The Brown Library can convert your VHS tape, up to 120 minutes, for only $10. This is half the cost that most online services charge. And with most other services you have to mail your valuable videos to another state and pay shipping and handling charges.

With the Brown Library Memory Keeper Video Conversion Service everything is done locally. Your videos never leave your local Library.

All monies raised with this service helps to support the library budget. Help the library and protect your valuable one-of-a-kind videos at the same time.

Only $10 per VHS tape (up to 120 minutes).

Bring in your VHS memories with you on your next visit to the Library and request this service at the main Circulation desk.

Copyright notice: We will not convert tapes that contain copyrighted materials such as commercial movies.

“We have been growing into a ‘get-it-now’ society, and people seldom like to wait for titles to be returned to the bookshelf. The library has been inundated with interest in downloading eBooks which meets the needs of so many patrons eager to stay abreast of new technology and meet the desire to avoid the ‘so thirty-seconds ago’ mentality that is advertised on television,” said Amanda Emig, Promotions Manager.

The site is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to keep up with readers’ demands.

“We are very fortunate to offer e-books to our patrons, thus increasing our library’s usage,” Melissa Rowse, NCLD consultant said. “We want patrons to visit us, but they can choose to download a bestseller to their device and enjoy the library copies without leaving their home.” The eBranch2go website is offered by a consortium of the 40 member district libraries across the 11-county library region. The James V. Brown Library located in Williamsport is the North Central Library District center and offers walk-in help on Thursdays at 2:30-3:30pm and Saturdays at 12-2pm.

Sue Mayshock, Audio-Visual Specialist said e-book traffic has really increased since access to Kindle downloads were added to the library system in September. She says buying for the downloadable book collection is an enjoyable task. Currently, our most popular genres are romance and mystery. Patrons who want to help support the ebook collection can buy their own copies of a title at eBranch2Go by clicking on “buy it now”. A portion of the sale is returned to us for future purchases.

“Many of us still like to browse a library building, but I always like to have something to read when I am waiting …well, for anything. My e-reader already has about nine books on it, and it is small enough to carry at all times,” says Robin Glossner, Development Coordinator, James V. Brown Library.

LEARN TO USE E-BOOKS
The ebranch2go.lib.overdrive.com website offers an online demonstration to teach patrons how to use OverDrive, how to download e-books, and how to transfer the titles to their e-reader. The program also provides an overview on hardware and software requirements.

Sue Mayshock will happily answer questions about using e-books and e-readers. “Many have received an e-reader for a Christmas gift and we have been helping our patrons learn about their new tech toys,” said Mayshock. Questions may be directed to Sue at the library at (570) 326-0536 or smayshock@jvbrown.edu

A Simple Vote Can Create Amazing Results

The James V. Brown Library is once again participating in Citgo’s Fueling Good online voting contest, competing with nonprofits all over the country to win a $5000 gas card. The library will use the gas card to keep the Storymobile outreach library rolling to day care centers all over Lycoming County and to provide gas for its other outreach vehicles, the Bookmobile and Summer Reading Splashmobile.
When the library participated in the summer of 2011, they were one of the top 50 vote-getters nationwide.
Voting runs through February 9, and participants can vote every day.

Vote Here

MacBride was instrumental in providing a $1,500 donation from PPL Corporation to help support library services in this community.  To build a strong foundation in any community, corporate donations are necessary and appreciated.

The Library will soon add Mango Languages to its growing list of patron resources. Mango is free of charge to all Brown Library members and is the easiest and most effective way to learn to speak a foreign language. To use Mango you will need a current library card from Brown Library. Mango is available in three versions:

Mango Basic:
Perfect for a foreign language beginner, Mango Basic teaches everyday greetings, gratitudes, goodbyes and helpful phrases in a short period of time. The courses, which require only two to five hours of time to complete, are currently available in 49 foreign languages and 15 English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

You can view all the supported Mango Basic languages and ESL courses here

Mango Complete:
Mango Complete offers a 100-lesson course that digs much deeper and is designed to provide a more complete understanding of the entire language and culture. It is available in 44 foreign language and 13 ESL courses. Foreign language courses include Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. ESL courses include Polish, Spanish and Portuguese.

You can view all the supported Mango Complete languages and ESL courses here

Mango Mobile Library Edition
Learn languages everywhere you go with the Mango free app for the iPhone® and iPod touch® (it also runs on the iPad®). Full featured, Mango Mobile Library Edition gives you access to all the Mango language courses offered through the Brown Library.

To learn more about Mango and get a short preview of what the program has to offer, you can visit the Mango company’s website . Even better, you can watch the videos about Mango Languages here

Subscribe to Library Elf Here

(Click on the sign up link at the top of the eBranch page)

Let Elf help you manage your library loans and holds

• Avoid over due fees with email alerts
• Check multiple library cards
• Track books, DVDs, CDs, videos, etc.
• Join for free

Who uses Elf?

• Anyone who wants to reduce overdues
• Families with children and lots of books
• Individuals with several library cards
• Anyone who requests a lot of holds

What’s delivered?

• Email and/or RSS alerts before items are due
• Email and/or RSS alerts on overdues and holds
• Consolidated list of yours or your family’s library loans and holds
• Cell phone text message alerts for holds (US and Canada)
• Real-time checking by browser

Elf is a web-based and email tool for library users to keep track of their library borrowings. Elf is like a personal assistant, whose task is to help with keeping track of what one has on loan from the library.

Designed with the busy or avid library user in mind, Elf is ideal for families with multiple library cards or for individuals (writers, researchers, students, readers, etc.) who have cards from different libraries.

Elf makes it easier to keep track of what’s due, overdue or ready for pickup from one or more library accounts. Users have the option to consolidate their library accounts into one account if they wish. This account is checked everyday and email notices are sent when items are coming due, overdue or when holds are ready for pickup. As well, get up-to-date real-time information by browser.

“I encourage every person I know to sign up for Library Elf.  An opportunity to be reminded of things that in the long run will save us money is an opportunity I wouldn’t pass up, and did I mention, it is free?” states Amanda Emig, deceiving for those who know she’s an employee.

Subscribe to Library Elf Here (Click on the sign up link at the top of the eBranch page)

Funding for adult education classes had been eliminated through funding cuts in June and many students were left with nowhere to turn. Through generous donations from the United Way, the Plankenhorn Foundation, and a private donor, adult education once again became accessible to those living in or around Lycoming County again, but on a part-time basis. Many other offerings, however, were not able to be brought back to the library due to funding cuts.

Adult education classes first began in October, with students entering the classroom to work on individual educational need areas. The Learning Center now offers managed classes, giving students a chance to have a concentrated effort in one curriculum area. For example, students currently enrolled are finishing a math unit which teaches students the math skills necessary to pass the GED exam. Subject areas to be covered, however, do not only focus on passing the GED. Classes also look at career exploration so that students can set reasonable and realistic career goals to work towards.
One student stated,

“I appreciate coming to this class because it helps me get refreshed on things I have not done in a long time. It helps me to not struggle on things when I was trying to do them on my own before the funds came along.” Other students say, “The GED classes have been vital in furthering my education”, and “I like the GED class here because it has a great work environment…I can learn things easier here than I could in public school.”

For individuals who are unable to attend scheduled class times due to work or other conflicts, The Learning Center offers one-on-one tutoring. Virginia Hoover, Tutor Coordinator, is available to pair students with private tutors who work with students on an individual basis.

Classes are available on Mondays, Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Registration for the next managed class is open until Wednesday, November 30th. To make an appointment for registration, or to learn more about adult education classes, please contact Dawn Snyder, adult education instructor, at 570.326.0536 extension 160. To be paired with an individual tutor or to volunteer to be a tutor, please contact Virginia Hoover at 570.326.0536 extension 159. For information on how to support The Learning Center through volunteering or financial contributions, please contact Linda Herr at 570.326.0536 extension 151.

Now, there is an easy and fast way to find the answer.  if you have a smart phone use our Library Anywhere app to find the answer in seconds.

Click to watch a video demo

Our new barcode scanning feature is available in both the iPhone (and iPod Touch, iPad, other iOS products) and Android apps for Library Anywhere. It lets you quickly scan the ISBN on a book cover and see if your library has a copy.

Watch a Video demo

Search more than one edition
The Library Anywhere book scanner is unique in that it searches not just for the exact ISBN you give it, but for any other editions of that title that might be in the library. So you can scan a paperback book with the “now a movie!” cover, and Library Anywhere will find the hardcover edition of the same title, if that’s what the library has.

Extend your search
It also doesn’t limit you to just one library—if no editions of the book are found in the first library you search, it will then give you a prompt to do the exact same search in other Library Anywhere libraries near you, or find the book at an online bookstore.

Take your Library Anywhere with a Mobile device. Mobile device users can now search the catalog, place holds, check their accounts, renew items, locate libraries and contact a librarian for any Lycoming County Library System Library.

Library Anywhere works on any phone with a web-browsing feature – Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and any mobile phone or device with a web browser.

Mobile users can go straight to the mobile catalog at  Library Anywhere
or use http://www.libanywhere.com/m/335

The James V. Brown Library’s Bookmobile serving Lycoming County is now outfitted with equipment to assist people with visual impairment in accessing books and other printed matter available from the bookmobile.

A new project of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA called “Get REAL-Regional Education Assisting Life Long Learning” is bringing magnification technologies to select bookmobile locations across Pennsylvania. Visitors to the Bookmobile will find a portable video magnifier, designed to make reading easier for people with visual impairment such as age-related macular degeneration.

Bookmobile staff members have been trained to help patrons use the equipment, and provide other resources as needed. The James V. Brown Library also received specialized equipment to help people with visual impairment. The library received a larger size video magnifier (sometimes called a closed circuit television “CCTV”) as well as an adapted computer work station equipped for people who need assistance accessing electronic text. In addition, the library has two portable video magnifiers for patrons to checkout.

There will be an open house on Saturday, October 29, from 10am to 2pm at the library for those interested in a demonstration. The portable video magnifier from the Bookmobile will also be onsite.

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and with funds from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Independent Living Older Blind Program, and in partnership with the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, the Get REAL project will help ensure the full inclusion of all people, especially those with disabilities. According to 2009 statistics, 15% of Pennsylvania’s urban population, and 17% of its rural population, was aged 65 or older. Since it is this population that is most affected by vision loss, it is imperative that public spaces, such as libraries and bookmobiles, be fully accessible.

The Get REAL project collaborates with community resources throughout the Commonwealth, including the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind and regional resource centers of Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology, to encourage ongoing support to individuals who are blind or partially sighted.

For more information about this equipment contact the library at 326-0536. For more information about the Get REAL project, including information about the equipment, go to the website of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University: www.disabilities.temple.edu/ or contact project coordinator Jamie A. Prioli, ATP at Jamie.Prioli@temple.edu or 215-204-5974 (voice), 866-268-0579 (TTY).