque Creek Open Space
Lamy Park
Dale Ball Trail at Talaya Hill Open Space

The following Forest Service trails will be closed immediately until further notice:
TR 183 (Chamisa Trail head)
TR 254 (Winsor Trail head)
TR 163 (Rio en Medio Trail head)
TR 160 (Rio Nambe Trail head)
TR 154 (Rio Frijoles Trail head)
TR 150 (Borrego Trail head)
TR 155 (Rio Medio Trail bead)
TR 153 (Dome Trail head)
TR 257 (Jacks Creek Trail head)
TR 288 (Panchuela Trail head)
TR 254 (Cowles Trail head)
TR 283 (Holy Ghost Trail head)

Additionally, in order to preserve lives and property during these emergency conditions, the City of Santa Fe Fire Department prohibited the following activities in April and they will remain in place until further notice:

  • All open burning, including camp fires, bonfires, pit barbecues, and the burning of weeds, trash, or other vegetation.

  • The use of charcoal barbecue grills in public parks and recreation areas.

  • Smoking in public parks, recreation areas, or on any public trail.

  • The use of any motorized ATV’s or motorcycles on City owned open space, parks, trails, or other recreational areas.

Penalties for violating these restrictions may include fines up to $500 and/or up to 90 days in jail as specified in SFCC 1-3.1(A).

Charcoal barbecuing at home will be permitted providing the fire is closely monitored and fire-extinguishing equipment, such as a garden hose or fire extinguisher, is readily available. Currently, all burn permit requests are being rejected until weather conditions improve and the fire danger has been reduced significantly.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Weekend!

July Art in the Library Galleries

Southside Library
Lens Games

Digital Imaging based on Nature
by Sandy Seehaver




Main Library
Paintings, prints and jewelry
by David Sloan




La Farge Library
Summer Reading Program Exhibit


For more information, check our Art page.

For upcoming events, check our Calendar and Children's pages.