Star Wars Reads Day at the Library

Star Wars Reads Day logoThe East Meadow Public Library took part in the first ever Star Wars Reads Day on Saturday, October 6, 2012.  Activities were held throughout the day, including:

  • Star Wars film marathon
  • Star Wars computer games
  • Learn to Draw Star Wars Characters with anime artist Kelly Gordon
  • Star Wars Story Time read by Princess Leia
  • Make a Star Wars Character Mask
  • Family Program: Jedi Adventure with David Engel
  • Star Wars trivia contest

Fun was had by all!

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Darth uses “the force” at the library!

Library Budget Passes

The proposed 2012-2013 East Meadow Public Library Budget passed yesterday by a yes vote of 1,937. A total of 753 votes were cast in opposition to the budget proposition. Mr. Michael Turner was re-elected to serve another term on the library Board of Trustees.

Thank you for your continued support!

Let East Meadow Public Library Be Your Weather Station

Books, DVDs, Music, Programs for all ages and now the WEATHER!  We have installed a weather station on our roof.  The data from the station can be accessed online: http://www.weatherlink.com/user/eastmeadow

EMPL’s weather station is part of Discover Earth: A Century of Change, a grant given to only ten libraries in the country.  While the entire exhibit will be at the Library beginning in November and stay for eight weeks, we have the weather station now.  It is a permanent part of our services.

Programs for children and teens on weather forecasting and climatology will begin in November.  Our weather station will be a big part of that.  In the meantime, drop by and look at our data.

Library eBooks Now Available for Amazon Kindle

The East Meadow Public Library is very excited to announce Amazon Kindle compatibility with its Nassau Digital Doorway eBook collection.  As a result of this update, most of the existing eBooks already in the collection may be read on all Kindle devices or by using free Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile devices.

Here is the process for checking out a library eBook for Kindle

  • Visit the library’s Nassau Digital Doorway website.
  • Browse and check out a Kindle book using your valid East Meadow Public Library card.
  • Click the Get for Kindle button.  This opens the Amazon.com website. You may be required to sign in with your Amazon.com account if you are not already logged in.
  • Select a Kindle device or Kindle reading app.  Click the Get library book button and sync your device or app to download the book, or choose to send it to your device via USB.
  • An active Wi-Fi connection is required for wireless delivery to a Kindle device.  If your Kindle is not Wi-Fi capable or you do not have an active Wi-Fi connection, read Amazon’s instructions for transferring files via USB.

Kindle compatibility with library eBooks also takes full advantage of Amazon’s Whispersync technology.  If you check out the eBook again at a later date or choose to purchase the eBook from the Kindle Store, all of your notes, bookmarks and highlights will be preserved.  The last page read will also be synced between your Kindle and free Kindle reading apps.

In addition to Kindle, Nassau Digital Doorway provides support for all major desktop and mobile devices, including Windows, Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Sony Reader, NOOK, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

For more details, please check the Help pages and FAQs at the Nassau Digital Doorway or contact the library”s Head of Media Services, Karen Shaw-Widman at media@eastmeadow.info.

Library Hosts First EMcon Convention

The East Meadow Public Library hosted its first ANIME FEST – EMcon on Saturday, June 11, 2011. It was a day of drawing, Cosplay, Martial Arts, workshops, contests, and networking. The day featured: Cosplay Masquerade, Cosplay Contest, Artist Alley, Anime Workshops, Anime music, Anime Screening Room, Dance Dance Dance Revolution Contest, Marvel vs. CapCom Tournament, prizes, light refreshments, Dance Party, and much more. Check out a Patch.com video of the event.

Download eBooks and Audiobooks Directly to Your iPhone, iPad, Android, or BlackBerry Device

Web graphic that reads download audiobooks and ebooksThe East Meadow Public Library has been providing its cardholders with access to downloadable eBooks and audiobooks through the Nassau Digital Doorway for quite some time now.  Nassau Digital Doorway is powered by software developed by OverDrive, Inc.  The company recently released their OverDrive Media Console apps for iPhone, iPad, Android & BlackBerry.  The app gives library users the ability to browse, check out, and download library eBooks and audiobooks from their device.  Visit http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/ to download the appropriate app.  Check out a recent CNET how-to video describing the process.

Important News About Your Newsletter

As of July, 2011 we will be sending our Newsletter to our patrons via email.  We will no longer be mailing it to your home.  Budget considerations have driven us to this decision.  We continually strive to provide the residents of the East Meadow School District with the finest in Library services, while always looking at the bottom line.  Over the last few years, the costs of printing and postage have risen dramatically.  It is simply irresponsible for us to ignore the truly significant savings this move will afford the Library and, in turn, our patrons.  In addition, it is a more eco-friendly way of providing you with important information.  For those who prefer to have a paper copy of our Newsletter, it will be available at the Library.  We will be collecting email addresses at the circulation desk or you can register online, if you wish to have the Newsletter electronically delivered.

Free Wireless Internet Access @ Your Library

The East Meadow Public Library has provided access to a free wireless hotspot to patrons since 2004.  Visitors with laptops, netbooks and other wireless-enabled devices can easily connect to the Internet.  The library recently upgraded its wireless infrastructure to better serve patrons who wish to use this free service.  The hotspot can now be accessed from anywhere in the building.  The library’s wireless network ID is broadcast as EM Library.  You’ll need to supply the following password in order to connect: library1.  Your equipment must support WPA encryption.

The Catalog is Evolving!

Before personal computers were prevalent, you had to use something called a card catalog to locate material in the library (see photo, circa 1962).  Those days are long gone.  For those of you wondering, 1995 was the year the card catalog left East Meadow.  Today, the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) or simply put, the catalog, has replaced dozens of drawers and thousands of paper cards.  The library’s current catalog is shared with most of the other public libraries in Nassau County.  It”s called ALISCAT and it can be accessed by visiting http://www.alisweb.org.

Soon it will undergo a transformation which will make it easier to use and a bit more powerful.  You can have a sneak peek at the new ALISCAT before it goes live. Visit http://encore.alisweb.org and give the new catalog a try.

Tween Advisory Board Celebrates Children’s Books

The Tween Advisory Board, made up of 6th and 7th grade preteens, embarked on a service project to create short video reviews of their favorite children’s books. Under the direction of Christina Hirsch and Ilona Sayan the tweens, working in teams, created seven video book reviews from Dr. Seuss to Margaret Wise Brown.

Each video has an actor and producer and were filmed on a digital camera. The entire project was completed during five Tween Advisory Board meetings. Everyone had a wonderful time doing the project.

The Tween Advisory Board hopes that younger children will enjoy these videos and read the books. We anticipate the children watching the videos today will be creating their own films, when they join the Tween Advisory Board. View the compilation video below.

Fran Jackson
Head of Young Adult Services

Tween Advisory Board Video