The James V. Brown Library wants you to have an amazing library experience each time you visit. How can we do that? By providing you with high-quality customer service, easy access to materials, and a quick checkout time.

We also want to thank you, our community. Customers of the James V. Brown Library can register to receive a Loyalty to Royalty card that provides incentives for visiting the library.

Complete 18 visits and receive a $1 worth of parking tokens or a $1 off Friends Favorites Bookstore coupon.

Think of it as your library frequent shopper card.

Additionally, we wanted to celebrate those that have completed the program. Our graphic artist, Amanda Emig, has created a crown of jewels for display in the Atrium of the Welch’s Children’s Wing. Each jewel will represent our loyal customers, either by picture or name. Want to see your name on display as a supporter of the library?

Then visit us, Weekdays 9am – 8pm and Weekends 12pm-5pm.

Besides honoring our customers, the James V. Brown Library is always seeking ways for improvements. The staff welcomes recommendations and suggestions. Feedback can be provided in person at any circulation desk, complete online, or by filing out a comment card. We take all recommendations to heart and truly consider every request.

Haven’t been to the library in awhile? We strongly encourage you to stop by; new items, services, and programs are added daily.

Did you know the Outreach Services of the James V. Brown Library has four Links?  Links are satellite locations of the library. They bring library services to remote areas of Lycoming County where library service isn’t available.

Barbours Library Link

There is something for everyone at the Links.  Adults will find each location has a public internet workstation, a rotating audio book collection, more than 1,000 books including bestsellers and non-fiction, more than 1,000 DVDs and VHS including new releases and classics.

For children each Link has an “Early Learning Workstation”, a collection of juvenile DVDs, and more than 1,000 children’s books ranging from pictures books, easy readers, and chapter books.

The Library Links locations are:

• Barbours Link
  located in the Plunkett’s Creek Township Building at 179 Dunwoody Road, Phone:  478-2081
  Hours are 6-8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 10-1 on Saturday.

• Cogan House Link located in the Cogan House Township Building at 4609 Route 184 Hwy., Trout Run, Phone:  634-2048.
  Hours are 6-8 pm Tuesday and Thursday and 9-11am Saturday.

• Pine Creek Area Link
  located in the McHenry Township Community Center on 145 Railroad St., Cammal, Phone: 753-3649.
  Hours are 6-8pm Tuesday and Thursday and 10am-1pm Saturday.

• Unityville Link
  located in the Jordan Township Building at 4298 Route 42 Hwy., Unityville, Phone: 458-4740.
  Hours are 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Closed on Saturday.

In addition to the four Links there is the Lycoming County Mobile Library (Bookmobile). The Bookmobile contains a circulating collection of 5,313 inventoried items. These materials include adult and children’s books, DVDs, magazines, and audio books. Materials and library services are provided to 49 locations spread throughout Lycoming County, with regular stops at elementary schools, township buildings, fire halls, nursing facilities, and more.

Click the following to find information on the Links or to download the Bookmobile schedule  or see the County Library page for more information. Contact Kevin Renehan, Outreach Services Manager, at 326-0536.

The James V. Brown Library is engaging children in a format they love with the TumbleBooks Library. TumbleBooks Library contains 300 animated talking picture books and 40 chapter books, all accessible through the Internet. The best part, we are teaching the kids the joy of reading and the TumbleBooks Library includes games, puzzles, videos, and much more.

Do you have a child that struggles to read? Has difficulty in sounding out words? Would much rather watch television? Then, James V. Brown has the solution for you. The TumbleBooks Library collection is divided into three groups to fit your child’s needs and reading ability.

The basic collection, TumbleBooks are created by taking existing books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic book which you can read or have read to you. It’s an amazing collection. These books are always available, never on hold, and no need to download. Simply go to the James V. Brown Library’s website at www.jvbrown.edu, click on “Children’s Web Site”, and click on “Watch a Book”.

TumbleReadables – TumbleReadables is an online collection of read-along titles for elementary, middle school, and high school students which features adjustable online text and complete audio narration. Sentences are highlighted as they are being read and the pages turn automatically. The collection features chapter books, early readers, Young Adult/Teen Novels, high interest/low level books for both middle school and high school students, plus classics of American and English literature.

To access go to the library’s website at www.jvbrown.edu, under “Quick Links” click on “TumbleBookLibrary” and click on “TumbleReadables”.

Did you know you can search historical archives online through the Lycoming County Library System’s eBranch?  All you need is the Internet. Access the historical achives  or go to the  “Look it up Now” section and click “Online Resources and Catalog” then click on “Historical Archives”.

You have access to:

• Old Lycoming County photographs and images.
  Over two thousand (2,000) local historical photographs, drawings and images of old Lycoming County, PA can be found here. Images are shown in a small version for browsing or as a full size image for detail. Plus you can also search other digital archives collections from Pennsylvania. Easy and free 24/7 access to these rare photographs. Explore the early years of Lycoming County and surrounding areas.
• Lycoming County Women’s History Collection
  Williamsport Women: Voices, Images, Actions 1875-1925. Source material related to the history of women in Lycoming County from Lycoming College, the Lycoming County Historical Society, and the J.V. Brown Library. Documents selected highlight the history of local women in volunteer and reform organizations, education, the arts, the workplace, and private lives. The first part of the collection will cover the time period 1875-1925.
• Google News Archives
  Imagine the world’s daily history presented for the past 500 years in a single, freely accessible online resource. Google News Archives powerful search engine displays your results as a digital facsimile of the original newspaper pages. News archive search provides an easy way to search and explore historical archives. In addition to helping you search, News archive search can automatically create timelines which show selected results from relevant time periods. News Archives Search Help
• Williamsport-Gazette and Bulletin
  Browse old issues of the Williamsport-Gazette and Bulletin from April 1, 1924 through September 10, 1955.

This Memorial Day, take a moment to honor our past Lycoming County residents who served their country.

Memorial Day – originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Seventy-Nine years later, the Mountain Beach Veteran’s Athletic Association in South Williamsport held a Gold Star Memorial Service at the First Presbyterian Church in Williamsport to commemorate the memories of the 341 Lycoming County residents who died while serving their country in World War II.

Gathering information for this printed program was not easy. Information was obtained from official government sources and from the relatives of the men and women involved.

Few copies of the paper program exist today. To ensure this piece of our history survives a Virtual Memorial to those men and women has been created on the James V. Brown Library’s website.

This permanent online monument allows relatives, friends and co-workers to search the site by name. The site is interactive to allow friends and family to add comments about the heroes and heroines who never experienced their grateful nation’s thanks.

Did you know 60 Lycoming County residents died as a result of the Korean War?  They were “hometown kids who stood tall in America’s uniform,” as observed by President Obama when he honored two army privates, a Maui soldier and one from New Jersey, killed in that war with posthumous Medals of Honor.

To make sure the sacrifices made by these men and their families are not forgotten the Korean War Veterans of Lycoming County, Inc., compiled a commemorative book detailing the military history of these men.

Researched and compiled by George P. Wolfe, the booklet is based on the work of volunteers Wilbur Emig, Robert Dauber, William Witmer and Fred Schaefer who searched the microfilmed newspapers at the James V. Brown Library for obituaries.

The library has scanned the complete contents of the 82-page book and is accessible for viewing on the library’s webpage.

Please take a moment and visit these virtual memorials at www.jvbrown.edu – go to site menu – information services – and click on “In Memory of Our Honored Dead – WW II Memorial” and “Lest We Forget – Korean War Memorial”.

Freedom is not free – it comes with a price.  These men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.  Let’s honor them by remembering their lives – this Memorial Day weekend.

Are you a DIY-er (Do It Yourself) when it comes to cars? Want to understand more about your vehicle before heading to the mechanic?

The new Auto Repair Reference Center interface provides for an increased amount of content with access to repair information for more than 37,000 vehicles. In-depth repair coverage—representing the most comprehensive collection of automobile repair reference information in the market—is provided for each vehicle.

The information in the Auto Repair Reference Center comes from Nichols Publishing, the former publisher of the Chilton auto repair manuals. It has nearly 857,000 drawings and step-by-step photographs, approximately 99,000 technical services bulletins and recalls, and over 158,600 wiring diagrams.

The first step in using the AARC is to choose the year of the vehicle (anything from a 1954 Volkswagen Beetle to a 2010 Subaru Forester), then work through the make, model, and engine specifications. Most vehicles have repair information, technical service bulletins, wiring diagrams, maintenance intervals, full specifications, an estimator for labor times and costs, and diagnostic information.

For example, say you wanted to find the capacity of the fuel tank for a 2000 Toyota Tacoma pickup with a V6 engine. Checking the Specifications area, then Capacities, the truck has a 18.1 gallon fuel tank. Good to know.

If you want a diagram of the horn for the same vehicle, click on Diagrams > Horns.  The diagram opens as an Adobe PDF document that you can print or save for later reference. Finally, you can find instructions for removing the tailgate under Repair Information > Body > Doors/Lids & Hood/Trunk. These instructions can also be printed, saved, or emailed.

Each screen has a couple of tabs at the top of the screen: Vehicle Search will take you back to the initial search screen for the vehicles. The AutoIQ tab has short video presentations about the different parts and system of a vehicle. The topics include fuel management, heating and air conditioning, and brakes.

The Care & Repair Tips section opens a new window with links for almost everything you need to know about caring or and repairing your vehicle, from the necessary tools to buying parts and supplies. You can use this section to learn more about what your mechanic tells you, or to learn how to do basic maintenance yourself.

Finally, the Troubleshooting tab is a great place to start to diagnose problems with your vehicle. For instance, say no air comes out when you turn on the air conditioning. Choose Climate Control > Air Conditioner and the link to the specific issue. The ARRC suggests several remedies, including checking the air conditioner fuse or loose wiring. I can go back to the Vehicles section to find specifics for checking those in my vehicle.

Create your own freedom with a business of your own. The greatest benefit of self-employment is personal freedom. When you take more control of your choices you will experience independence that money can’t buy. No one can make this happen for you. You will have to do it yourself but Business Plans Handbook can help you get there.

Want to take your hobby to the next level? Want to be your own boss?
Why not let the James V. Brown Library help you? More and more people are choosing to start their own small businesses. One of the most time consuming parts of the process is coming up with a workable business plan. A good plan can help secure funding and get your business off on the right foot.

The James V. Brown Library offers a series of free ebooks with tons of sample business plans. The Business Plans Handbook, available through the eBranch, is a collection of actual business plans compiled from entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses throughout North America. The handbooks include plans taken from manufacturing, retail, and service industries – only the company names and addresses have been changed. It also contains a business plan template and two fictional business plans – all of which can aid users in developing business plans of their own. The plans can be printed or emailed, or even downloaded to an e-reader, if it supports PDF documents.

We have a slew of new plans for 2012, including iPhone App Developer, Nonprofit Concession Stand Business, DVD Kiosk Rental Business, Pressure Washing Business, and a Self Storage Business.

Each plan has an executive summary, market analysis, industry analysis, personnel, business strategy, services, marketing and sales, operations, and financial analysis – everything you need to put together your own plan. Try Business Plans Handbook  (Business Plans Handbook is a premium subscription service but you can have immediate access by using your library card or creating an eCard on the eBranch)

Proctoring Services

Taking courses online is not an unusual phenomenon in today’s online society for high school students, college students, or for individual course work.  But how do you take the final exam?  The James V. Brown Library can help you attain your degree or license.  The James V. Brown Library offers test-proctoring services to students by appointment.  Exams must be scheduled 48 hours in advance.  Students must have a valid library card and photo identification.  Each exam costs $25, and fees must be paid at the Information Service desk prior to taking the exam.  For ease of payment, the library does accept cash, checks, and major credit cards.

The library proctors both online and written exams.  If the exam is written, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain the needed signatures and arrange for the test to be delivered directly to the library.  Information Services Staff will contact the student when the exam has arrived to schedule a test date.

All written exams will be returned directly to the testing institution via the U.S. Postal Service.  Please allow for 7-10 days for delivery.  If the student requires return by UPS or FEDEX, they must also provide a postage-paid envelope to the library.

To help students achieve the highest score possible, test takers are expected to come prepared with any necessary supplies.  The use of cell phones, visiting with others, and any other distracting devices will be prohibited.  The library is also able to offer computer access for online exams.

The library strives to accommodate test proctoring needs.  To arrange proctoring services, please contact Beth Schetroma, Information Services Coordinator @ (570) 326-0536, bschetroma@jvbrown.edu.

The James V. Brown Library is open from 9am – 8pm weekdays, and 12pm – 5pm, weekends for all your educational needs.  Visit us for more information.

Moving PA Forward

by Melissa Rowse
North Central Library District Consultant

That’s what forty public libraries in the North Central Library District are doing.  The district covers 11 counties from Potter County in the northwest corner to Columbia County in the southeast corner.  At the community, regional, and state levels, libraries are collaborating with individuals and organizations to improve the economic and social lives of their residents.   This state-wide program was created to market and advocate how libraries play an intricate role in everyone’s life.  PA Forward is a multi-year awareness campaign carrying the message:  when leveraged properly, our libraries can help solve some of Pennsylvania’s biggest economic and social challenges.   Libraries today are agile institutions serving real-life needs.  They hold the key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life for all Pennsylvania residents.

What is PA Forward and how do libraries accomplish this?

PA Forward redefines and refocuses the role of library service in our Commonwealth within a context of five essential literacies to help residents must succeed as citizens, parents, students, employers, and consumers.

In an era when the public is demanding greater efficiency and program consolidation at all levels of government, public libraries serve as models of cost-effective service.  Libraries stretch the public’s resources through sharing materials, computers, technology infrastructure, and expertise.  By their own definition, libraries serve the public broadly and efficiently.

The Five Literacies:

Basic Literacy

The challenge:  Today, one in eight Pennsylvanians lacks the ability to read a newspaper or brochure.

The opportunity:  Libraries can push Pennsylvania to achieve one of the highest literacy rates in the country, and a trained and skilled workforce equals a growing economy, higher tax base, and a more literate population.

Information Literacy

The challenge: Today, nearly a third of students use Google as the information source for their research. The opportunity: Libraries can help all Pennsylvanians learn how to use online resources and current technology to improve their education, enhance their job skills, and to fully participate in a digital society.

Civic and Social Literacy

The challenge: Today less than half of all Americans can name all the branches of government.

The opportunity: Libraries can play an important role in helping citizens have the knowledge and skills they need to participate and contribute effectively to their community, government, and society; and to connect with one another through discourse.

Health Literacy

The challenge: Nearly half of all adults have difficulty understanding and using health information.

The opportunity: Libraries can play an important role in helping citizens manage their own well-being and empower them to be effective partners with their healthcare providers so they live longer, more productive lives.

Financial Literacy

The challenge: More than 40 percent of U.S. adults gave themselves a C, D, or F on knowledge of personal finance.

The opportunity: Libraries can help citizens become informed consumers and guide individuals, small businesses, and other organization to contribute to the economic vitality of their community through innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development.

Each of the 40 public libraries in our area offer services, programs, and activities tailored to the promotion of these five literacies.  Come in and visit your local library for more information on PA Forward.