Membership How to Become A Member Membership costs $5 per year, due in March at the lallapalooza or the library (we'll gladly accept donations, too). To become a member, fill out a 3 x 5 index card with your name, address, e-mail, and phone number, and place it with your $5 attached in the brown jar above the desk. Checks should be made to the ECA or to the JTEL. When you renew your membership, make sure you leave a note with your five dollars letting us know who it's from! Memberships are also available in 10-year ($50), 25-year ($125), and lifetime sizes ($250). Checking Out Library Items The John Trigg Ester Library is a do-it-yourself kind of library, safe for technophobes who yearn for the days of library cards. Guess what? We've got card pockets with good old-fashioned library cards in every book. To check out a book, take the library card out of the pocket of the book you want, write your name and the date on it, and put the card in the box for the purpose on the shelf by the door. The cards are arranged by last name of author (this makes it easier for you or the library volunteers to find when you bring the book back). To check out a video or a CD, the procedure is the same, except that the cards are in a card catalog next to the return box (there being no inner cover on videos that doesn't have big bumpy things that get in the way). The cards go in the box by the door, too. The librarians will file them back in the video card catalog when you return the video. To check out a book on tape, proceed as with a regular book. The card pocket may be on the front cover, the back cover, or inside, depending on where there was space and where the description of the contents lies. To check out a jigsaw puzzle, proceed as with a book. The card pocket should be on the top of the puzzle box. Returning Items Return all items to the shelf next to the check-out box on the shelf by the door. Please don't check out items for longer than six months. If the dog ate the book, please replace it with one of equivalent interest or tastiness, in hardback, and--this is important--let the librarians know what happened. Preferably you'll be able to get the same title, but if not, we'll understand. Book Requests If you would like to have a particular title in the library, please let the librarians know (library [at] esterrepublic.com or 479-3368 or 479-2979). We may be able to get it for the library using the used book credit account at Gulliver's or, if we receive enough donations, from a new book fund. Responsibilities of Membership Aside from paying dues once a year and making sure you bring back the things you've checked out, participating in a membership library requires a bit more attention and involvement (but not much more) than a public library. Since the library belongs to the membership, it is up to the members to take care of their library. The librarians can always provide guidance on what needs to be done or how best to help out, but it's up to you to make sure that the library keeps going. If you'd like to have a certain book on the shelves, go ahead and buy a copy for the library! If the garbage is full, go ahead and take it to the dumpster. If the floor looks a bit dusty, go home and get your vacuum (you might be able to borrow Frank's, and there is a broom available). But most important, use the library. The easy chair is comfortable, and the books are there to be read. Volunteering This is your library; come help keep it tidy and organized. If you'd like to help out but aren't sure what to do, contact one of the librarians (we're in the phone book or the Local Et Cetera) or call 479-3368. We can meet with you and show you what needs to be done and how to do it. We can always use the help! Please contact us at 479-2979 or 479-3368, or send an e-mail (library [at] esterrepublic.com), or write to P.O. Box 24, Ester AK 99725 | ||||
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