Public Services – Page 2 – RPL Staff Intranet

Database Info and Important Changes (long, but please read)

Our patrons access three types of database resources through our website and via library computers.

Reading Public Library subscriptions: RPL pays for these separately using our municipal operating budget (Reading taxpayer dollars). These are intended for use by the Reading community. Most of these resources require you to log in with your Reading library card or create an account using your Reading library card. They check your eligibility by the zip code or library card prefix (21995). Some allow anyone to use the library computers to access the resources (in-library use only).
NOBLE content: NOBLE gets “bulk” pricing for consortium members. A portion of our annual NOBLE membership fee pays for these, and cardholders from any NOBLE library have access to them.
State-wide databases: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts receives federal funds (over $2M) to provide resources to all residents. Federal library funding goes to all states via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which has been shut down and may be entirely defunded. Please read more about how these funding cuts impact statewide datbases.

RPL Changes

Each year, we review the use and cost of database services that RPL pays for. This year, we are discontinuing Financial Fit and Home Improvement Sources, which will not be available after July 1, 2025. As a reminder, we add new resources as well! This year, we are excited to subscribe to Craft & Hobby. If you love this new resource – or any of our existing subscriptions – be sure to talk it up! Low usage is the primary reason we cancel subscriptions.

State Database Changes (MBLC/IMLS)

Starting July 1, MBLC is eliminating a number of statewide databases due to federal funding cuts. The team at MBLC carefully reviewed usage and cost to determine which resources to cut. They also ensured that the remaining database served all ages and was as inclusive as possible. This is a very tight and delicate balancing act. RPL is reviewing this list to see what we can add to our subscriptions to compensate for the loss of these databases.

Here is a list of CANCELED resources.

Boston Globe Article Archive
Britannica Moderna
Gale Academic OneFile Select
Gale General OneFile
Gale Health and Wellness
Gale in Context: Biography
Gale in Context: Elementary
Gale in Context: Environmental Studies
Gale in Context: Global Issues
Gale in Context: Middle School Gale in Context: Science
Gale in Context: US History
Gale in Context: World History
Gale Interactive Science Gale LegalForms
Gale Literature Resource Center
HeritageQuest Online
Peterson’s Career Prep
Peterson’s Test Prep Science Database (ProQuest)
Transparent Language Online

Patron being inappropriate on phone

A male patron called today and asked for a number of book titles. The patron became inappropriate and staff hung up on them. This is okay. Do not feel that you need to stay on the line for this at all. This patron has called here and other libraries in the past for the same reason. They are being inappropriate.

Do not give your name. Forward to a supervisor if needed. Hanging up IS an option.

Tween Space vs. Teen Room

The Tween Space in the Children’s Room has tween books that are picked by us based on what the Tweens want. It is a very small curated collection that will rotate, and does not contain every tween book we own. Right now it’s adventure, realistic fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels.

The Teen Space is still the same with books for kids in grades 6-12, including all middle school required reading. The Children’s Room has no required reading for any age level.

Rising sixth and seventh graders have the choice to hang out in the Tween Space or in the Teen Room. The Tween Space is for kids who are not yet ready for the Teen Room.

Health Nook Kiosks

Two new iPad kiosks in the Health Nook are set to the Health Resources page of the RPL website. There is also a new Bluetooth Health Nook Printer. Library users can print directly to this printer from the iPads. The Health Nook printer is discoverable by any Apple device so library users may accidently print to it. If that happens please let me know, I want to track it to see if it becomes an issue.

Staff Shout Outs

Are you ready for some shout-outs? If you’d like to submit a shout-out, fill out the form on the Forms page. Don’t be shy! Shout it out!

Shout out to Franny for going above and beyond, helping a co-worker, and keeping it positive. Franny is an amazing help to the Children’s Department, quickly stepping in to cover various nights, days and weekends for the department over the past few months, all while attending school. She quickly steps right in to help patrons and has provided the department with a lot of stability and peace. We are all very grateful to her for that. From Ally.

Shout out to Andrea H. for going above and beyond and helping a co-worker. Andrea went searching for a specific copy for a book I needed (a first edition from the 1970s) and after tireless emails and possible rejections, it finally came in! Thank you for becoming the Indiana Jones of ComCat requests so that me (and patrons) can get the books they desperately want/need. We appreciate you in Children’s! From Olivia.

Shout out to The Borrower Services Staff for going above and beyond and keeping it positive. Thank you to the Borrower Services staff for their patience and enthusiasm! Getting the lockers up and running has been a long, complicated journey, and the BoSer staff has been so patient and supportive. Now that we’re using them regularly (!), everyone has been so enthusiastic and so willing to learn everything they need to know to ensure that our patron’s experience of the lockers is great. You’re all truly fabulous! From Valerie.

Shout out to the RPL Staff for going above and beyond and keeping it positive. Thank you for such a warm welcome! I’ve had a fantastic first week because of all of you! From Dina.

Shout out to Dina for exemplary customer service and for keeping it positive. In her first two weeks, Dina has organized the CR desk, run programs, learned Evergreen, researched prizes for summer reading, embraced Canva, collected mentor texts, and so much more, all with an infectious laugh and a supportive heart! Shine on, Dina! From anonymous.

Shout out to Meaghan Clemente for keeping it positive. Meaghan has handled the paperwork for the Trustees’ meetings quickly and smoothly. We are very lucky to have her on our team. From Michelle.

Seed Library

We have a new addition to our Go & Grow collection in the Children’s Room (the cute name we have for our Library of Things). A Seed Library! You may get patron questions about it, so I wanted to let you know how it works.

The library has 2 small binders with info about all the seeds. We have seeds for vegetables, flowers and herbs. People can read through the binders to learn about plants and decide what they want. Then they can select up to 2 packets of seeds from the library to take home and plant. People can also donate seeds. They can do this at the Children’s Room desk.

Please note: even though it lives in Children’s it’s not just for kids! Adults can also come up and use the collection.

More info is online in the Library of Things section of the website: https://readingpl.org/dt_portfolios/seed-library/

There will be two Seed Swap Share events this week to help kick off the new Seed Library. Tuesday April 4 at 3:30 and Saturday April 8 at 2:30. (links go to LibCal events)

Thank you and way to go Megan White for setting this up! (with support from our wonderful Friends group).

Accessing ILL Information

For those of you who access ILL links from the intranet, I’ve moved them all to the Staff Tools page, directly below the Admin sites box. I’ve also removed the OCLC WorldCat ILL Log and replaced that with a link to the CLIO OCLC database.

End of Community Read — Thank you!

A quick thank you to all who participated and helped promote the Library’s Community Read — Unapologetically Positively You — which officially ended on October 8th. A very special thank you to Olivia and Susan for developing much of the content and leading various programs to support the Read’s theme of body neutrality.

The Library has received a lot of positive feedback but sharing a few circulation statistics to help celebrate its success!

1. Fat Girls Hiking by Summer Michaud-Skog: 89 lifetime circulations/72 circulations during Community Read. 80.9% of circs happened during CR

2. Starfish by Lisa Fipps: 90 lifetime circulations/52 circulations during Community Read. 57.8% of circs happened during CR

3. Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder: 58 lifetime circulations/42 circulations during the Community Read. 72.4% of circs happened during CR

The Library also sent 70 copies into the wild in various book boxes sprinkled around local businesses like the YMCA, Pleasant Street Center, Starbucks, and Fat Larry’s. All copies were taken and hopefully passed around among friends, families and acquaintances.

Presentation about TikTok

I gave a presentation on my thoughts about using TikTok/how to get started using it for libraries at the Youth Services Section MLA meeting yesterday. It was recorded, so if you’re interested in the subject of ticking and tocking, here is the link!

RPL On Wheels

It may have taken a year but the Library finally received its very first Book Bike!

The Book Bike Trike was custom built by Haley Tricycles in Philadelphia and our goal is to use it attract new patrons, bring the library to people who might mistakenly believe the library is not for them, and to serve the community in new and exciting ways.

The RPL Book Bike will be for staff use only at special events and outreach. If anyone is interested in being a member of the Librarians By Bike club, please reach out to Ally to take this shiny new toy for a spin!