Welcome!
We invite you to spend a few moments looking at our new library Web site. With help from the State Library of Iowa and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation we are able to create a place on the Web where you, our customers, can explore, learn and get help with all your information needs.
Blakesburg Public Library News Briefs
Library Closed for 4th of July Holiday
The Blakesburg Public Library will be closed for the 4th of July Holiday this Wednesday. The Library Board and Staff wishes everyone a safe, happy, and healthy holiday with friends and family.
Library Planning Committee Meeting is July 18th
The next meeting of the Community Planning group assisting with the library's strategic planning process will be held at 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 18th at the library. Approximately 12-15 attended the first meeting which yielded some great discussions. Even if you were not able to make the first meeting, we would like to invite all of the committee members back for the second meeting to continue building on those ideas. We appreciate the time and input we have received which will help the library in creating it's 3-5 year strategic plan. For information or to RSVP, please contact Cheryl at 641.777.0048.
Library Summer Hours begin May 29
The Library begins its summer hours on Tuesday, May 29. During the summer the library will be open from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Library will be closed on Sundays.
Library Pizza Ranch Tip Night is August 1st
The Blakesburg Public Library Board of Trustees and library staff will be holding a fund-raising Tip Night at Pizza Ranch in Ottumwa, on Wednesday, August 1st. Come enjoy some great pizza (and chicken) from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. The library will receive all tips and a percentage of the sales for all receipts that are also put in the tip bucket. Contact the librarian at 641.777.0048 for more details.
Libraries Rock !! Summer Reading Program/Summer Calendar of Events
The Blakesburg Public Library will kick off its 2018 Summer Reading Program at 10 a.m. June 2nd at the library. The summer reading program helps children maintain the reading progress they made during the school year, and provides fun activities and events for all ages. All participants will receive prizes including free admission passes to the Blank Park Zoo (chiildren 12-under), free admission to the August 5th I-Cubs game vs the Las Vegas 51s, coupons for free ice cream bars from Casey's, and many other items. Last year's top readers received tablets -- this year's top readers will receive gifit cards. Track the number of minutes read each month from June 2 until July 28 to try to win the top prize. An awards ceremony will be held at an end of summer cookout on August 2nd.
All summer long the library will be offering events for all ages -- from Karaoke, Java and Jigsaws, Tech Time for Adults, free movies and popcorn, Lego, gaming, and crafting events. Be sure to check out the calendar every day to see what's happening at the library.
June Calendar: http://www.blakesburg.lib.ia.us/June2018/view
July Calendar: http://www.blakesburg.lib.ia.us/library-information/July2018SummerReadingProgam.pdf/view
August Calendar: http://www.blakesburg.lib.ia.us/August2018/view
Library FY17 Annual Report Available
THIS BPL FY17 ANNUAL REPORT.pdf — PDF document, 857 kB (877618 bytes)
FY16 BPL ANNUAL REPORT.pdf — PDF document, 451 kB (462025 bytes)
Friends of the Library Renovation Proposal
Approximately a dozen people attended The Friends of the Blakesburg Public Library meeting on Monday, January 29, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting featured a presentation on possible floor plans and fund-raising efforts for the proposed building renovation. Following is the web address to the Power Point slide presentation that was given during the meeting to show possible ideas for the building renovation.
http://www.blakesburg.lib.ia.us/Friends%20Building%20Renovation/view
The Blakesburg Public Library now has access to a new suite of databases for research, educational, and personal uses. These resources are available online 24/7, and provided full-text access to thousands of journals, reference works, and even Chilton's Automobile repair. Use the URL link for the Gale Resources in the menu on the left side of the screen to start your information quest.
CREDO Reference https://search.credoreference.com/?institutionId=9418
Gale Resources http://www.galepages.com/iablakesburg
Transparent Languages https://library.transparent.com/blakesburgia
Link to Library Catalog
https://www.librarycat.org/lib/BlakesburgLibrary
The link above is to our new library management system including a card catalog and circulation program for the Blakesburg Public Library. It uses the data (our collection holdings) from our current LibraryThing account. Please spend some time searching the catalog by subject, author, title, keyword or format (dvd, hardcover, paperback), or genre (mystery, romance, etc.). Click on the item's title to see if it is available for checkout, find reviews, read-alikes, etc. Thank you to the Friends of the Blakesburg Public Library for paying the annual fee for this subscription for the first year. We appreciate everything our Friends group does to support the library. The library staff is trying to bring this library up-to-date with technology and make the collection searchable to anyone with an internet connection. It even works on smartphones, so be sure to check this out.
Bridges E-Books and Audio Books
Use your library card to access thousands of ebooks and audio books across all genres and interest all ages through Bridges -- the State of Iowa's Overdrive portal. https://bridges.overdrive.com/
Learning Express Software available @ the Library
LearningExpress is an interactive online platform, providing career and academic resources.
LearningExpress will help you with job preparation, career advancement, and college readiness.
LearningExpress helps build skills in math, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary.
http://www.learningexpresslibrary3.com/?AuthToken=7FFF26B3-5EE3-4F98-99C2-600AA15FEE99
Interlibrary Loan
If the library doesn't have the book you are looking for, we can order it for you from participating Iowa Libraries through the Inter-library Loan Program. Through this sharing program, Iowa libraries are able to offer patrons a wide variety of materials, and share costs.
Ottumwa Legacy Foundation Grant
The Library has purchased 9 desktop computers and 1 laptop with funds from the Legacy Foundation Grant it was awarded in the fall. All of the machines have been installed and have been updated with Microsoft Office 2016 on them. Two of the desktop computers are in the adult/main library space, and six are located in the children's room. The library offered classes on using Office applications, and will offer them again this summer. The laptop computer and projection system has been used for training, meetings and entertainment.
Library awarded Alliant Energy Grant
The Blakesburg Public Library has been awarded a $1,000 Alliant Energy Foundation Grant to purchase audio books for visually impaired readers, emergent and struggling readers. The library plans to purchase audio book kits (books and audio cd books) for early/beginning readers and struggling readers so children can read along in the text while listening to the CD, and books on CD for teens and adults who are visually impaired, or who simply prefer listening to a good book to reading it. In addition the library will purchase a couple of personal CD players with headphones, and pay for its annual public performance movie license so the library can continue to provide free family movie entertainment for the community. Be watching the web page and the library's Facebook account for more information in the coming months.
Bored? Check out the many board games and video games available @ the library
In addition to great books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, online databases, e-books and audio books, the library has jigsaw puzzles, children's puzzles, toys, craft materials, and a collection of board games for patrons to play at the library. Come check out the library -- where there is something for everyone !
Magazines available at the Library
The Blakesburg Public Library has received the gift of a almost two dozen magazine subscriptions. Some of the titles have already been arriving in the library's mail. A variety of interests, genders and ages are included in the gift subscriptions. New titles include: Automobile, Boys Life, Country Living, Girls Life, Good Housekeeping, Jack & Jill, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Outdoor Life, Prevention, Redbook, Scholastic Parent and Child, and Woman's Day.