And now for something completely different...2012!

It seems that another year is coming along, rudely shoving the old one aside. Poor old 2011. But, no time to dwell on the past, time to think about the future! To that end, I collected resolutions from the library staff to share with you. Here is what we are resolving to do next year (besides continuing to be an awesome library):

"My resolution is to run at least 3 times a week!"
Cheryl, Youth Services

"How about a twist on the old Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil : Hear No Gossip, See No Faults, Speak No Unkindness"
Pat N., Youth Services

"I resolve to read at least one book on quantum mechanics cover to cover – even if it’s from the 2nd floor children’s collection."
Steven, Adult Services

"My resolution (yet again) is to pursue more spirituality in my daily life and do yoga three times a week. "
Heather, Head of Public Information

"My New Year's Resolutions are as follows: to create a workable financial plan and to spend less time watching television."
Lynn, Adult Services

"Eat more vegetables (though I draw the line at asparagus)."
Laura, Adult Services

"My resolution is to take a noncredit continuing education class at Oakton Community College. Introduction to Quickbooks, or Texas Hold'em Poker!"
Cathy, Adult Services

"I will give a big effort to keep up with the variety of new technologies advancing in 2012."
Pat H, Youth Services

My resolutions are to exercise more, sleep more, read more, learn more, and find that magical 25th hour in the day to do all of this!

If you need some inspiration or encouragement with your own resolutions, here are some useful tips for making smarter resolutions and keeping them. See you in 2012!

Happy Holidays!

I can't believe that the holiday season is here! It seems like I was just preparing to start a new job at the Des Plaines Public Library and now it's late December.

In case you missed them, here are a few holiday related articles that library staff have written:

On our Positively Ellinwood blog, Claire wrote about the darker side of the holidays and suggested a few good mystery reads with a holiday slant. The Victorians also loved ghost stories during the holiday season--Dickens' A Christmas Carol being the most famous example. If you do a search for "Christmas Ghost Stories" in Google Books, you will see a number of collections of these stories.

For our Des Plaines Patch column, Gwen wrote about managing holiday stress with conversation. It's a gentle reminder to take time to listen to each other during the holidays. Gwen's post also reminded me of a story I read on the Huffington Post recently. The story talks about how gulf between "what is" and "what we want to be" gets pretty wide during the holiday season.

Finally, I would like to remind you that the library will be closed the following days during the holidays:

Saturday, December 24, 2011 Christmas Eve

Sunday, December 25, 2011 Christmas Day

Saturday, December 31, 2011 New Year’s Eve

Sunday, January 1, 2012 New Year’s Day

Happy Holidays to you and yours from the Des Plaines Public Library!

Smart Scan: Your Phone, Your Library Card

Technology holds out the promise of making our lives more efficient, more productive, and just plain easier. This isn't always the case, of course, but certainly is an ideal to strive for and to embrace.

At the library, we are trying to make your life a little easier with technology too. The self-checkout stations allow you to get your books, checkout, and get on with your life. But you need your library card to make the whole process work. What if you forgot your card?

That's why we are happy to announce that you can use your smartphone as your library card at one of our checkout stations. Right now, this only works on the station closest to the entrance. All you have to do is:

1. Download a loyalty card app for your phone (we recommend CardStar or Keyring)
2. Enter your DPPL library card information
3. Use your phone as your library card!

For detailed instructions about setting up CardStar or KeyRing, please visit our information page or scan the QR code below with your smartphone.

We hope it makes your day a little easier!