Laptop users with machines running Windows XP are able to print wirelessly from their computers when in the Library. 

In order to print wirelessly, you will need to download and install a small piece of software. Simply click on this link, and then click on the "Save File" button to save the install file to your computer. Depending on your settings, the install file will be saved either to your Desktop or to your Downloads folder in your My Documents folder.

To collect your printout:

• Go to the Print Release Station in our Small Office/Home Office copy center (SoHo) on the Library's Lower Level.
• Begin by entering your library barcode.
• Then click on "Search Print Documents." A list of jobs waiting to be printed will appear.
• Click on the job you want to print, and then click on the "Print Job" button.  Printouts cost $0.10/page for black and white and $0.25/page for color.
• Be sure to click "I'm Finished" when you're done.
• Your job should be waiting for you on either the SOHO BW or SOHO COLOR printer.

If you need assistance, please speak to the staff member on duty at the Help Desk in the Power Library just outside SoHo.

image courtesy of flickr user prupert

Learning is a lifelong journey. Computers can help you discover new information, stay connected to family and friends, and keep you entertained.

Join us for one-on-one computer lessons pairing tech-savvy teens with Darien seniors wanting to improve their computer skills. Any and all of your technology questions are welcome. Would you like to set up an email account? Get started on Facebook? Find information online? Or just learn how to us a mouse? Then this is the program for you!

This is a program led by Darien High School students and held at Darien Library.

For more information, or to be matched with a partner, please call Alex Hylton at 203-669-5260.

Responding to the popularity of text messaging, beginning on Wednesday, September 15th, our members will be able to ask questions and get information from Darien Library by text message.

To begin, simply text the keyword “AskDL” to 66746. A standard reply, asking the user to save the number as “AskDL,” will follow, creating quick and reliable access for text messaging with Darien Library. (Standard text rates apply.)

On average, Americans text message almost twice as much as they talk on mobile phones, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Survey, making it a preferred means of communication while on-the-go.  Recognizing the increased use of text messaging by Library users of all ages, we feel that it is important to offer a way to communicate with us via text messaging. This new service provides ease of use for our librarians and maintains the privacy of our members’ information.

For those who are unable to ask a librarian in person or online, or simply prefer texting over talking, the Text a Librarian service provides a convenient option for getting information on their mobile phone from our helpful librarians.

With Text a Librarian, you will be able to ask questions by sending text messages with a mobile phone and librarians will answer on a web-based interface, keeping a “live archive” of all the questions and answers. The service does not display phone numbers and generates an anonymous ID for each patron in order to reference conversation history.

Text a Librarian was developed by Mosio, an award-winning mobile technology company that enables companies and institutions to harness the power of mobile communications.

“Mobility is a way of life for most students and increasingly for society in general, making the way in which we stay connected a central issue for many libraries,” said Noel Chandler, Mosio CEO. “Text a Librarian makes it possible for students and patrons to tap into the wealth of knowledge of local librarians from their mobile phones, while keeping patron information private and secure.”

Beginning August 16, the Darien Library will expand its audiobook collection to include downloadable audiobooks from OverDrive. OverDrive is a large database of downloadable audiobooks compatible with iPods and a wide variety of other MP3 players. Providing access to popular new titles as well as classics, OverDrive will be accessible to all Darien Library patrons. Each user may download up to 10 audiobooks at a time. The audiobooks "check out " for 21 days and are automatically returned at the end of the borrowing period. Although you cannot renew an OverDrive audiobook, you may check it out again if no one else is waiting for it. In addition, you can rate audiobooks and share suggestions with friends on email, Twitter, and/or Facebook.

Before you can download audiobooks from OverDrive, you will need to download and install some free software--OverDrive Media Console. The download takes just minutes, and the software makes transferring, burning (when permitted by publisher), and playing audiobooks fast and easy.

We hope you're as excited about this new addition to our audiobook collection as we are! Come in and let us show you how it works.

See you @ the Library!

...many happy returns.

You know it's convenient. You know it's innovative. You know it's fun to watch. But did you know that our Materials Management System has had a significant impact on how quickly we get things back on the shelves for you to browse and borrow? The sorting of the returns is completely automated. Each DL item has an RFID(Radio-Frequency Identification) tag which, upon entering the book return, not only allows the item to be checked in, but it moves along getting sorted and directed to the correct cart or bin and is then quickly returned to the shelves.  

More importantly, by automating the time-consuming return processes and eliminating manual sorting, we are able to spend more time providing individual service to you. It's been just over a year and a half, but, really...what did we ever do without it?

The next time you visit the Library and you're chatting with a staff member about what you've just read, or inquiring about a good book club selection, or need help in remembering that great movie starring what's-his-face, you can know that you have our full attention because of what's going on behind the scenes ...in the walls...and underground.  Enjoy your visit...

...we've got the footage of the other trip. (Video courtesy of Manny Perez)

Into the tunnel... from Darien Library on Vimeo.

DL Did You Know is a new way for us to get the word out about the wonderful services that Darien Library (DL) provides. Each installment will direct our members to information that may have escaped their notice; our way of knowing that you're in-the-know about all things DL.

Beginning July 1, users of the Darien Library's public computers will be given 5 free black and white (BW) printouts each day. Any additional computer printouts will cost .10/page for BW and .25/page for color.

Prices for photocopying remain the same: .10/page for BW and .25/page for color.

If you have any questions about this change, please let us know.

See you @ the Library!

APM in So/Ho

If you've stopped by our Small Office/Home Office Center on the Library's Lower Level recently, you may have noticed a new addition--our Automated Payment Machine, or APM, for short. Yes, it may look like a coin machine, but it's actually much more sophisticated than your standard coin machine. With our new APM, you can deposit money to your printing account and/or pay down your fines. The APM accepts nickels, dimes, and quarters, and paper money up to $20. With a touchscreen interface, the APM is easy to use, and it is equipped with a receipt printer, so you will receive a record of every transaction. On July 1st, we will add two more APMs: One to the left of the Welcome Desk on the first floor and another adjacent to the Finance printer/copier on the second floor. We hope these new additions make your use of our public computers and printers easier and more efficient. As always, our staff is on hand to assist you with whatever you may need.

 See you @ the Library

Special information for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations affected by the severe storms and flooding that occurred March 12, 2010 - May 17, 2010:

Recovering from a disaster, natural or otherwise, is often more traumatic than the event itself. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), assistance may be available to those who suffer damage, regardless of income. The following resources are designed to guide people to the appropriate federal, state and local agencies for both immediate and long-term assistance.

Disaster Assistance available from FEMA:

• How to Apply for Assistance
• FEMA teams offer home repair at local stores
• FEMA facts you should know about disaster assistance
• FEMA disaster recovery center opens in Norwalk
• Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program

Disaster assistance available from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA):

• SBA Disaster assistance available to private non-profit organizations in Connecticut
• SBA fact sheet (including loan details)

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) disaster relief for individuals and businesses:

• Connecticut taxpayers who were unable to meet federal tax obligations because of severe storms and flooding March 12, 2010, may qualify for tax relief.
• IRS relief form
  

Additional useful information:

• How to avoid a home repair scam 
• How to minimize the likelihood of mold contamination

Please open the attachments below to access the forms.

(Image courtesy of Flickr user joannamkay.)

Recently, while at a convention in New York, I was having trouble locating a major (huge!) exhibit area. Feeling puzzled and lost, it was by pure coincidence that I found myself in very familiar territory...right next to the Google booth. Of course Google would know! 

I asked.

They shrugged.

Though I found it amusing at the time, the reality is, in virtual life as well as real life, Google is great but it cannot get you everywhere. The Library, however, can help you locate the online resources and articles that (even) Google can't access. 

Facts on File, New York Times Historical, Mergent Online, Biography and Genealogy Master Index, Reference USA, and Consumer Reports Buying Guide are just a few of the available resources. Click here for an alphabetical list, and click here for an overview of our online resources and research tools.

As a member of the Darien Library community, you may use them free-of-charge. While at home, you will need to provide your library card number so that we can verify that you are a Friend or town resident.

(DL Did You Know is a new way for us to get the word out about the wonderful services and resources that Darien Library (DL) provides. Each installment will direct our members to information that may have escaped their notice; our way of knowing that you're in-the-know about all things DL.)

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress

Ah, June. A great month for weddings, graduations, anniversary parties, family reunions, and other social gatherings. Events such as these often call for a colorful banner to herald the occasion. But printing a banner can be difficult and expensive. No worries. The Darien Library is here to help. Our hp designjet printer, located in our Small Office Home Office (SoHo) center on the Lower Level, can print out banners up to 24 inches wide and as long as you want. The preferred file formats are .pdf and .jpg. We charge $2/square foot for banner printing and offer 24-hour turnaround.

Have something in mind you'd like us to print for you? Just email Judy Sgammato at jsgammato@darienlibrary.org or call 203-669-5256. We'll be glad to lend a hand!

See you @ the Library!