HOLIDAY HOURS

The Osterhout Free Library will be closed on Saturday, December 24th and Monday, December 26th for the holiday season.

The library will be open during the week of December 27- 30 from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm and will be closed on Saturday December 31, 2005 and Monday January 2, 2006.

WISH YOU ALL a HAPPY and SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

Help with CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Can't decide whether to buy a Sony or Panasonic flat screen TV? Need some help with Christmas shopping? Visit the online version of CONSUMER REPORTS available from the POWER LIBRARY, an online database available to all the card holders of the LUZERNE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM. It is accessible from the comfort of your home with your LUZERNE COUNTY LIBRARY CARD. Simply follow the following steps to get the information:

Go to http://www.osterhout.lib.pa.us/
Click on the POWER LIBRARY ICON on the right
Type in your barcode on the back of your library card as a password
Go to EBSCOHOST
Click on EBSCOHOST again
Choose ‘MasterFILE Premier’
Type ‘JN "Consumer Reports" and television’ and you will get a list of articles.

Most probably you will find a full article by clicking on the Full Text icon, if you don’t see the Full Text icon come to the library and we will help you to find one from our periodical collection.

Weather delay

Due to poor weather conditions Osterhout Free Library will open at noon on December 9th.

eBay

Bidding, pay pal, shipping. What do all these words have in common? eBay! This popular on-line auction was the topic during a free public seminar at the Osterhout Free Library. On Saturday, December 3, a roomful of people learned the essentials of buying and selling on EBAY. So successful was this program, that the library is looking into another to accommodate more interested patrons. Watch our web site for future information.

Medicare and You

If you are looking for information on the health benefits available under the new Medicare, effective as of January 2006, prescription drug plan come to the Osterhout Free library. Recently we have added a book, a CD, and a DVD to our collection that explains how Medicare works, what it costs, and how and when to select and join the right plan.
The call numbers for these items are as follows:

Medicare and You - R368.42 MED 2006
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage - CDR368.382 MED 2005
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage - DVD 783

At present these items are on display at the Information Services Desk.

TUX visits the Osterhout Free Library

Prizes, fun, surprises, refreshments...many enjoyed the reopening of the Gates Computer Lab with Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins mascot TUX. The Gates Computer Lab was opened six years ago through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Recently the computers were revamped with the new hard drive through Verizon Reads grant. Due to this change the computers run much faster, allowing users to utilize many more programs. The Gates Lab is used for teaching adults and children computer skills. TUX helped cut the ribbon, shook hands and gave autographs to his fans. Mrs. Stefanko, the Coordinator of the Information Services department also showed how to use Power Library, Homework Help and the Learning Express Library. During this event, TUX got his own library card to express his love for reading and learning. Everyone had a great time.

The Osterhout Free Library will be closing at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23rd and will remaind closed on Thursday, November 24th in honor of Thanksgiving.We will re-open on Friday, November 25th at 8:30 a.m. with regular hours. Check out website for Holiday Hours.
For some interesting facts about Thanksgiving and to play Thanksgiving Ciber Challenge visit The First Thankgiving.
Also check out our Holiday Book Shelves for the Thanksgiving Books.

Luzerne County Library System to Offer Fine Free Coupons

The public libraries of Luzerne County are participating in this year’s WNEP TV and Pepsi Cola-sponsored Feed a Friend Campaign by providing one “Fine Free Coupon” to persons who donate food items or cash to the community food drive.

Anyone bringing non-perishable food items or monetary donations to member libraries between now and November 18 is eligible to receive a coupon good for the fine free return of one overdue library item at any of the Luzerne County Library System’s fifteen locations. System Director Diane Suffren said “The fine free offer is a wonderful way for libraries to give our customers a reward when they help those in need in our communities.”

Participating locations are: Back Mountain Memorial Library, Dallas; Hazleton Area Public Library and its branches; Hoyt Library, Kingston; Marian S. Kirby Library, Mountaintop; Mill Memorial Library, Nanticoke; Plymouth Public Library; West Pittston Library; Wyoming Free Library; and the Osterhout Free Library and its branches. Items donated at the Pittston Memorial Library will be given to Gabriel House.

Exploring eBay!

Osterhout Free Library is offering a "How-to" workshop about buying and selling on eBay. The worskshop is offered on December 3rd at 3-5 p.m. Please give us a call @ 821-1959 to register.

Grand Reopening of the Gates Computer Lab

Join us for the Grand reopening of the Gates Computer Lab with a very special guest, everybody's favorite, Penguin: TUX
The celebration includes the DATABASE DEMONSTRATIONS, PRIZES, SURPRISES, and REFRESHMENTS. Don't miss the fun, come for the celebration on December 3rd at noon.

New Reference Books

Here is a list of new reference books!

Common Wealth: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania edited by M. Maddox and J Wemple

The Twin Shaft Disaster: Pittston's Greatest and most Tragic Mine Accident in the History of Coal Mining edited by J. Bussacco

The Stone Coal Way: A Guide to Navigating Delaware & Lehigh national Heritage Corridor through Eastern Pennsylvania by Tom Shealey

Jo Jo famous: from Tears to Laughter the Life Story of Jo Jo the Clown by Joann M. Jordan

Check out our new web page.

To provide easy access to our online databases we have made a few changes to our web page. Power Library, Learning Express Library and Homework Help are now accessible right from the home page. Also, you can take a look at the current programs sponsored by the Osterhout Free Library by clicking the ONGOING PROGRAMS link.

Free Computer Classes for Adults

For October and November class schedule check out our calendar of Events.

Want to know where to get FREE MONEY for Business?

Come and check out a book "Free Money" by New York Times best selling author Matthew Lesko. The book lists more than 12,000 programs for starting or expanding a business with government Grants, Low Interest Loans, contacts and Free Services.

note: the reference books are available for library use only.

Double Trouble Poetry Reading

The Osterhout Free Library presents a poetry reading by local poets Anita Wynn writing as Autolykos and John Yamrus, on Tuesday October 25, 2005, at 6:30 p.m. The library is located at 71 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre. Please call the Information Services Desk at 821-1959 for more information and to register. Refreshments will be provided.

Welcome!

Welcome to Information Services Department Blog. Here you will find the information about the ongoing programs, new additions to our resources, and classes offered by the Osterhout Free Library, etc. Also checkout our CIRCUALTION, YOUTH SERVICES and BRANCHES blogs for their updates. Thank you for visiting.