Patrons We May Not See

By Tina M.  A patron came into the library one afternoon and was waiting patiently at the staff counter. I asked him if he needed any help and he did say someone was getting some hold items for him. He proceeded to tell me that he was so thankful we had the process of reserving … Read more

A Way of Life

By Deb C.  The library has always been an important part of my life. My first memories of the library where I grew up was walking to the little “store front” library branch around the corner and spending hours pouring over the nature books. I loved the smell of the old card catalogs! When I … Read more

Committed to a Seamless Customer Experience:  Gale Continues Partnership with YBP

By David Schroeter 

Last week, EBSCO announced its acquisition of YBP Library Services. For years, YBP and its GOBI platform have been a valuable partner to Gale, part of Cengage Learning, providing access to both print and eBook titles as part of Gale’s GVRL, Gale Directory Library, and Literature Criticism Online programs.

We at Gale are devoted to providing our customers with the best ease of access and workflow models available, and because of this, our partnership with YBP will remain unchanged. This means that there will be no interruptions to service or changes in contracts, and you can continue using our resources the same way you always have.

Read moreCommitted to a Seamless Customer Experience:  Gale Continues Partnership with YBP

Volunteers Share Their Library Love Stories – And Their Time

By Jessica L.

The best part of my job is hearing what people love about the library! As the Volunteer Coordinator at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, I have interviewed over 200 volunteers in the past two years. One question I always ask is “What attracted you to volunteering at the library?” I love to hear the diverse answers our volunteers give. They want to give back to their community. They want to connect with others. They love the library and want to support its success. They love books. They remember coming to this library as a child. They love coming here with their kids. And on, and on, and on…

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Fiction, Schmiction. How About Some Reality?

Thorndike large print memoirs and biographies

Some readers crave fiction. But a growing number of readers are hungry for nonfiction. In fact, a recent analysis of circulation data from libraries around the country revealed phenomenal growth of circulating nonfiction over the last 20 years. Why? Well, here are two possible reasons: 

Read moreFiction, Schmiction. How About Some Reality?