By Pamela West-Finkle
HEAR-YE, HEAR-YE! The Andes Library catalog is officially LIVE on www.4cls.org. After four years of barcoding every circulation item (almost 14,000 items), we have essentially finished and joined the 21st century of library services. We did this because it was a New York State Mandate. Now that we have joined the Four County System online, many of our items are going out to other libraries. In the first four days alone, we’ve circulated over 100 inter-library-loans.
Before I outline the changes we are undergoing, I would like to heartily thank Kari Haugeto, Deb Slating, Adam Lang, Tami Jaegel, and Abel Mendez for helping with our barcoding. It was a long, tedious process, but now we can reap the rewards of our labor.
Library Cards – Is yours lost?
Those of you who have lost your library cards are encouraged to come get a new one as it will make our checkout process much faster. If you don’t want to come in, you can call 845-676-3333 or email an.ill@4cls.org to request a new card. I can process it and send it to you in the mail or keep it at the library for pickup. Please let me know what you prefer. Those of you who still have your library card with a barcode, please try to bring it with you to the library. We can still look you up by name, but this streamlines the service.
User Privileges and Updated Contact Information
We may be reaching out in the coming months to see who has had a change of address, phone or email. If you have moved or changed your contact information, please contact us so that we can make the change on your account.
Due to the Four County System Governing Council, all patrons in the Four County System will be on a 3-year renewal schedule. We recommend that all patrons speak to the Librarian to make sure your card and your information is current.
Placing Holds on Books and Movies You Want
Now that we are sharing our collection with the other 40+ libraries in the system, our new books and movies will be going out much more regularly. If there is a new release that you want, please go to www.4cls.org, login with your library card barcode and PIN number (we can change your PIN or look it up for you in case you forgot), and order the item(s) you want. If you need help doing this, we are happy to do it for you.
When you search on an item at www.4cls.org, you can click on our library in the upper left search filter column first to see if we have the item you are looking for. Whether we have the item or not, click “place hold” to the right of the item you want. If you have an Andes Library Card (one that starts with the numbers 10026), your order will automatically be transited to Andes. If you belong to another Four County Library, but you want your order to come to us, just use the drop down menu to choose our library.
The good news is, if you put the items on hold, or have us order the items for you, our patrons will receive our books first. That means if there’s a new hot book out that has 20 holds in the system, if we own that book and you are 20th in line, you will jump to the front of the line next time the book is returned. If, however, you keep coming to the library in hopes of finding the new book you wanted without placing a hold on the item, you might have to wait for a while. Like I stated, we are happy to help you navigate the 4cls.org site, or even order the items for you, so no worries! We are here to serve you!
Making the Transition and Fine Free
Please bear with us as we make this transition. We are in the process of transferring all of our checkouts from our internal software to the system-wide software that Four County uses. If you have any long-overdue items, now is a GREAT time to return them. Remember we are FINE FREE and all past fines are being erased except for those of you who owe for lost or damaged items. We will still charge replacement costs, but any late fees are forgiven.
Please be aware, however, that if you return your books to any other Four County Library besides us and the items are late, that library may request you pay your late fee. It is best if you return your late items directly to us so that we can be sure they are discharged from your account Fine Free. Also, please be aware that you can renew your own items via your account at www.4cls.org.
But How Will I Remember What I’ve Read?
We are going to keep the pockets and cards for a while. Eventually we may find that they are obsolete and just extra work, but there is something nostalgic, plus our patrons can check to see if they have previously read a book. If we end up having to do away with the old cards, we give permission to write your initials in pencil inside of the back cover.
During 2021, the Four County system gave patrons the ability to keep track of their own reading histories online. I have flyers on my desk that walk you through the process. Unfortunately, it will only keep track of your reading list from that date forward and if your record should ever be purged from the system, it will permanently delete your list.
Again, due to privacy and confidentiality of library records, this is an Opt-In service only. If you would like help with setting up this service on your account, please come into the library or give us a call and we can do it over the phone.
Upcoming Programs:
Andes Book Group – The LitWits
Remember, our LitWits book group meets the first Thursday of every month at 4:30 pm. Let us know if you’d like to join.
Medicare 101 Class
Thursday, March 10th from 5 to 6 pm, we will have Robin Henderson, an independent insurance agent, who will be giving a Medicare 101 class, describing the ins and outs of the Medicare Maze. She will cover the four parts of Medicare, when to enroll and how to avoid penalties, dental and vision coverage, qualifying for extra help, and understanding the Donut Hole, plus changes and updates to Medicare coverage. Zoom links will be available for those who wish to attend virtually. For more information, visit www.medicarewithrobin.com. Please call 845-676-3333 or email an.ill@4cls.org to RSVP and request the Zoom link.~