Holiday Hours

Saturday, December 23rd
CLOSED
Sunday, December 24th
CLOSED
Monday, December 25th
CLOSED
December 26 - Decmber 29
8:30 am-5:00 pm
Monday, January 1
CLOSED

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Osterhout Free Library will close at 4 PM on Wednesday, November 22 nd remain CLOSED on Thursday, Novembr 23 rd for Thanksgiving Day.

SPAGHETTI DINNER

Please join us for the Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday, November 12, 2006, from 1 to 6 PM at Genetti's Hotel in Wilkes-Barre. Ticket Rates are as follows:
Adults $ 6 and Children $ 3.
Proceeds benefit the Osterhout Free Library

New Reference Books

Here are some of the new additions to our reference collection

The Face of Decline by Thomas Dublin and Walter Licht
Portrays the downfall of the coal industry and also the mining families considerable resilience in meeting the adversity

Stories form the Mines by Thomas Curra

Indian Trail and Edgemont Amusement Parks by Sean and Johanna S. Billings
Highlights the history of two legendary parks in Lehigh Township

Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic by Bill Russell If you want to collect mushrooms or simply learn about these fascinating life forms this books is for you.

William Geneology: Matthew, Thomas, Miles and Swain by Fred Russell Williams, Jr.

Hogrebe, Hogrefe, Hogreve Family Origins by Lawrence F. Hogrebe

Around Hazleton by Richard W. Funk

American First Ladies by Robert Watson

Inspirational

Speaking of Miracles by FR. Cassian J. Yuhaus, CP with FR. Richard Frechette, CP
The Faith Experience at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Ann in Scranton, PA

Kids Have you Seen My Backpack and other Inspirational Stories complied by Donna Talarico
Anthology for adult learner

Saturdays, Dandelions and Roots by Carmen F. Ambrosino
Stories of inspiration, hope and recovery from Addiction

Winners of the MP3 Player Drawing

Congratulations!!!

Osterhout Free Library is happy to announce the winners of our MP3 player drawing held on October 3rd and the winners are:

Sharon Sterens (left), Angel Mathis (right), Drake Robinson*, Anne Gffrey*, Hailey Noss*

and Rose Cichy ( Information Services Librarian in the middle)

* not in the picture

Thanks to all who shopped at Barnes and Noble

Osterhout Free Library sincerely appreciates the participation of Barnes and Noble in Arena Hub Plaza, Wilkes-Barre in the fund raising event held in September and also wishes to thank all, who shopped at Barnes and Noble during the event to support the library.

Thanks to all who shopped at Barnes and Noble

Osterhout Free Library sincerely appreciates the participation of Barnes and Noble in Arena Hub Plaza, Wilkes-Barre in the fund raising event held in September and also wishes to thank all, who shopped at Barnes and Noble to support the library.

English as a Second Language Training Course

In order to meet the increasing demand of a growing non-English speaking population, Osterhout Free Library is offering a FREE English as a Second Language Training Course. During this course the participants will develop use of words and expressions in daily contextual situations to promote proficiency at a conversational level. Emphasis will be put on correct pronunciation, proper use of verbs and intonations. The course design has flexibility to accommodate the language differences as well as the differences in the proficiency levels of the participants. This eight week course will be held every Thursday, starting form October 26, 2006. Course is free with a valid Luzerne County Library System Card.

For more information and to register for the workshop call us @ 821-1959Location: Gates Lab of the Osterhout Free Library
Dates: October 26, November, 2, 9, 16, 30, 7, 14, 21
Time: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Business Breakfast

Need to write a business plan? Want to study a business or industry in depth? Need to learn Spanish? Learn how the Osterhout Free Library’s resources and services can help you and your business. Your free Luzerne County Library System library card can be the most important card in your wallet.
The Osterhout Free Library is hosting a BUSINESS BREAKFAST on Monday October 30, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. There is no charge for the breakfast. For more information or to register please call @ 821-1959

WIN MP3 PLAYER

To enter the drawing, choose two titles that you would like to read from our audiobook collection of 1,600 + titles. Write them on a piece of paper along with your name and phone number. Give it to the circulation desk staff at the Osterhout Free Library @ 71 S. Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre or any of its branches and wait for the drawing to WIN MP3 PLAYER.

The drawing will be held on October 3rd.

POWER LIBRARY WILL BE DOWN on September 29th

On September 29th, 2006 at 4:30 P.M. one of the service providers for the POWER LIBRARY will begin to move their central data center to a new facility. During this time, POWER Library Remote Access and the POWER Library Information Center will be unavailable. The estimated downtime will be eight hours.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

The Library will be
CLOSED
on Saturday, September 2
and
Monday, September 4
in observance of
Labor Day.
Regular hours will resume on
Tuesday, September 5.
Have a great weekend!

Poetry Reading

Osterhout Free Library presents

POETRY READING by a local poet
JOHN YAMRUS
Place: Osterhout Free Library

71 S. Franklin Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 118701

Time: 1:00 p.m.

For more information or to register call @ 821-1959

YOGA Workshop

Osterhout Free Library is to hold YOGA workshop!!!
YOGA is one of the ancient techniques for wellbeing of a body, mind, and spirit. During this workshop you will learn about different types of YOGAS, techniques of doing YOGASANAS (exercises), and the benefits of each YOGASANA (exercise). The workshop will start with an introduction, followed by the demonstrations. Afterwards you will also have an opportunity to practice the YOGASANAS (exercises) under the supervision of YOGA teacher from India. In order to participate in the workshop, make sure to wear comfortable cloths and not to eat an hour before and after the exercises. Also, please bring your YOGA mat or an exercise mat with you.
For more information and to register for the workshop call us @ 821-1959Location: Gates Lab of the Osterhout Free Library
Dates: September 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21
Time: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Important Health Notice

The Bendable Dog and Cat toys given away as Summer Reading Prizes have been recalled by the manufacturer, due to lead content which exceeds current safety standards. Please return the toys to the library and we will exchange them for another prize. For more information please check out http://www.new-carlisle.lib.oh.us/

Ethnic Festival

Osterhout Free Library recently participated in the Ethnic Festival held by the King's College to promote several programs, services and resources offered by the Osterhout Free Library for the Ethnic population.

Downloadable Books are here!!!

Osterhout Free Library now provides access to downloadable audio books. This service is provided by Net Library available through the POWER LIBRARY database. If you are a first time user, you will need to create a user name and ID using your Luzerene County Library card barcode number. Visit Getting Started page if you are a first time user and need information about the system requirement as well as how to download books.
For further assistance please call us @ 821-1959.

Got Questions? Find Answers 24/7

New virtualreference service, "Ask Here PA" is now avaialble from the Osterhout Free Library home page. During the initial trial period, through September 5, the service will be available Monday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. On September 6, the service will be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

"Reading to Therapy Dogs" at the North Branch of the Osterhout Free Library

Happy 4th of JULY

The Osterhout Free Library will be closed on July 4th, in observance of the independence Day

Pioneer visited the Osterhout Free Library

Kids enjoyed the visit by one of the Pioneers, Mr. William Ferguson. He read stories to the kids and also stressed upon the importance of college education for bright future.

Osterhout Free Library particiaption

Recently the Osterhout Free Library tried to reach out to the public by participating in the

Fine Arts Fiesta......




and the Pioneer's game.......

Glimpse at the Peter Robinson Event

Free Wireless Access

Osterhout Free Library now provides Free Wireless access to the Internet. All you need is a valid Luzerne County Library Card and your laptop. For more information please checkout our Wireless Internet Usage Policy.

Peter Robinson Book Talk

Don't miss the opportunity to familiarize yourself with Mr. Peter Robinson's book and his writing style. Prior to meeting the award winning mystery writer Mr. Peter Robinson on June 4th, the Osterhout Free Library is holding a book talk on one of his books Close to Home on June 1st.

Close to Home is the thirteenth Inspector Banks mystery by Peter Robinson. It is the first to give the reader a glimpse of Alan Banks life prior to his undertaking a career as a law enforcement official. In previous appearances, he has alluded to the fact that his parents are unhappy with his career choice, but their reasons for opposition are rather nebulous. Finally, the reader is treated to Banks reminiscing about the year he was fourteen and thoughts of that horrible day when Graham Marshall went missing.....(themysteryreader.com)

Sounds interesting??? Then come and join us for the book talk....

on : June 1
at : 6:30 p.m.
in the : Reading Room

Osterhout Free Library
71 S. Franklin Street

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701

Then on June 4th join us to meet with Mr. Peter Robinson in person at 1 p.m.

For more information or to register for any of these events, give us a call @ 821-1959

Peter Robinson is coming to the Osterhout Free Library

Famous mystery writer PETER ROBINSON is coming to the Osterhout Free Library. Since 1987 he has won several awards for his writing. His first novel, Gallows View was nominated for best first novel, Crime Writers of Canada and by the Crime Writers Association of England. A Dedicated Man was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award, Canadian Writers of Canada. "Innocence" was won the Arthur Ellis Award for best short story. The Hanging Valley won the Arthur Ellis Award for the best novel. Some of the other books that claimed awards are Past Reason Hated, Torgi (talking book), Dry Season; and Playing with Fire.

Don’t miss the grand opportunity to meet Mr. Robinson in person. The admission is free.
Place: The Reading Room
Osterhout Free Library
71 S. Franklin Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Date: Sunday, June 4, 2006
Time: 1:00 p.m.
For more information on the event please call us @ 821-1959

Memorial Day Closing

The Osterhout Free Library will be closed on Saturday May 27th and May 29th in observance of the Memorial Day

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Help Day

Official Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Help Day will be held at the Osterhout Free Library, 71 South Franklin Street, on Thursday May 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage counselors will be on hand to answer your questions, review plans, and help you sign up for a plan. Please call the library fro more information and to schedule an appointment.

New Voting Machines at the Osterhout Free Library

The Luzerne County Bureau of Elections will be demonstrating the county’s new voting machines at the Osterhout Free Library on Thursday May 11, 2006 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The library is located at 71 South Franklin St. Wilkes-Barre. Contact the library at 823-0156X216 for more information.

Take a peek at the National Library Week Celebration

L to R : Elaine Schall, Rose Cichy and Diane Suffren

Kids enjoyed the story time

Magic show was the most popular event of the day

The cake was delicious

Mrs. Suffren with the Country Buffet's Bee

Kids wandering around with the Country Buffet's Bee

Celebrate the National Libary Week

The Osterhout Free Library has planned FUNFEST to celebrate the National Library Week.
Please come and join us for the refreshments, games, magic shows, contests and prizes.
Date: April 8
Time: 12 p.m. - 2p.m.
Venu: Osterhout Free Library
71 S. Fenaklin Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
For more information give us a call at 823-0156 ext.:214 or visit our website

Kentucky Derby Gala

Dictionary of American Idioms

Check out new addition to our reference collection:

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

423 SPE

Currently book is on display at the information Services Desk

For Your Information

The information services department now allows patrons to use USB drives and CD’s after they are scanned.

New Local History Books

Recently we have added following books to our local history collection:

Mountain Top Past and Present

R974.8 KUB

History of Hazleton and Area
974.832 KRA

Circulating copy of this book is available in the oversize section

History of West Hazelton

974.832 KRA

Currently these books are on display at the Information Services Desk.

Golf Outing

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Wilkes-Barre Rotary Club and the Osterhout Free Library, you are invited to participate in Charities Golf Tournament held on Friday, may 19, 2006. The event begins with lunch at 12:00 noon and is followed by a putting contests as well as other activities geared to set the right tone for a great tournament. The gun shot start of 18 holes golf tournament will be at 1 pm. with captain and crew format. Please check out registration information for details.

The "Little Book that Beats the Market" a guide for investing

It's never too early or too late to start investing. In "The Little Book That Beats the Market," Joel Greenblatt, Columbia Business School professor and Hedge Fund manager shows how successful investing can be made easy for investors of any age. Through entertaining anecdotes and practical pearls of wisdom, the book explores the basic principles of successful stock market investing and reveals the secrets to buying good companies at bargain prices. With this book as your guide, you'll know exactly where to go and what to do—and it won't even take much time, just a little effort every few months

The Little Book that Beats the Market is availabe FREE of charge from the 'NetLibrary' an online database available from the Osterhout Free Library web page.

In order to read this book online go to www.osterhout.lib.pa.us, click on the POWER LIBRARY icon, enter your Luzerne County Library System card number, click on NetLibrary listed under LITERATURE section and then click on the book jacket on the right hand side. Happy investing !!

ATTENTION TEACHERS February is Black History Month

Celebrate the Black History Month with NoveList, an online database accessible through POWER Library from Osterhout Free Library home page. A list of over 600 African-American authors for adult, children and young adult readers is accessible from the February 2006 home page of NoveList. Readers who are interested in learning more about African-American experiences can search the database using following subject headings :

African-American women detectives
African-American families
African-American men/women relationship etc.

To find a book that contain African-American characters, readers can search for these subject headings using 'Describe A Plot, Guided Boolean or Freehand Boolean and find books that contain African-American characters.

Teachers looking for literature-related activities for Black History Month might want to consult the 'Teaching with Fiction' section of the School Resources tab (from NoveList K-8) for ideas.

online catalog training

Do you want to help your kids finding books using online catalog and would like to know how to use the computer to search the catalog? Would you like to check out what's available at your local library from the comfort of your home? Help is on the way. Come and join us for the training session on using Luzerne County Library System Online Catalog called LUCAS @ your service. During this session you will learn how to search the collections of the Luzerne County Library System for a book, video or an audio using a computer. You will also learn how to conduct these searches from home or any remote location.

Where : Osterhout Free Library

71 S. Franklin Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701

When: February 20, 2006

Time: 2:00 pm-3:30 pm

Give us a call to register @ 821-1959

e-books available through Learning Express Library

New electronic versions of most popular 150 reference titles wiil be available through Learning Express Library. Each month Learning Express Library will add a few supplementary online resources in the form of eBooks. These resources will benefit those who want to improve their skills, or prepare for college admissions or career certification and licensing exams. The list of books available online is as follows:

501 Algebra Questions
501 Challenging Logic & Reasoning Questions
501 Geometry Questions
501 Grammar Questions
501 Math Word Problems
501 Reading Comprehension Questions
501 Synonym & Antonym Questions
501 Word Analogies
501 Writing Prompts
1001 Math Problems
1001 Vocabulary & Spelling Questions
Algebra Success in 20 Minutes a Day
ASVAB
ASVAB Core
ASVAB Success
Border Patrol
California Real Estate
Catholic High School Entrance Exam
CBEST
Civil Service Career Starter
Computer Technician Career Starter
Cosmetology Career Starter
EMT-Basic Exam
Firefighter Exam
Geometry Success in 20 Minutes a Day
Grammar Essentials
How to Study
Math Essentials
Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide
Paramedic Exam
Police Officer Exam
Postal Worker Exam
Practical Math Success in 20 Minutes a Day
PRAXIS I
Read Better, Remember More
Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day
Reasoning Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day
Texas Real Estate Sales Exam
Treasury Enforcement Agent Exam
Vocabulary & Spelling Success in 20 Minutes a Day
Write Better Essays
Writing Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day

In order to access these books go the Osterhout Free Library's web page, click on the Learning Express Icon, type your user name and a password and then click on e-Books.

Want to learn Spanish?

If you are interested in learning basic Spanish here are couple of websites you may want to visit.
For online video course checkout Spanish - Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish. This online video course teaches speaking, listening, and comprehensive skills in Spanish.

Also visit

Pumarosa a web resource that provides 15 beginners and intermediate lessons. It includes Spanish-English practice for ESL for those learning English. English-Spanish practice for those learning Spanish.

These websites are also listed under Interesting Websites at the Reference /Information Services link from the Osterhout Free Library web page.

Rescheduled Franklin Street Sleuths Book Talk

The book talk of December 18th that was cancelled due to severe weather conditions has been rescheduled for January 26th at 6:30 p.m. The book talk will be held at the Osterhout Reading Room.

New Online Database

Recently we have added an online literature reference database called “Literature Resource Center” to our collection. It is the premier Internet resource for information on literary figures from all time periods writing in different genres such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, journalism, and more. Rich in biographical, bibliographical, and critical content, the Literature Resource Center includes over 5000 explications and overviews of prominent literary works; links to 5100 websites focusing on major authors and their works; over 6500 timeline events to help place literature in its historical and social context, 2300 author portraits; and a guide to writing a Modern Language Association-style research paper. It also works as an online index to Thomson Gale's literature products.

Literature Resource Center can be searched by author, title, keyword, and literary historical timeline. The advanced search feature of this database allows restricting searches to specific document type such as autobiographical essay, biographical essay, critical essay, and interview, etc as well as to individual databases such as Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, and Full-Text Journals etc.

You can access this resource from the library as well as from any remote location. To access Literary Resource Center, from any remote location, go to the Osterhout Free Library’s web page. Click on the Literary Resource Center and then enter the barcode on the back of your Luzerne County Library card. Due to the limit of one user at a time you may have to wait to access this database. If you need further assistance please call direct reference line @ 821-1959.