Holdrege Area Public Library • 604 East Avenue, Holdrege, NE 68949 • (308) 995-6556

Heart of America Photography Contest

We are pleased to announce the Heart of America Photography Contest sponsored by the Holdrege Area Public Library, the Nebraska Arts Council, the Phelps County Visitors Bureau, The Phelps County Community Foundation and Mr. Harry Dahlstrom. The contest is described in detail at the link on the left called "Photo Contest." There is also a YouTube video created by Michelle McCormick to describe the event and encourage submissions. Watch this space for more info coming soon!

Kindle Overdrive Help

It seems that everyone got a Kindle or an iPad or some kind of e-reader for Christmas this year! If you need a little help, there is a YouTube video on how to use your Kindle Fire to directly download Overdrive e-books. Please note that you need Wi-Fi access on your device to be able to download directly. Also, to return any Kindle e-book early, patrons will need to login to their Amazon accounts and go to the “Manage Your Kindle” page. Next they should click on the “Actions...” button to the right of the title of the public library book they want to return early and select the “Return this book” option.

Happy Reading!

Community Cancer Corner

The Holdrege library has a new community partner...the Nebraska Cancer Coalition. The library has set up a Cancer Resource Corner with a dedicated laptop for patrons to use to find information on different types of cancers, cancer prevention, genetic counseling, tobacco cessation counseling, recovery advice, and much more.

Pioneer Library Management Software

As of June, our library management system (seen at left as "Search Online Catalog," has been migrated to the open source product called Koha. Our consortium of Nebraska libraries joining to use Koha has adopted the name Pioneer. You may search Holdrege holdings only by using the link on the left. If you wish to search the holdings of the entire consortium, just use the advanced search option. Remember that you may only place holds on books in our Holdrege Collection.

We get by with a little help from our Friends!

Much of the welcoming look and feel of the library are the direct result of help from the Friends of the Holdrege Area Public Library. Friends membership dues as well as sales from the Swedish Days Bake Sale and BookFest book sale, not to mention generous contributions, have for many years allowed us to finance numerous much-needed improvements to the library that cannot be accommodated in the regular budget. In 2010, the purpose of our fundraising project was to buy new furniture for our Children's Library.

Story table in Children's LibraryToday, there is a new picture-book reading table with stools just the right size for our youngest readers, as well as a table custom made to surround the support pole in the middle of the room. Six chairs, comfortable for both adults and older children, complete the set. Additionally, a computer carrel with three workspaces haStudy table in Children's Librarys been installed to house our Children's Internet workstation, the online catalog and the Early Literacy game station. This project really improved the overall impression of our library, and provides very useful space for our young patrons.

Thanks go to special Friend Dave Black of Black Motor Company, who offered to help with other projects DVD display boxesto enhance the main reading room, contributing his time and woodworking expertise on several projects both large and small. Dave built the five DVD browser boxes that now line the railing on the upper level of the reading room. This new furniture provides ample space for growth for one of our most popular collections, and since they are longer and narrower, more people can browse without disturbing one another.

Dave also helped with an Early Literacy project, creating three rows of hooks in our Children’s Activity Room to hang 26 backpacks, one for each lette, within easy reach. After City workers helped us by painting the west wall a contrasting chocolate brown, Dave created a railing, almost a mantle really, to display art chosen by the National Art Honor Society members of the Holdrege High School.

Reading Room at the Holdrege Public Library Many thanks go to Dave Black for his enthusiasm, and for making the library a more attractive and functional destination for everyone in the community. If you haven't seen our new look, be sure to stop by to admire the results.

E-Books at HAPL

Responding to the growing popularity of e-readers like the Sony® Reader and the Barnes & Noble Nook™, the Holdrege Area Public Library has expanded its collection to include downloadable eBooks .

“Now patrons can go to the Library website, browse the downloadable collection, and check out and download eBooks as well as audio books from the comfort of their home, as long as they have an Internet connection and a valid Holdrege Library card,” said Library Director Pam Soreide.

She said eBooks can be read on a PC or Mac® using free reader software called Adobe® Digital Editions and can also be transferred to popular e-reading devices like the Sony® Reader, the nook™, and the Kobo™ eReader; they are not compatible with the Amazon Kindle™.

“Many eBooks feature reflowable text which allows a user to resize the text and alter the display,” Soreide said. “Modern e-readers are designed to look and feel like a book, and many feature a high-technology screen that reads like paper so it’s easier on the reader’s eyes. eBooks are growing in popularity and we are excited to offer this new format in addition to thousands of audio books currently available.”

The opening collection features 169 titles including Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Scott Turow’s Innocent, andBill Madden’s Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball. Soreide said the number of titles will continue to expand because the Holdrege Library is part of a consortium of Nebraska libraries that purchase eBooks and digital audio books as a group. “This consortium approach to collection development allows us to stretch our budgets for materials,” she said.

Storytime @ HAPL

storytime

An important element of early literacy is reading aloud to small children. You cannot start too soon - even pre-verbal children love their books! There are several reasons why libraries make a priority of offering storytimes to preschool children.

  • Reading stories aloud introduces children to literature
  • It helps to stretch their attention spans and improves their listening skills and other social skills
  • It expands their vocabulary
  • It helps to reinforce the notion that there is a direct connection between the print on the page and the words being spoken
  • It promotes the library as an enjoyable place where learning is fun

But the best reason of all is that a great story read aloud is a pure pleasure, both to the teller and to the listener. A story shared by an enthusiastic reader and enriched with bright pictures generates shivers of anticipation and delight in the listeners, introducing them to the magic of worlds to be discovered in books.

The Holdrege Area Public Library offers two sets of storytimes aimed at different age groups.

Alphabet Soup - Wednesdays at 10:30 AM (3-5 year olds)

Jingles and Rhymes - Tuesdays at 10:30 AM (18 mos to 3 years)

If you unable to attend storytimes at the library, we also present storytimes at area preschools on a regular schedule.

 

Quick Links

Yahoo!
Google
Hotmail
Nebraska Tax Forms and Instructions
Studyblue
Create flashcards and study efficiently everywhere you go!

Online Databases

The databases below can be used in the library, either on our public access computers or your own laptop, or from home by signing in with the barcode on your library card

Reference USA
Reference USA is a database that includes information on households and businesses across the United States. It can be used to locate addresses and phone numbers, or can also be used to conduct market research, identifying competitors and distributors.

 
Overdrive Audiobook/E-book Downloads
Download audiobooks and transfer to supported MP3 players or digital e-book readers easily. Hundreds of books to choose from, ranging from non-fiction to thrillers, mysteries to romance.
 
Chilton's Automotive
Step-by-step repair procedures, maintenance schedules, and more for decades of automobiles and light trucks.
Encyclopedia Britannica (library)
Encyclopedia Britannica (home)
This is a rich site, including multimedia features, a biography of the day, a blog on current events and much more.
EBSCO E-Book Collection
To use the netLibrary eBook collection, you may use the Holdrege Library userid/password, which is holdregelibrary/hapl. Adobe Acrobat reader is required to view many documents in this resource.
NetLibrary QuickSearch Guide
NebraskAccess Databases
Use the links below when in the library. For access from home, go to Nebraskaccess and choose "Login." You will be prompted for a password, which you may obtain by calling the library at 995-6556. Then you may choose from the menu of available databases.
Biography Reference Bank
Search 140,000+ biographies
Books in Print
Search bestsellers and read reviews
E-Library
Search 2000+ newspapers, magazines and reference books
Fiction Connection
Non-Fiction Connection
Complete Connection
Get book recommendations based on reading preferences, and track series info. Complete Connection allows you to search Fiction and Non-Fiction at the same time
FirstSearch
Search 12 databases for citations to articles, books, reports. IP recognition available in the library, log in remotely with library barcode.
HeritageQuest
Research family history using one of the largest genealogy collections in the country
Wilson Omnifile
Search 200+ full text journals and magazines
WorldCat BookSearch
Find books and other material owned by libraries worldwide