OPL - Summer Library Programs 2023

Choose your own adventure!

• Summer reading programs for all ages !
  

• Fun and informative programs for Children, Teens and Adults.

• New library items (in a variety of formats) for check-out or download

• Visit the library or call us for more information 

  Note* Children's programs have required registrations.
  

 

Freecycle Event - We need donations!

We are hosting our first (hopefully not last!) Back to School Freecycle Event!  Freecycling is giving away unwanted but still usable things to help keep items out of landfills. 

Here's how it will work:


 DONATIONS

• Beginning on July 22, bring your clean, gently used clothes & wearable accessories (hats, shoes, purses, etc) for kids from babies to teens to the Oldsmar Library
• We're also accepting small childrens toys and school supplies
• Please leave them with a staff member, and remember...NO UNDERGARMENTS! 
• We're accepting donations until Thursday, August 8

SHOPPING

• Staff will sort donations and have items out for FREE on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
• Don't have anything to donate? That's OK, you can still come and "shop" for what you need!

Bring what you can - take what you need!

Anything left over will be donated to Oldsmar Cares.

Special thanks to the New Port Richey Public Library for the idea & for helping us get started!

Questions? Give us a call or email at 813-749-1181 information@oldsmarlibrary.org

Thanks for your support.  Let's work together to make this a success!!

Rock Painting - Oldsmar Rocks April 8

(picture from Oldsmar Rocks Facebook Group)

Attention crafters of all ages - our April 8th Crafty Saturday will be dedicated to the new painted rock trend!

People all over the country have been decorating & hiding rocks since an Oregon mother began the trend in 2014, you can read more about it here.

An Oldsmar Rocks Facebook group was recently started for local folks to share pictures & stories of the rocks they've painted as well as their finds around town.  We've seen pictures of rocks on the Library grounds, and we're excited to be joining in the fun!

Crafty Saturday
Saturday, April 8
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
All ages drop in program
Storytime Room
Drop in craft program for all ages (adults & kids)
All craft supplies provided.

We'll have enough rocks & other needed supplies for everyone to create a rock to keep (if they wish) and another one to hide around town.

Crafty Saturday is a themed monthly drop-in craft program designed to bring out the creativity of all from the youngest to the oldest!

Additional Storytime Added

We have added an additional Preschool Storytime, aimed at children ages 3 to 5, on Thursdays at 3:00 pm. The first program will be January 5.

This program will duplicate the 10:00 am Preschool Storytime and will offer an entertaining lineup of children's stories and an animated short film, followed by a fun and easy craft project that children can make and take home.

Our storytimes don't require registration, but if you have any questions please call our Children's Department at 813-749-1179.

Little Free Library #2

We're pleased to announce that our second Little Free Library has been installed at the Environmental Education Center at Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve on Lafayette Boulevard. We'd especially like to thank our artists Janet Gurney and Library Assistant Nancy Verderosa.

A Little Free Library is a free book exchange where users are encouraged to "take a book, leave a book". Library staff will fill the library initially & check it periodically, but all are welcome to help make sure it's stocked.

The box was paid for by the Friends of the Oldsmar Library.  Our first Little Free Library is still in front of Cypress Forest Recreation Center, and you can see pictures of it here.

New-Community Poetry Post

The new Arts Coordinator for the City of Oldsmar is working on a fun new project for the Library! Please read the note below from Samantha to see how you can contribute:
 ---------------------
Poetry has the visceral power to deeply touch our lives. When given proper attention, it can shake us out of our waking-sleep and into a precious moment of inspiration. The Community Poetry Post is an exciting new project designed to allow the community to be heard through poetry.

For the month of November, you are invited to send poems to the Post containing strong elements of gratitude. The poetry you choose to submit could be written by an acclaimed poet or something you have written yourself. 

To submit, email the poem(s) to SDemmi@myoldsmar.com

The Post is a bulletin located in the Oldsmar Public Library’s arcade, so please choose poems that are family-friendly and feel free to stop by and see what others have chosen to share. I am excited to see what you send my way!

S. Demmi

New Online Resources

In conjunction with the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, we're happy to share our newest online resources with you!

Miss Humblebee’s Academy is an easy-to-use, interactive online kindergarten readiness solution, offering hundreds of lessons spanning all major academic subjects, providing weekly progress reports and assessments to measure proficiency and learning. Accessible via smart phones and tablets, Miss Humblebee’s Academy offers a safe and secure learning environment, with no pop-ups, ads, or links to other websites.

Developed by the makers of  World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Online allows users to tap into a wealth of reliable information. This resource offers information for all K-12 students and includes databases in Spanish and French. The online content is constantly updated and can provide multimedia resources to further enrich learning

Complete digital copies of your favorite magazines are now available to download for free with no holds, no checkout periods, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download!

The service is provided by Zinio, the world’s largest online magazine subscription service. Using your library card and smartphone, tablet or personal computer, you can gain access to popular magazines like Cosmopolitan, HGTV Magazine, Men's Health, Taste of Home and many more. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and, unlike print magazines, digital magazines don't need to be returned.

Give them a try & let us know what you think!

Resources Review - E-Books

Over the past few weeks we've been reviewing our online resources.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.

In this final installment, we'll be taking a look at our many e-book resources for kids and adults.  One great thing about our e-books is you don't have to remember to return them (they expire on their own) and there are never any fines!

For kids, we have:

Sesame Street E-books, picture books with animation & audio

StarWalk Kids Media, featuring picture books by award-winning authors and illustrators. Please note: The login/password for the available apps is opl/opl (that is OPL lowercase).

Tumblebooks, animated, talking picture books and chapter books. Includes books in French & Spanish for language learning!

Most kids ebook services are interactive and allow you to customize your reading experience, such as turning narrative audio on and off. Several also have apps available so you can use them on the go.  More details & links to help and FAQs are included on our Resources Page.

For adults/teens, we have two resources, both of which are now fully integrated into our catalog, allowing you to find titles as well as get on holds lists without using a separate app or going to another website.

3M Cloud Library

3M offers e-books for all ages, you can browse our collection here, and checkout their online support resources here.  They offer apps for many smartphones, e-readers (except traditional Kindles) and computers. Please remember your default account password is the last 4 digits of the primary phone number we have on file for you!

OverDrive

OverDrive has e-books, e-audiobooks and a limited number of downloadable videos for teens and adults. They offer apps for most platforms as well as Kindle support.  They also have extensive online help, including videos and step-by-step guides for most devices.

We hope you've enjoyed this blog series and found a new resource (or two) to enhance your library experience!

Resources Review - Pronunciator

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some of our online resources, including our ebooks and various online learning programs.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.

Up next is Pronunciator, our language-learning service. With Pronunciator, you have access to courses for over 80 languages and can approach your learning in a structured or informal manner, whatever works best for you!  You learn through activities, drills and quizzes that have been developed by language educators. You can also choose from other available learning aids, such as films, music and audio files.  Content is available for learners of all ages.

Pronunciator is also great for those whose native language isn't English, as you can choose any one of 50 languages in which to take your courses!

Pronunciator has mobile apps designed for a variety of devices, even Kindle Fire!  The apps have the same functionality as the browser-based program and your progress is synced across devices

You can view an introductory video here, and even read the entire user's manual.

Try out this great resource and let us know what you think!

Resources Review - Novelist

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some of our online resources, including our ebooks and various online learning programs.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.

First we'll take a look at NoveList, a comprehensive readers' advisory solution for fiction lovers. It helps you find your "next read" with a variety of easy-to-use tools.

You can access Novelist from this link in the library, and use your Oldsmar library card # to access it from outside the library.

Novelist has book discussion guides, read-alike lists and reading suggestions for all ages.  You can tell it what type of books you're looking for or browse by genre and age group. You can even search by Lexile or limit your searches to only award winners with the Advanced Search options.

Right on the landing page, you'll find suggested read-alikes for recent bestsellers as well as the Keeping Up lists, which let you know what's been released recently in your favorite genre.

We hope you'll give Novelist a try when trying to find your next read and let us know what you think!

Mark your Calendar - Summer Reading Preview

We wanted to let you know just some of the special programs we're offering this summer so you can mark your calendars early!

Click the graphic for a list of what's in store so far. As always, we'd like to thank our Friends of the Library group for their support of our programming.

We'll of course have reading incentive programs for all ages as well.  Check back with us for more information.

YouTube releases App for Kids

Sharing an important press release from our friends at Netsmartz.org

YouTube Releases Kids App
If you've ever been on YouTube, you understand how quickly it can suck you in. You may start out looking at a video about the latest awards show and then find yourself watching your 6th cat video.
Everything on YouTube, however, isn't appropriate for all audiences. So YouTube has launched a new app just for the little ones: YouTube Kids. This app only features family-friendly content and all videos are divided into four categories: shows, music, learning, and exploring. FEATURES The creators of YouTube Kids thought about more than just offering age-appropriate videos.
The app allows parents to: Turn off the search function limiting kids to pre-selected videos Turn off background music and sound effects to cut down on noise Limit screen time with a timer that tells children when their session is over

The Art of Being Floridian exhibit

We are happy to be hosting the Art of Being Floridian exhibit throughout August, a traveling exhibit of artist-painted plastic flamingos courtesy of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

The flamingos support their Be Floridian campaign which promotes Gardening Like A Floridian - including reducing the use of summer fertilizers, to protect our bays, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico.

The exhibit features 25 plastic flamingos, vibrantly and inventively painted by 20 artists from throughout the Tampa Bay region.  The painted birds, nestled in their environmental planters, are accompanied by a poster to acknowledge the artists who donated their talents and time.

To see the Fabulous Flamingos, please stop by our Childrens Department!

For more photos and information on the exhibit, visit the Be Floridian Facebook page or their Pinterest board.

Don't forget to visit the Be Floridian website for ideas on how to skip the fertilizer and have a great, Florida-friendly yard this summer!

TumbleBooks' new iPad site

Below is a press release from our friends at TumbleBooks for their new iPad site.

TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.

TumbleBooks is pleased to announce the launch of our new site for iPad. This means that instead of just having an iPad link, we have now created a mirror site specifically for iPad compatible content!!

Those logging onto TumbleBooks with an iPad will be pointed directly to our TumbleBooks for Mobile Devices site. It looks exactly like our regular website but all the content in every category will be iPad compatible!! You can also access the iPad content by using our Choose drop down menu on top right hand corner of our home page.

This is not an app you need to download from the iTunes Store. It is accessed through your regular browser just like TumbleBooks.

In the next few weeks, you will see new content for all of the categories - including new educational games and quizzes built specifically for the iPad and mobile platform. Every TumbleBook in the Story Book, Language Learning and Non fiction categories will be converted to an iPad compatible format. All our National Geographic videos - and the books they are paired with - will also be available in our new site. Those of you accessing TumbleBooks with an iPad will be able to enjoy the entire TumbleBooks experience!!

 If you haven't yet, please try them out and let us know what you think!

Freegal for Mobile Now Available

We are pleased to announce that Freegal, our downloadable music service, is now available on your iPhone or Android-based smartphone.

With Freegal, you can download (and permanently keep) up to 3 songs per week.

From the PPLC site:

Visit Freegal for thousands of recordings by your favorite artists. Log in to Freegal Music with your library card number and PIN and begin downloading! Current limits are set at three downloads per week. Your counter will set back to zero each week Monday morning. Then you can download three more tunes during the new week.

You can also use the Freegal site on your computer & then transfer songs to your MP3 player or other mobile device.

If you have any questions/problems, please write us at information@oldsmarlibrary.org or give us a call. Remember, the default PIN # for your library account is the last 4 digits of the phone # that we have on record for your library account.

Scanning the QR code below with your smartphone will take you directly to our mobile site, or you can be automatically redirected if you visit our homepage on a mobile device. Then click on the "Databases" link to get the link for the Freegal app of your choice.

Summer Reading Programs info now available!

Click the picture above to check out what's going on this summer at the Oldsmar Library. We have reading incentive programs for all ages and several weeks of programming for kids and teens!

February - Discovery Reef Exhibit

Discovery Reef, a unique traveling exhibit that brings coral reefs to life, will be on display in our Children's Department during the month of February. This interactive display developed by Mote Marine Laboratory of Sarasota offers a glimpse into the inner workings of reefs — vital habitats for thousands of marine species — through hands-on educational panels and live video conferences.

We are having two public all-ages interactive video conferences with a marine science educator from Mote Marine Laboratories on Wednesday, February 8th at 2pm and Wednesday, February 15th at 2pm. Each session will last about a half hour and no registration is necessary.

We also have several live teleconference spots open for groups of 10-25 children. Those interested in reserving a spot should call the Children's Department (813-749-1179) for available times and dates.

Discovery Reef is one of three traveling exhibits developed by Mote’s SeaTrek program, which offers exhibits to museums, libraries and other venues in the U.S. and beyond.

This exhibit is sponsored by Verizon.

Additional Lego Club day starts in January.

The Lego Club now has two days of the month to meet. It is the second Wednesday, and then the first Saturday following that. In other words, the second Wednesday of the month, and then three days later.

Here is the schedule for the next five months:

Wednesday- Jan. 11, Feb. 8, Mar. 14, Apr. 11, May 9
Saturday- Jan. 14, Feb. 11, Mar. 17, Apr. 14, May 12

--All meetings start at 3:00 pm--



If you have any questions, please call the Children's Department at 813-749-1179

Hope to see you on the 11th!


~Miss Heidi

Canceled- Read FUR Fun (Nov 18)

The November 18th Read FUR Fun program has been canceled.
Next program is scheduled for December 16.

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale - Saturday Nov. 19

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale!

Saturday, November 19
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
TECO Hall

Find used books, puzzles, movies & other materials at great prices!

Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library and help provide programs, services and library materials.