Heartland Library Cooperative

Snapshot

2011-01-25T14:37:42Z

Today, libraries across Florida are participating in Snapshot: A Day in the Life of Florida Libraries by collecting information, comments, and photographs from events in a typical library day.

One of Florida's greatest strengths is its diversity. From the beaches of Pensacola to the bright lights of Miami, Florida offers a terrific variety of unique communities and experiences. What better way to show our lawmakers, leaders, and visitors what dynamic places Florida and its libraries are than to collect information on what's happening in one day? A "snapshot" of Florida libraries, if you will.

From more information, please visit the Florida Library Association Snapshot Home Page.

Overdrive Issues

2010-12-29T17:29:39Z

If you are having issues with accessing the Overdrive website to download materials for your new e-reader, we want to let you know that you are not alone:

In the last few days, you and your users may have experienced error messages or slow page loads when visiting your library's 'Virtual Branch.' This temporary slowdown was due to an unprecedented spike in traffic on our library websites following Christmas. While we expected a surge in usage after the holiday, your customers' interest in eBook and audiobook downloads was greater than anyone anticipated. Many of your websites saw usage double overnight, up from what were already record levels prior to Dec. 25. - Significant activity on 'Virtual Branch' websites

Hopefully, this issue will be resolved very soon.

Our New Facebook Page

2010-09-23T15:07:17Z

If you have an account on Facebook, we would love you for to come visit our new page.

Heartland Library Cooperative on Facebook

And if you like us, Please Like us.

State Aid Restored

2010-04-27T13:23:37Z

A Message from the Florida Library Association:

At midnight the House accepted a Senate offer to restore State Aid to Public Libraries to the current year level of $21.2 million.

We would like to thank all of you, the thousands of folks out there who took action and let the Senate and House Leadership know how important our Libraries are! Thanks to everyone for their incredible efforts and congratulations on the wonderful success!

A Last Appeal

2010-04-24T12:48:50Z

A Message from the Florida Library Association:

A Last Appeal to the Senate President and House Speaker

This afternoon Senate and House Budget Chairs agreed to fund State Aid to Public Libraries at $11,746,022, a $9,507,956 reduction from the current year's $21,253,978. This will do great harm to Florida public libraries, especially those in small rural counties. Our local counties will lose $242,647.

We are engaged in an effort to persuade Senate President Atwater and House Speaker Cretul to re-open the State Aid issue and find at way to fund it at the current level of $21,253,978.

We are confident that they, indeed all legislators want to find the dollars to fund state aid. We just have to give them the positive support necessary to allow them to do this.

This afternoon folks with the Florida Library Association talked with directors of small libraries and learned that the following steps would be necessary to deal with the reductions:

Staff Layoffs
Parking book mobiles
Rotating Branch closings
Permanent Branch closings
Book Budgets are already bare bones
Elimination of all programming

Please contact the Speaker and President and thank them for their efforts, let them know about the harm that would be done to libraries, especially those in small rural counties, and encourage them to re-open the issue and find a way to fund it.

Contact Information:

Senator Jeff Atwater (R) - Senate President - Represents parts of Broward & Palm Beach Counties - atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov / District (561) 625-5101 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5100

Larry Cretul (R) - House Speaker - Represents parts of Alachua, Levy, & Marion Counties - larry.cretul@myfloridahouse.gov / District (352) 873-6564 / Tallahassee (850) 488-1450

Thank you for your help and incredible patience and we try to preserve funding for public library service for Floridians!

Take Action!

Moment of Truth

2010-04-23T15:33:03Z

A Message from the Florida Library Association:

The House and Senate Budget Chairs met this morning at 10. Yesterday the Senate proposed $13.2 million for State Aid, down significantly from this year's $21.2 million. This morning the House countered with a proposal of $11,746,022. Tables showing how much your library would receive are attached. This would devastate small counties.

Proposed Reductions from This Year's Budget

Desoto - $35,583 or 50%

Glades - $9,560 or 48%

Hardee - $29,201 or 56%

Highlands - $91,789 or 37%

Okeechobee - $76,514 or 55%

Thanks to help from the Florida Association of Counties several Florida counties have asked their lobbyists to work toward restoring the $21.2 million and these folks are clearly working.

Action Needed: Call your Senators and Representatives, tell them about the harm that will be done by a $9.5 million, or 55%, reduction, and TELL THEM THEY NEED TO GO TO BUDGET CHAIRS RIVERA AND ALEXANDER AND SPEAKER CRETUL AND ATWATER AND TELL THEM THEY NEED TO FIND A WAY TO FUND STATE AID AT $21.2 MILLION!

SMALL COUNTY MOMENT OF TRUTH - The leadership really needs to hear from legislators and local officials that represent smaller counties right now! This funding level would have disastrous effects on small counties - make them understand the harm! Call your legislators, administrators and commissioners!

Take Action!

Last Library Funding Push

2010-04-23T12:50:15Z

A Message from the Florida Library Association:

One Last Library Funding Push in the Legislature - $21.2 Million is Needed to Support Public Libraries and an $8 Million Cut (37%) Has Been Proposed With 3 Days Left to Finish the Budget!

We are embarrassed to ask you to step up one more time and contact the Governor, legislative leadership, and your legislators to support State funding for public libraries but ask you we must. Earlier this week a budget conference committee could not reach agreement about State Aid to Public Libraries funding so the issue goes now before Budget Chairs Senator Alexander and Representative Rivera.

When they met Thursday Senator Alexander proposed $13,253,978 or an $8 million (37%) State Aid cut, to the $21.2 million needed and the amount provided this year. State Aid has already been reduced by $12.2 million from $33.4 or 37% from $33.4 million several years ago). This cut would make it 60%.

And legislators are taking this action in spite of your incredible outpouring of support for Florida's public libraries! They talk about the overwhelming response. Over the past 6 weeks using CapWiz alone, over 4,500 individuals have sent over 50,000 messages to the Governor, legislators, and the leadership. And we estimate that a similar number have called or send e-mail messages directly. Thank you for the wonderful job you have done!

And please, do it one more time.

We cannot thank you enough!

Take Action!

Libraries are Valuable

2010-04-20T18:39:26Z

A Message from the Florida Library Association:

To the People of Florida Who Support Public Library Service

Funding for State Aid to Public Libraries is being challenged by some who question whether that funding will have a positive impact on Florida's economy during these challenging times. We need to inform legislative leaders about how libraries support the Florida economy.

Action Needed: Contact the House and Senate leadership and legislators!

The Message - Public Libraries play a critical role in the state's economy - fund them at the current $21.2 million.

Libraries' Contribution to Florida's Economy

Library funding provides a $8.32 Return on Investment - That's what a recent Department of State study reports.
Floridians come to libraries for technology and job search - There are over 12,999 public access computers available at Florida libraries. Floridians used these computers 21 million times in 2008, and over 2.4 million Floridians received technology instruction in libraries. And many libraries offer free wireless access! Frequent use is for job searching!
Nationally, every day 300,000 library seekers get job seeking help at Public Libraries - And Florida libraries are providing more than their share of this support. (OCLC 2010)
Floridians needing assistance applying for E-Government services and benefits are getting help from library staff, computers, and Internet service. - Library staff help the public transact their E-Government business using library computers for services including Medicare, Fla. Dept. of Children and Families, immigration, and the IRS. Library staff are important members of disaster management teams and following disasters, library computers help survivors locate family members and apply for insurance and assistance.
Families are relying on library books, cd's and dvd's to stretch household budgets in these challenging times.

Libraries do this, as well as help kids learn to read, help parents and caregivers learn to be kids first teachers, and provide life-long learning.

Most legislators want to fund the program and the House and Senate Committee Chairs are working with us closely so we need to keep our communication positive. But it is critical that they hear now how important libraries and state library funding are to Floridians.

Please send your message making the case that public libraries make a signficant contribution to Florida's economy and to appropriate $21.2 million for State Aid for Libraries right now!

Thank you for your support!

Take Action!

Please Restore State Aid

2010-04-17T13:53:44Z

A Message from the Florida Library Association:

To the People of Florida Who Support Public Library Service

Funding for State Aid to Public Libraries is seriously at risk as the Florida Legislature begins the Appropriations Conference process this week end. Currently the House has $500,000 in their budget for library funding and the Senate has $15 million. Florida libraries need $21.2 million, the same amount that was provided this year. The $21.2 million amount is also the Maintenance of Effort amount required for Florida to continue receiving $8.9 million annually in vitally needed federal library funds.

We are concerned that some of the revenue from Congress appropriators were counting on will not be coming and that will make library funding even harder to get.

So we ask Floridians to let the State and Legislative leadership know that their job will not be done until they have funded State Aid to Public Libraries at the current $21.2 million level. Most legislators want to fund the program and the House and Senate Committee Chairs are working with us closely so we need to keep our communication positive. But it is critical that they hear now how important libraries and state library funding are to Floridians.

Please send your message supporting public library service and restoration of a $21.2 million appropriation for State Aid for Libraries right now! If you sent a message earlier, please send another one now!

Take Action!

2010 State Aid to Libraries

2010-03-11T19:58:39Z

On Wednesday, March 10, 2010, the House and Senate Transportation and Economic Development Committees both adopted preliminary positions completely eliminating State Aid to Public Libraries.The Florida Department of State and Florida Library Association had recommended continuation of this year's $21.2 million.

On a local level, State Aid is the sole source of funding for the Heartland Library Cooperative. The Cooperative uses this $450,000 in funding to:

Provide Internet Access for our library patrons including job seeking and filing for state benefits

Operate our Polaris Circulation System that allows us to circulate books and other materials

Place our Catalog on the Web and the ability to access your account remotely

Transfer materials between Libraries using our Daily Courier

Participate in Inter-Library Loan to get books from libraries both state and nationwide

Purchase eBooks and downloadable Audiobooks

Offer our Pink Cart program of extra copies of current bestsellers

All of these services would either be eliminated, reduced and require additional funding at the local level. Making that even more challenging would be the fact that State Aid also currently funds $536,000 to our local counties. That will also result in the likely elimination of even more services, due to staff reductions and reducing the number of hours and days some libraries will be open.

Please take the opportunity to express your feelings to your elected officials, especially your State Senator and State Representative as soon as possible as work on these bills will be completed very soon.

The Literary Horse

2010-01-26T15:13:48Z

The Literary Horse: When Legends Come to Life, an exhibit by Vanessa Wright, will be on display at the Sebring Public Library from February 1st - 28th, 2010.

Real horses. Real people. Real life. Real legend.

From Achilles receving his immortal chargers to Don Quixote's farewell to Rocinante, literature is full of memorable stories and poetry about heroic horses and horse-people. This exhibit, touring public and school libraries, brings those legends to life by pairing 30 photos of today's novice through Olympic horses and horse-people with quotations from the world's great books.

For a preview, visit The Literary Horse.

Online Book Clubs

2009-10-01T15:42:12Z

The Heartland Library Cooperative is pleased to be offer three new services to all of our library patron this year.

Online Book Clubs

All you need is 5 minutes a day and an email address to join one of our FREE online book clubs!

Are you looking for great new authors? Looking for a great book? Would you like to sample a book before you commit to checking it out? Do you like Chocolate Chip cookies? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions then you need to join one of online book clubs. How does it work? Every week we sample a new book. Monday through Friday, a quick 5 minute read is delivered to your email box and waiting for you to peruse with your morning cup of coffee. At the end of Friday's read the ending page number is given so when you pick up the book from the library you know where you left off. (There is also a link on the emails to quickly and easily reserve the book from the library.)

There's a book club for just about everyone, including: fiction, non-fiction, romance, mystery, science fiction, audio, business, pre-publication (be the first to see these soon-to-be-released books), teen, good news, and horror. On Mondays and Thursdays, Suzanne, your book club editor, offers a link to AuthorBuzz, where she introduces you to 3 or 4 authors and their books. Suzanne also holds giveaways where you can win funny or cool prizes--and once a month, Suzanne bakes homemade chocolate chip cookies for the winners of her monthly Chocolate Chip Cookie giveaway.

The online book clubs are a fun and stress free way to read. And, as Suzanne always ends her columns, "It's so good to read with friends."

Book News

Want to find out the latest books we are offering? Book News is a set of newsletters highlighting new books available in our libraries. They cover a variety of topics including the books found on the New York Times Bestseller Lists.

If you were subscribing to our Bookletters newsletters in the past, you will want to re-subscribe to these new offerings to be sure and get the latest materials.

Next Good Book

In this modern world of social networking and word-of-mouth marketing, many people are finding that rather than rely on experts, they often find the right choice for them is derived from something called "the wisdom of the crowds." That is the way Next Good Book works. Using this service, you can interact with other people, find out what books they are reading, read comments from others, and get a true interactive experience.

We are excited about being able to offer all of these services this year.

Fiction Deals on Hot Pink Wheels

2009-07-16T19:11:35Z

Go into your local library. Look for the pink cart... the one with the sign that says FICTION DEALS ON HOT PINK WHEELS. From this cart, you will be given the opportunity to obtain one of the newest high demand books available. You will get fast access. But you must read your book quickly. Your checkout period is reduced and the fine for being overdue is increased.

Here are the rules: You can only get one best selling fiction book at a time; the loan is just for 7 days; no book can be placed on hold; there are no renewals; and if you are late, the fine is $1.00 a day.

Every library will still have one new copy of the title in its regular collection and anybody who wishes to wait may place the book on hold just like it's done now.

If you have any questions, call your local library and ask about FICTION DEALS ON HOT PINK WHEELS.

Overdrive adds MP3 and Mac

2009-01-20T14:03:01Z

We are happy to be able to announce two major additions of support in the Overdrive Audiobooks that we are offering. The first is support for the MP3 Format in a limited number of titles. This means that in addition to devices from Microsoft running either PlaysForSure or Zune software, there is now support for Apple, Palm, and Android-based and any other devices that support the widely used MP3 format. The Overdrive Media Console is now available in versions for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh.

To get started, visit the Online Resources page of your library where you can learn more about this and other resources that are available to you.

HeritageQuest Online

2008-12-10T21:16:49Z

HeritageQuest Online is now available from the Heartland Library Cooperative. Beginning and professional genealogists can use this powerful online resource to trace family histories and American culture from the convenience of their home or at the library. Many distinctive and invaluable sources of information can be found within HeritageQuest Online. This is a growing collection which at this time includes:

Genealogy & Local History Collection (Books) of over 20,000 book titles, including nearly 8,000 family histories and over 12,000 local histories, in addition to more than 250 primary source documents such as tax lists, city directories, church and probate records, and more;
1790-1930 U.S. Federal Census with complete original images, plus many head-of-household name indexes;
Periodical Source Index (PERSI), a comprehensive subject index covering more than 6,300 genealogy and local history periodicals written in English and French (Canada) since 1800; and
the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, which identifies more than 80,000 Americans who served in the war.
the Freedman's Bank records (1865-1874) enables researchers of African American heritage to search registers of signatures of depositors in branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company.
the Lexis Nexis® U.S. Serial Set contains House and Senate documents, such as Private Relief Actions, Memorials and Petitions from 1789-1969.

To get started, visit the Online Resources page of your library where you can learn more about this and other resources that are available to you.