Love Our Library from The Junior Library Guild

As you may be aware, the Wayne Public Library is facing a difficult financial situation.  Once again the library has budgeted $0 for books and other materials.  Any new items will be due to support from grants and generous donations.  With these facts in mind, the Wayne Public Library has partnered with the Junior Library Guild’s “Love Our Library” fundraising program.  This program works similar to online crowdfunding ventures, in which anyone can securely donate any amount of money they see fit to Wayne Public Library’s account with the Junior Library Guild.  Any money raised can be used to purchase quality and award winning children’s books from the Junior Library Guild.  To make a donation, please click here.

The Library Network brings more eBooks and eAudiobooks to Michigan libraries

Starting back in June, more than 40 libraries throughout the state of Michigan began to offer even more eBooks and eAudiobooks to their communities. Using their library account credentials, patrons can quickly browse, click, and enjoy thousands of new titles at https://tln.odilo.us/. The eBook management platform, powered by Odilo, will feature bestselling and popular titles from all of the large leading publishers, midlist publishers, emerging small and independent publishers, self-publishers, along with locally-created content.

The Library Network (TLN) and its member libraries will be able to better manage emerging content and integrate a mix of content sources. In return, patrons will reap the benefit of easily accessing a variety of digital content (or eContent), such as eBooks, eAudiobooks, videos, etc. Library patrons will also appreciate the ability to enjoy the new digital content on any device, whether a Chromebook; eBook reader (Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Kobo eReader, and Amazon Kindle eReaders); iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch; PC or Mac computer; or anything AndroidTM. Readers can choose their own lending period of 7, 14, or 21 days, and there are never any late fees - as titles automatically expire and return to the library collection. Please feel free to speak to a librarian for more information about Odilo.

Odilo is a privately held Spanish and USA based company dedicated to developing the most innovative and creative solutions for libraries. With over 2,000 customers worldwide, Odilo offers a comprehensive product suite for the discovery, management, and distribution of library print and digital materials. Currently used in 43 countries, Odilo defines and designs efficient, user-friendly solutions, serving the needs of public, private, university, school, and special interest libraries, while enabling them to transition into the future. Odilo is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, with offices in Cartagena, Spain; Denver, Colorado; Mexico City, Mexico; and New York, New York.

Wayne Public Library’s new partnership with Unique Management Services, Inc.

Beginning August 1, billed delinquent library accounts will no longer be handled by the Wayne police department.  The Wayne Public Library board of trustees has approved an agreement with Unique Management Services, Inc., an overdue fines/fees collection agency that specializes in libraries.  If a library account has overdue fees and does not respond to initial notices, the account information will be sent to this agency for collection.  The process begins with several gently worded letters and phone calls.  If the account in question has not been settled after 120 days from the beginning of the collections process and the account fees are $50 or greater, at that point the fees will appear on the credit report of whomever owns the account.  This is a standard means of collecting long overdue fines and fees.  Unique Management Services, Inc. is a well-known and trustworthy company used by several libraries in southeast Michigan.   

PC Partners

Need help learning to use computers? Makia, a student volunteer from our neighbor Dorsey Schools, will be providing free one-on-one computer tutoring in the library. Sessions are 45 minutes long and are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2:00pm until 7:00pm, Thursdays and Fridays from 1:00pm until 4:00pm, and Saturdays from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. You can come back for more instruction as needed. Sign up today by visiting the Adult Reference Desk, or by calling us at (734)721-7832, ex. 630.

Engaging a Young Adult during Summer Months

Adrianne M. Schinkai

It’s hard to believe, but soon all the advertising for back to school will begin (if it hasn’t already). As this was my first summer as a mother (of an adopted 11-year-old girl), all I can say is I can’t wait. Like many parents of children of all ages, I absolutely love and adore my child, but I am ready for that break where classes take over their daily agenda while I am busy taking care of my own business during the hours of 9 to 5. I think the biggest issue that made this summer more exhausting is that my daughter and I are opposites when it comes to keeping busy. She loves video games. I love reading. She’s an extrovert. I am quite introverted. She gets bored easily. I can always find something to catch my interest.

This was my biggest battle over the summer as she expected me to fill her schedule with things to do. I told her multiple times during errands and events to “bring a book just in case.” The result of such a statement was always an eye roll. An hour or two later, I would hear the statement “I’m bored” in return. My ultimate resolve was to tell her that it wasn’t my problem, she was old enough to come prepared, and eventually, she would get the message.

While there is a good part of me that thinks that my daughter is just not open-minded and stubborn about trying new things, there is another part of me that thinks that the things she lies are just very different from what I like. Maybe she really isn’t a fan of reading. Well, how do I keep her brain engaged over the summer? She was overly dramatic when I mentioned the words “summer reading program,” and I certainly was not about to let her play video games on the Play Station and her tablet for seven hours a day! Instead, I tried engaging her in other interests to keep the gears in her brain turning.

I sat down with her to see what different things she liked. What were her interests? Well, she loves to swim like a fish, so we’ve gone to the beach a few times. She likes to paint and draw, so we’ve pulled out the art supplies and gotten creative, which we’ve topped off with a trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts to get inspired. She loves to build and create things, as she’s shown me with all her buildings in Minecraft. As soon as she heard that I knew how to crochet, she asked me if she could get her own pink yarn and hook and teach her some stitches. When she saw her father using the program DuoLingo to learn how to speak Spanish, she pulled out her notes from her language class the previous year of school and held basic conversations with him. She’s pulled out games like Sorry and Jenga on multiple occasions and got us all to play after dinner.

The other thing I had to realize was that my daughter’s curiosity may come out naturally after a while without me doing anything to stoke it. I lay on the couch the other night watching the first episode of the revamped series, “Cosmos.” I could see her eyes dancing towards the images of the stars and planets as she asked me who Neil DeGrasse Tyson was and what was so special about the Big Bang Theory. Instead of answering, I scooted over on the couch and she cuddled up as we learned about the beginning of the universe. I’d have to pay attention and look for her eyes dancing again. She may not say that she has an interest, but if I offer it to her, maybe she’ll engage with me.

This afternoon I’m searching the library catalog to see if there are a couple books, DVDs, and other items that will get her excited to explore beyond what the internet offers. I know I’m going to have to put my foot down daily in that respect. But if I let her be and only push slightly (as opposed to all the time), maybe her own sense of curiosity will get the better of her and engage her brain all on her own. It may be my only hope until school starts up again next month.

SCORE Small Business Mentors at the Library

Are you a small business owner, or interested in starting a small business?  The Wayne Public Library is looking into brining mentors from SCORE, a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow, and achieve their goals.  If you would like have the SCORE mentors visit the library for a Q&A session, please send an email expressing your interest to Carola Fisher, cfisher@wayne.lib.mi.us.

June and July 2015: Summer Reading, Michigan Activity Pass, PC Partners, Ebooks, Beer Tasting, Growing a Brain

Youth Summer Reading Program

It’s almost time for our Summer Reading Program to begin! Registration begins Tuesday, June 9th. How it Works:

Readers and “Read-to-Me” readers will keep track of their reading time and will earn a point for every ½ hour they read. The points earned can be used to purchase prizes at our Summer Reading Store. Once you’ve earned 50 points you’ll get a certificate of completion and be able to enter the grand prize drawing. Special events will be held each week as we explore “Escaping the Ordinary: Every Hero has a Story” in our Library.

Terrific Tuesdays: 

Drop-in story time for kids of all ages will be held on Tuesdays at 2:00pm in the Multipurpose Room in the Youth Area. Join us 6/23, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23 and 7/30.

Thursday Fun:

Programs for all ages will be held on Thursdays at 2:00pm in the Community Room. Events will last approximately 1 hour. Please be on time. No Registration is required.

June 25: Magic with Jeff Wawrzaszek

“Every Magician Has a Story – The Magic and Heroes Library Show”
793.8 is a very magical number and a magic book discovered by Jeff Wawrzasek in that section of the library launched a career! July 2: Stories and Songs with Genot Picor “Heroes Come in all Sizes” Enjoy stories and songs about all kinds of heroes.

July 9: DPW

Big Trucks
Did you ever wonder what the inside of a Fire Engine looks like or one of the other trucks you see around the city. Come to this event and get a chance to get behind the wheel of one of the city’s “big trucks”.

July 16: University of Michigan Amanda Paige

“Science of Super” (animal adaptations)
Why do animals do some of the things they do and why do they look the way they do? Find out when Amanda Paige comes to the Wayne Library on July 16.

 July 23: Organization for Bat Conservation 

 Dawn Vezina “Bats in the Library” 
 Get up close and personal with some of the most common bats in our area. Find out why these flying mammals are so important to the environment and our health.

July 30: Alex Thomas and Friends Interactive Puppet Show

Come meet Alex Thomas and Friends and enjoy a puppet show where the audience interacts with the puppets and become part of the show.

 Teen Summer Reading Program

Ever wonder why librarians are always so intelligent, smiley, and good-natured? It’s because they always participated in the Summer Reading Programs at their local libraries! So now is your chance to become just as intelligent, smiley, and good-natured as us! How?

SIGN UP FOR THE YOUNG ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM WITH THE WAYNE PUBLIC LIBRARY!

This year’s theme is “Staying Cool Like the Librarians” and we are looking for some readers who are ready to prove just that to us. Stop by the Adult Services desk and pick up a sign up sheet and a log for all of your reading from June 10th-July 31st.


Just for signing up, you receive a chance to guess the number of pieces of candy in the candy jar. The reader who comes closest to guessing the correct number without going over wins the entire jar of candy!

Next comes the hard work. All the reading…

But don’t worry, because your efforts for growing that librarian-like brain of yours will be greatly rewarded. For every 100 pages you read, document in your log, and get signed by one of our librarians, you receive a chance to win one of three great prizes! 2nd prize is a $25 gift card to Amazon. 1st prize is a $50 gift card to Amazon.

And the big grand prize raffle winner takes home a brand new Kindle!







But just wait! There’s more! The librarians will be counting all those pages that you’ll be reading over the summer. And the participant who reads the most pages, puts them in their log, and has them signed by a librarian will win a $25 gift card to Amazon!


We will have a chart up in the Young Adult section displaying how many pages our WPL Young Adults have read as a total throughout the summer. If you’re not sure what to read, feel free to ask one of our cool librarians and search our online catalog!

So grab your books, your e-readers, your bookmarks, your reading glasses, some sunscreen, a cuddle kitty, a fluffy blanket, or whatever you need, and gear up for the coolest summer ever with the Young Adult Summer Reading Program at the Wayne Public Library!

 Michigan Activity Pass

Did you know that you can get free access to hundreds of state parks, recreation, and cultural destinations throughout Michigan from your library! Check out TLN’s Michigan Activity Pass page for more info, or visit michiganactivitypass.info to request a pass! Just type in your address and Wayne Public Library in the boxes and click search to see all the awesome options. When you’ve found something you’re interested in, click “Get Pass”. Pick a day you’d like to visit your destination, and click “Request Pass” and fill in the form with your information.

PC Partners 

PC Partners is back once again! Makia, a student volunteer from our neighbor Dorsey Schools, will be providing free one-on-one computer tutoring in the library. Sessions are 45 minutes long and are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2:00pm until 7:00pm, Thursdays and Fridays from 1:00pm until 4:00pm, and Saturdays from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. You can come back for more instruction as needed. You can sign up by visiting the Adult Reference Desk, or by calling us at (734)721-7832, extension 630.

Ebooks through Overdrive and Odilo

The Wayne Public Library now has a new way to offer you ebooks! In addition to our Overdrive system, which provides Wayne Public Library cardholders with tons of ebooks and audiobooks, we are not providing our users with access to Odilo! Odilo is a new ebook provider specializing in small, independent publishers and self-publishing authors. Check start checking out ebooks, have your library card handy and visit our Overdrive and Odilo pages.

Beer Tasting

The Friends of the Library are proud to present an evening beer tasting, featuring craft beers from Liberty Street Brewing in Plymouth, MI.  Various types of beer will be made available for tasting while Liberty Street's brewing expert provides a discussion of the craft brewing process, as well as how the different types of beer are produced.  After the presentation there will be a Q & A session, as well as an opportunity for you to enjoy more of your favorite Liberty Street beers. This event will be held Friday, August 21, 6 PM at the Wayne Public Library.  Tickets are $15, and will soon be available at the library for purchase as well as through the Friends of the Wayne Public Library.  More details to come as they develop.

Growing a Brain: 

Why Summer Reading is Important

By

Adrianne M. Schinkai

Whether you want to believe it or not, summer vacation is just about here. The warmer air, the sunshine, the beach, and just maybe the perfect breeze to take all your cares away after a hard school year of hitting the books. However, more than likely you will be bringing home an item from your teachers called “The Summer Reading List.” You don’t really give it a second thought because, hey, you’ve earned this vacation! No one is blaming you there. But do you understand how important that reading list really is? If not, I can break it down for you easily.

It has become common knowledge that the typical two-month summer vacation in the US is based off of agricultural practices that are no longer relevant. As a result, students are away from the classroom for so long that much of the knowledge you’ve spent those other ten months of the year learning just fades away into oblivion. What does this mean for you? It means that you’ll probably have to spend at least a month relearning concepts from the previous year when you start back to school in September! Doesn’t sound too appealing, does it? Your teacher doesn’t care for it either.

So what does this summer reading list have to do with it? It’s the alternative to the above. Rather than have your brain fade to mush, it is designed to be your mind’s aerobics instructor. The summer reading list is a way to exercise your brain so you don’t lose those precious skills from the school year. You’re probably rolling your eyes at me thinking, “You’re a librarian. You have to say that.” Well, not only am I a librarian, but I’m an intellectual. I like to give my mind that daily work out where I think critically, use my imagination, and get the chance to discover new things and be creative. I support the summer reading list because it can do the same thing for you!

Due to the Standards of the Common Core, school can seem very cement and sterile at times. You learn the things that other people require you to learn, just so every few weeks you can take a test and see how you measure up to every other child in the United States. It’s boring, it’s sad, and I would love for someone to introduce me to a representative of this country’s education system that thinks this is how children should grow up and learn. But I digress. The Common Core means that you are working based on someone else’s standards. Not yours. Since you are not in school for two months, what are your standards going to be? See where I’m going with this?

Now the typical summer reading list I received in high school was about 30 books. Obviously, I wasn’t required to read all of them, but it was best if I read a few since I would be asked to complete a literature assignment in the fall on one of the books. Beyond that, I was allowed to let my mind wander. So take a chance and pick out a book or two that interests you. Read what you want to read! Learn what you want to learn! Libraries are great places to do this. Visit us at the WPL and ask one of us to help you find some books on a topic you love. We are more than happy to do this! It’s why we made it our jobs!

And while you’re at it, go beyond the books. Write one yourself! Make up a few characters and send them on an adventure. Where would they go? What would they do? Would you want to go with them? If you’re not feeling that adventurous, keep a diary. Write down the funny things you hear throughout the day. Make each day your own story. If your life has been its own adventure so far, start writing your autobiography.

Don’t stop there. Discover new music. Delve into a genre you haven’t really listened to before. If you like rock, why not try some alternative? If you like pop, how about some jazz? Today’s cell phones provide a number of free applications to try different music for free, so download one such as Spotify or Pandora, and see what music opens your mind to new beginnings.

Also, don’t be afraid to get artistic. All of that wonderful work in the Detroit Institute of Arts isn’t the result of someone watching Maury Povich all day (although I’d be curious about an exhibit that was). Get out some pencils and paper and draw. Grab a camera and do some amateur photography. Get some friends and write a script for a movie and film it. Even if you just build a sandcastle at the beach, use your hands to create something. You’ll feel awesome, I promise.

The point is the summer reading list shouldn’t be viewed as an assignment. Well, at least not from me. I can’t be held responsible for your school work come September. But the summer reading list is an opportunity to grow your mind instead of letting it rot. You are out of school now, so no one is going to tell you how to enhance it. It’s your choice. Use that list as a guide. Does a book on the list interest you? If not, what does? Think about that for a moment, then expand on it, and get creative! Grow that fabulous brain of yours!

If you want to add to the fun of summer reading, you should stop in and check out the Wayne Public Library’s Summer Reading Program 2015! We’re gearing up for some fun of heroic proportions! Librarians Nancy and myself are putting together our own booklists, programs, and (dare I say it) prizes for anyone who is looking beyond the ordinary this summer. So stay tuned for more updates as the last day of school gets closer and closer and closer…