FYI Friday: Requesting Unavailable E-book Titles

Did you know? You can request e-book titles that are currently unavailable in Live-brary.com’s catalog with the mere click of a button! Live-brary will even put it on hold and check it out to you if they decide to purchase it.

Did you know? You can request e-book titles that are currently unavailable in Live-brary.com’s catalog with the mere click of a button! Live-brary will even put it on hold and check it out to you if they decide to purchase it.

Have you ever searched through Live-brary’s extensive catalog of e-books but still not found the title you’re looking for? With just a few button clicks, you can request the e-book you’re looking for. Follow these steps to make your request:

How to Request Unavailable E-books

1. Open the digital catalog at downloads.live-brary.com either in a browser on your computer or mobile device, or through the Overdrive app.

2. Search for your desired title or author in the search box on the top right.

Ebook1
3. If what you’re looking for doesn’t appear, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the blue button labeled “Add titles you can recommend.”Ebook2

4. A selection of covers will appear according to your previous search terms. Scroll until you find your desired e-book, hover over the cover, and click the blue button labeled “Recommend.”Ebook3(Note: Not all unavailable e-books can be requested, as some titles are not made in the e-book format.)

5. Sign in with your library card barcode or username.

6. Choose whether or not you want the title to automatically be put on hold and checked out to you if it’s purchased.

7. All done! If the e-book is purchased, you will be emailed as soon as it’s available.

NOTE:

  • There may be a limit to the number of e-books you can request at one time. Should you get an error message stating this, wait a few days before trying to request again.
  • You can also follow these steps to request unavailable audiobook downloads.

FYI Friday: Placing a Book Purchase Request

Did you know? If you’re looking for a specific book and no library in either Suffolk or Nassau has it, you can ask the Cold Spring Harbor Library to consider purchasing it.

Did you know? If you’re looking for a specific book and no library in either Suffolk or Nassau has it, you can ask the Cold Spring Harbor Library to consider purchasing it.

Should you discover that the book you’re looking for is unavailable, talk to a librarian at the Information Services Desk either in person or via phone at 631-692-6820. The librarian will first look to borrow a copy from another library in either Suffolk or Nassau. If the book still isn’t available, you can ask the librarian to place a purchase request, so that the Library will consider ordering it.

request button

Following this, the Information Services Department will determine whether to buy the book, based on availability, price, and suitability for our collection. If it’s purchased, a hold will be placed on the title for you, and you will be notified when the book comes in.

FYI Friday – Learn New Skills with lynda.com

Did you know? You can learn new business, software, or personal skills on lynda.com via a plethora of video tutorials and classes. Best of all, Library cardholders have free access to all this great material!

Did you know? You can learn new business, software, or personal skills on lynda.com via a plethora of video tutorials and classes. Best of all, Library cardholders have free access to all this great material!

In its own words, Lynda.com is “a leading online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals.” Cold Spring Harbor Library patrons can access the entire “lynda.com video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts.”

Currently there are over 4,154 video courses available, with new courses added weekly. You can create custom playlists, and watch from your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

To access lynda.com: 

  1. Visit the CSH Library Homepage at cshlibrary.org and click on the Lynda.com graphic (or click here). lynda
  2. Enter your library barcode number and the password for your online library account.lynda login
  3. You’re in! Complete your lynda.com profile with your name and email address, then start learning!

FYI Friday: Our New Executive Director, Dr. Roger Podell

Did you know? Our new director will be starting this Monday, December 7!

Did you know? Our new director will be starting this Monday, December 7!

Dr. Roger Podell has worked in the library field for over twenty years in both academic and public settings. He has experience as a librarian in the Garden City School District and as director of the School Library System for Western Suffolk BOCES, coordinating services for eighteen school districts. His last position was as the director of the Elmont Public Library, one of the largest public libraries on Long Island. podell photo

Dr. Podell is an adjunct professor at Long Island University’s Palmer School of Library and Information Science, and serves on the Long Island Library Resource Council’s Board of Trustees. He received his Ed.D from Dowling College, a J.D. from Hofstra University’s School of Law, an M.L.S. from Long Island University, and a Certificate in Human Resource Management from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Dr. Podell lives in Wantagh with his wife and two children.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Roger Podell to the Cold Spring Harbor Library family!

FYI Friday: The Environmental Collection

The full name of the Library is, of course, the Cold Spring Harbor Library & Environmental Center. But did you know that the “Environmental Center” part derives from the Library’s large collection of environmental books?

When the Cold Spring Harbor Library needed to move from its former location on Goose Hill Road, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation offered to allow a new library to be built upon park land with the agreement that the Library would have a dedicated environmental collection. Thus the Cold Spring Harbor Library & Environmental Center came into being.

Enviro Books

Our Environmental Collection houses books on a variety of subjects related to the environment, environmentalism, and environmental science. These include works on solar energy, fracking critiques, guides to living a greener, more environmentally friendly life, and much more.

This collection is located in the Environmental Center, the round room connected to the lobby on the main level. Patrons may access the collection at any time, even when the room is being used as a study area or meeting room, and all are welcome to check out any non-Reference title.

Enviro room

FYI Friday: The Big Oak of Lloyd Neck

If you’ve ever browsed the paintings on the walls of the Library, you may have noticed a watercolor print titled “The Great Oak,” created by Pauline G. Emmert and depicting a large, black oak tree local to Lloyd Neck. But did you know that this tree was approximately 550 years old when it was felled by Tropical Storm Ernesto in 2006?

If you’ve ever browsed the paintings on the walls of the Library, you may have noticed a watercolor print titled “The Great Oak,” created by Pauline G. Emmert and depicting a large, black oak tree local to Lloyd Neck. But did you know that this tree was approximately 550 years old when it was felled by Tropical Storm Ernesto in 2006?

Painting - Pauline Emmert
“The Great Oak,” by Pauline G. Emmert

“The Big Oak,” as it was commonly known, began its life before Columbus came to the New World and grew to the massive height of 90 feet, with its trunk reaching 36 feet in circumference and its branches spreading out to 150 feet. It lived through the birth of a nation – at which time it was already over 300 years old – and was a common tourist attraction even up to its last years, by which point its bulk was being supported with cables and pipes. The ancient oak was even listed on a national register of historic trees.

Following its demise, the Big Oak lived on in a variety of ways. Much of it was used to create a reading room and museum in the renovation of Lloyd Harbor Village Hall, and an 18-foot table residing there was made from branches that had previously fallen from the tree. Acorns shed by the tree during its final year were collected and put in cold storage for future planting attempts.

A slice of the Big Oak is on display at the Village Hall library.

Oak slice
©The Huntington Patch

 

Sources / Further Reading:

The New York Times, “Laid Low After 550 Years, a Giant Oak Tree Has a Big Future”
The Huntington Patch, “‘Big Oak’ Piece Unveiled at Lloyd Harbor Village Hall”

FYI Friday: Download Free Legal Documents at LawDepot

Did you know? You can customize and download legal documents for free through the Library’s online access to LawDepot.

Did you know? You can customize and download legal documents for free through the Library’s online access to LawDepot.

With everything from living wills, to rental agreements, to cease-and-desist letters, LawDepot provides access to hundreds of personal and business legal forms and allows you to personalize them according to your needs before downloading, saving, and printing them.

LawDepot

Directions for Accessing LawDepot

1. Visit our website at cshlibrary.org and click on the “Online Resources” button in the header.

2. Scroll down until you see the heading “Need Free Legal Forms?” and click on the “Download from LawDepot” link.

3. Click on the “Browse Documents” button, followed by “Create New Account,” then enter the barcode for your CSH Library card. Enter the requested information to finish setting up your account.

4. You’re done! Browse through the multitude of legal forms which can be customized, downloaded, and printed.

Watch a tutorial on LawDepot here!

FYI Friday: Art Gallery Features Local Artists

Did you know? The Library has an art gallery featuring works from local artists, which changes on a bi-monthly basis.

Did you know? The Library has an art gallery featuring works from local artists, which changes on a bi-monthly basis. Located on the Lower Level outside the Large Meeting Room, the gallery occupies the walls of the hallway and also flows into the Small Meeting Room.

Our gallery currently features the show “Double Vision” by local artist Susanne Corbelletta. Her Impressionist- and Classical Realist-inspired oil paintings include landscapes, still life, and abstract pieces, many of which highlight sites from around Cold Spring Harbor and Long Island.

Gallery
(clockwise from left) Boat at Monomoy; Low Tide; Cloud Study III; Harbor Haven; and Cloud Study I. All works © Susanne Corbelletta.

In the spring, the gallery features artwork from the children of the Cold Spring Harbor School District, from elementary school through high school.

On your next visit to the Library, take a moment to visit the gallery and marvel at the amazing works of our talented local artists.

FYI Friday: Oversize Books Overflow with Information

Everyone knows that the Library features great collections of both fiction and nonfiction books. But did you know that we have a separate section for the larger nonfiction books that won’t fit on our regular shelves?

Everyone knows that the Library features great collections of both fiction and nonfiction books. But did you know that we have a separate section for the larger nonfiction books that won’t fit on our regular shelves?

Much like regular nonfiction, the Oversize books collection covers the entire spectrum of nonfiction topics, from space, to cookbooks, to animals, to art and photography, and more. Anyone looking for books on their favorite nonfiction subjects should take a look at this lesser-known collection!IMG_0912

The Oversize books are located at the end of the nonfiction collection on both the Main Level (000s to 600s) and the Lower Level (700s to 900s).

To browse the Oversize books in the online catalog:

  1. Choose “Call Number” in the dropdown menu.
  2. Type “Oversize” into the search box.
  3.  Hit submit!

Oversize

A Sample of Oversize Titles:

The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World by Guillaume de Laubier
New York Fashion: The Evolution of American Style by Caroline Rennolds Milbank
Battle at Sea: 3,000 Years of Naval Warfare by R.G. Grant
Solar Living Source Book by John Schaeffer
The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History by Ricky Lauren
Ultimate Guide: Home Repair and Improvement by Creative Homeowner Press
Decks Complete: Expert Advice from Start to Finish by Scott Grice
The Complete Works of Michelangelo foreward by Mario Salmi
Suffolk County, Long Island, in Early Photographs, 1867 – 1951 by Frederick S. Lightfoot
The Smithsonian: 150 Years of Adventure, Discovery, and Wonder by James Conaway

FYI Friday: Photography Programs and Resources

Among the many programs the Library hosts are the occasional instructional ones, such as learning to cook, use a computer, or download eBooks. But did you know that we also sometimes offer lessons on learning photography? This fall, professional photographer John Spoltore will be teaching three photography programs here at the Library.

Among the many programs the Library hosts are the occasional instructional ones, such as learning to cook, use a computer, or download eBooks. But did you know that we also sometimes offer lessons on learning photography? This fall, professional photographer John Spoltore will be teaching three photography programs here at the Library.

On Saturday, October 17, Mr. Spoltore will give two hands-on workshops on digital photography, where patrons will be able to carry out their own photo shoot after learning how to use their cameras. The first, for those with Point-and-Shoot digital cameras, begins at 10 a.m. and will teach attendees about using different settings, image quality, composition, and more. The second session, for those with DSLR cameras, begins at 12:30 p.m. and will teach attendees how to set their cameras for different functions by experimenting with shutter speeds, apertures, white balance, and more.

Learn more and sign up for the Point-and-Shoot session here
Learn more and sign up for the DSLR session here

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On Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m., the Library will host the program Holiday Photo-taking Tips. In this presentation, intended to help attendees with taking this year’s memorable holiday photos, Mr. Spoltore will discuss portrait, still life, and scenic photography; digital camera settings and shooting techniques; transferring the images to a computer; and organizing photos. This is not a workshop, so patrons should not bring their cameras with them.

Learn more and sign up for Holiday Photo-taking Tips here

To sign up for either program, click on the program links above, visit the website at www.cshlibrary.org or call Information Services at 631-692-6820.

camera2

In addition to these programs, we have many resources to teach yourself photography, both online and off. These include:

Lynda.com  Log in with your barcode and password to watch tutorials on the different aspects of photography, including choosing the right gear, basics from composition to lighting, and using software to edit photos.

Books and DVDs in our collection, like:

The Unforgettable Photograph by George Lange
Digital Photographer’s Handbook by Tom Ang
The New Manual of Photography by John Hedgecoe
L.L. Bean Outdoor Photography Handbook by Jim Rowinski
Digital Photography: Crafting Images [DVD]