National Library Week Top 10
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Twins Lucy and Lincoln Rheel, 2, children of Dustin and Danielle Rheel, of Belleville, play with magnetic tiles in the ‘play to learn’ area of the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Circulation assistant Christine May shows some of the tax forms available at the Juniata County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Pauline Belfiore resurfaces a DVD to help remove scratches at the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Children’s librarian Jocinda Rhinier reads ‘What’s Up, What’s Down,’ to children attending preschool storytime at the Juniata County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> The Playaway display shows many of the audio books available at the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Digital copies of old yearbooks are available for a minimal cost at the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Twins Lucy and Lincoln Rheel, 2, children of Dustin and Danielle Rheel, of Belleville, play with magnetic tiles in the ‘play to learn’ area of the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Circulation assistant Christine May shows some of the tax forms available at the Juniata County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Pauline Belfiore resurfaces a DVD to help remove scratches at the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Children’s librarian Jocinda Rhinier reads ‘What’s Up, What’s Down,’ to children attending preschool storytime at the Juniata County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> The Playaway display shows many of the audio books available at the Mifflin County Library.
Sentinel photo by BUFFIE BOYER<br> Digital copies of old yearbooks are available for a minimal cost at the Mifflin County Library.
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Yes, there are books, books and more books at the local libraries. But what else does your library do? To mark National Library Week, April 9-15, we asked the directors of two Juniata Valley libraries to list the Top 10 non-traditional services available at their libraries. So here they are, the Top 10 from Molly Kinney, director of the Mifflin County Library, and Vince Giordano, director of the Juniata County Library.
(And, don't forget the books!)
Mifflin County Library
1. Friendly knowledgeable staff to help you. When you call you get a LIVE person and no menu system.
2. Notary service. We are open nights and weekends for your convenience for signature notary service as a nominal fee.
3. Digital yearbooks. Did you accidentally lose or misplace your high school year book? We can provide you with a digital copy for only $5.
4. Lamination. Save those important and sentimental documents by having them laminated.
5. DVD/CD resurfacing. We can try to bring those scratched disc back to life. No guarantees, but if they aren't working now, what have you got to lose?
6. Playaways. Audio books that fit in your pocket for anywhere/anytime/any activity listening.
7. Front of the line. For $20 you can buy the latest bestselling title and be the first to read it.
8. Community room space. For a nominal fee, book our room for your next meeting.
9. One-on-one help with your Nook/Kindle. We can help you learn to download some great reading materials.
10. Play to learn. Legos, Wee Build magnetic tiles, wooden blocks in 25 shapes. Play is no idle pastime. Play is a child's job and we have the tools for youngsters to prepare for formal learning.
Juniata County Library
1. Lifelong learning. Since 2015, this initiative has brought over a dozen courses to adults and youth geared toward hands-on and local learning. Recently we have offered courses on password and internet security, the history of Native Americans in Juniata County, and learning to play guitar.
2. Year-round youth programming. Our youth services coordinator, Jocinda Rhinier, offers great programs for toddlers up through middle and high schoolers. Three story times a week, as well as math clubs, knitting groups, and our popular summer reading program, are available to all and positively benefit our youth and families, preparing them for school and life thereafter.
3. Our volunteers. Six volunteers help make our library run efficiently and with a smile. Some of them used to be staff here at the library, some are late teens, and others are looking to wisely spend their free time. All of them make the library a pleasant environment for all who come through the door. We are always looking for volunteers!
4. Overdrive (eBooks and eAudio titles). With eBooks costing at least $10 each, patrons with a valid library card can check out over 10,000 titles for free for up to three weeks at a time. Many popular titles and series are available, and patrons can request that we purchase titles we currently do not have and, if purchased, will be the first to read it.
5. Official documents. We offer access to tax forms each year as well as local, state and federal government documents that are online. These are often difficult to locate, and our friendly staff can help you find what you need at little to no cost.
6. Law library. Juniata County used to have their law books at the courthouse, but now offer free digital access to all of its content at our library. We have a special computer hooked up to Lexis Nexis and their law library subscription, offering easy access to thousands of legal documents. This is a valuable resource for local lawyers and those interested in learning about our laws.
7. TV box sets. While we have always had movies, we like to highlight our wide variety of TV box set series available for checkout. Normally they are only available to buy or stream, but library users can check out up to 10 at a time for a small fee. Popular series from HBO, FX, Free Form and more are available in DVD and BluRay formats.
8. Copies, faxing and scanning. With little access in this area for these kind of services, the library is a great option for all your copying, faxing and scanning needs. Our color and black/white printers are available to make copies in 8 1/2 x 11 and scanning in those sizes, too. We are able to scan documents to USB flash drives or send them as PDFs through email. You may also send and receive faxes here.
9. Online research available 24/7. On our website, under Online Resources, you may access a variety of databases that offer the latest full-text versions of encyclopedias and other research texts, journal articles, newspapers and images. Much of the content is made available in easy-to-access formats appropriate for different grade levels, and even for teachers.
10. Interlibrary loan. Our budget doesn't allow us to buy every book (sadly). We can, however, request from other libraries to borrow any title as long as it isn't published this calendar year. This service is free to patrons and great for obtaining erudite texts, out-of-print titles, or other materials that you would like.