Best-kept secrets at Orcas Library | Guest column
Published 12:08 pm Tuesday, December 20, 2011
One of the best parts of being a volunteer at the library is the opportunity to observe the expressions of patrons when they sheepishly walk up to the front desk to apologize that a book is overdue. Then a question follows, “How much is the fine?” I reply, “Nothing. The library does not charge for overdue books.” I love seeing the looks of awe and relief when people realize they are off the hook. Folks are always appreciative and vow to return books on time. No fine is the first of the three best-kept secrets of the library.
The second secret can be found online at www.orcaslibrary.org by clicking on the word RESEARCH at the top of the home page. Within a second, up pops the following: Databases requiring an Orcas Island Library Card, Inside Library Use Only Databases, Free Public-access Databases, Government Information Source, Homework Help and American History Pathfinder.
Then the most exciting of all: Gale Cengage Learning. With this click, Gale’s power search offers databases featuring a wide variety of content; academic journals, trade magazines, newspapers and consumer reports.
The Proquest Search engine is ridiculously easy to use and the choice of reading materials feels infinite. Perhaps one morning you wake up early, go to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and realize that you want to read The New York Times, well, Proquest allows you to do just that. Enter your six digit library card number and the choices of newspapers are abundant. Or perhaps you are exhausted from a long day at work and want to relax and read something for fun; Proquest will let you read the latest issue of People Magazine – yup, just a simple click and there it is. Need a vegetarian recipe for a New Year’s Eve party? Go to Vegetarian Times.
In a world where just about everything costs money, it is comforting to know the public library has so much to offer free of charge.
Now for the third best kept secret, the people who work at the Orcas Island Library are always willing to help if you have any questions about navigating the databases. Library director Phil Heikkinen said, “We’re happy to get questions, because we always seem to learn something new ourselves. It keeps our work interesting.”
With the Winter Solstice this week, the days are short and the nights interminably long, so remember that with just a quick click you can nestle in with some good reading material. You can also use the library computers. We are open seven days a week.
For those of us who have children, it’s amazing what library books will miraculously appear when we ask our kids to look under their beds. The library awaits the return of these books – no fines and no judgments.
We hope your holidays are filled with joy and nourishing reads.
Rachel Newcombe is an Orcas Library Trustee and serves as the Community Relation’s Chair.
