Looking for ways to help your family during these tough economic times? The State Library of Kansas has put together a great resource that can help.
Tax Forms
Federal Tax Forms now are available at the library. They are located behind the reference desk. Many forms can also be downloaded from www.irs.gov. Kansas Tax Forms are no longer available at libraries due to state revenue shortfalls. For information about filing your state income tax online or ordering paper copies of state forms, visit the Kansas Department of Revenue website.
Did you know: The Osma collection has moved to a new location downstairs.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department will offer free H1N1 flu shots to the public at the Library.
Register now for the WWI book discussion group that will be held this spring in conjunction with Machine in a Void, an exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art.
March 11 - One of Ours by Willa Cather – discussion leader Janet Sharistanian, KU English Dept. – followed by A Very Long Engagement (2004)
March 25 - All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque – discussion leader Leonie Marx, Dept. of German, KU – followed by All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) (This session at the Library!)
April 8 - The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway – discussion leader Jim Carothers, KU English Dept. – followed by The Sun Also Rises (1957)
April 22 - Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf – discussion leader Kathryn Conrad, KU English Dept. – followed by Mrs. Dalloway (1997)
Participants who wish to borrow a set of books may register, beginning February 1, by calling Maria Butler at 843-3833, ext. 123, or emailing mbutler@lawrence.lib.ks.us
Join others across the state in Kansas Reads 2010! This year's featured book is Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama. Programs and book discussions will take place at the Library beginning February 1. Go to our Kansas Reads page for the events schedule and more information and resources.
Have you checked out one of our free computer classes in the Sunflower Broadband Community Computer Lab? Library staff teach a variety of classes aimed at all different skill levels. Click here for more information and to see the current schedule of classes.
Discover Similar Titles in Catalog
Pondering what to read while you wait for your hold on Sue Grafton’s latest to be filled, or simply looking for some new reading ideas? With a new catalog enhancement from NoveList, you can now discover titles similar to those you enjoy. How does it work? Start with a search of any kind and pull up a single title from the list. Look toward the bottom of the screen under "Details", and you’ll see a list of similar titles from NoveList. Click on any of these and go directly to its listing in the catalog.
Library Hours Change
To respond the public's interest in more library service hours on Sundays, the Library will be open from 12noon to 6pm, starting Sunday, February 7. The library will close at 7pm, rather than 9pm, on Fridays, starting on Friday, February 5.
Overdue Fine Change
Due to reduced state funding, daily overdue fines will increase from 10 cents to 15 cents per day for all overdue materials returned after Sunday, January 31. The maximum fine per item will increase from $3.00 to $4.50. Even with this increase, daily overdue fines will be the same or less than nearby Kansas public libraries. As always, materials returned by the date they are due will incur no overdue fines.
Replacement Library Card Fee
Starting Monday, February 1, the library will charge a $1.00 fee for replacing a lost library borrower card.
River City Reading Festival 2010
The River City Reading Festival returns again in 2010, after taking this year off. The format of the festival will change slightly next year – it will be a half-day event, focused on children (preschool through 6th grade).
The festival will be held on Saturday, October 9, 2010, at the library.
Back to school has just become easier, thanks to the library’s service HomeworkKansas. In addition to providing help for all students – kindergarten through adult education, and college students – the service hours have expanded to 8am-11pm, every day. The new Live Homework Help classroom is an online place to receive assistance in math, science, English and social studies. Assistance in Spanish is offered in the subject areas of math, sciece and social studies.
New to the service are college entrance practice tests like ACT and SAT, graduate school exams like GRE and LSAT, Advanced Placement, ASVAB and TOEFL, and GED prep tests.
HomeworkKansas will also offer assistance with job searches, sample resumes and cover letters, financial literacy and assistance with proofreading of papers. HomeworkKansas is powered by www.tutor.com and a service of the Lawrence Public Library, Kan-ed (www.kan-ed.org) and the State Library of Kansas.
Lawrence Public Library Earns High Marks in National Library Survey
The Lawrence Public Library has learned that it ranks among the top 10% in the nation among public libraries of its size. The results were published in the 10th annual Hennen's American Public Library Rankings (www.haplr-index.com), a highly respected national library survey that compares public libraries across the U.S. on their quality of service, level of patron usage, and responsible expenditure of public funds.
"This is such a wonderful achievement for the Lawrence Public Library," said Bruce Flanders, Library Director. "With the library currently experiencing record high usage and our staff and resources stretched thin, earning this high ranking is very welcome news."
The average HAPLR score for all Kansas public libraries was 638. The Lawrence Public Library's score was 799. This score places the library in the 92nd percentile nationally for all public libraries serving communities of our size (50,000-99,999 service area population).
"Not only is the Lawrence Public Library's outstanding ranking a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of our library's staff, but it is also indicative of a community that uses and values its local library," said Flanders.
Audio Books, Music and More! now for iPods, iPhones
OverDrive, supplier of eaudiobooks to Kansas State Library's Audio Books, Music and More! download service, which is available to Lawrence Public Library patrons through our website, has announced the release of its OverDrive Media Console v3.2 software. Once installed on your computer, most titles in the library's Audio Books, Music and More! WMA Audiobook collection will become iPod and iPhone compatible for users with Windows PCs. Mac users will also benefit from the growing number of MP3 eaudiobooks available. For more detailed information and instructions, please go to Audio Books, Music and More! at http://kansas.lib.overdrive.com
Lawrence Public Library | 707 Vermont Street | Lawrence KS 66044-2371 Map
General Information 785-843-3833 | Reference Questions 785-843-1178 Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 12-6pm Holiday Closings
