Library to close for automation effort

The Mountain Home Public Library will close for 4-6 weeks beginning April 2 while the library is converted to a fully automated operation.

When the massive changeover is completed, patrons will find a number of expanded services at the library, including access to not only the local library's book collection, but more than 1.5 million other books held in libraries throughout the region.

The automated system is the last item to be checked off the library's long-range plan, developed about seven years ago based on patron requests and comments.

When completed, the old card catalogues, in their wooden cabinets and with tens of thousands of 3x5 index cards, will be gone, replaced by computer substations that not only will make searching for the right book easier, but also expand the search options considerably. Patrons will not only be able to find the right book, faster, but will be able to identify if the book actually is on the shelf, or checked out, and when it is due back if it's been checked out.

In addition, the electronic card catalogue can be accessed from home computers and books can be reserved electronically.

"Right now, we're still operating in sort of the stone age," said Library Director Luise House. "Everything we deal with is still a piece of paper and a typwriter," and the staff goes through a ton of sticky notes every week, she said. But when fully automated, the new software will greatly improve the efficiency of library operations.

The library will be closed primarily to give the staff time to put bar codes on the 36,600 books and audio CDs in the library collection, and then input them into the computer database, as well as give them time for training on the new software.

Patrons are encouraged to get the books they've finished reading back into the library so they can be properly catalogued, and the library will offer an amnesty period for fines on any overdue books that are returned between today and March 31.

"We're going to get this done as quickly as possible, and reopen as soon as we can," House said, "but there's a lot of work to be done."

When the work is completed the library also will begin issuing new library cards to all its patrons (more details on that process will be carried in next week's issue).

The bar-coded cards will allow patrons to check out books not only from the Mountain Home Public Library, but nine other area libraries as well -- the Boise Public Library, the Ada Community Library, the Caldwell Public Library, the Eagle Public Library, the Garden City Public Library, the Hailey Public Library, the Meridian Public Library, the Nampa Public Library and the Twin Falls Public Library.

That's because the new automated system will allow the library to become a full-fledged member of the Lynx Consortium, a cooperative effort by area libraries to share resources. A Mountain Home Library Card will be good at any of the Lynx Consortium libraries, all of whom will have card catalogues online that can be accessed from any computer using the local library card's identification number.

That makes more than 1.5 million books available to local library patrons using the Mountain Home Library card.

Initially, patrons will have to return books to the library from which the books are borrowed, but House expects that sometime within the next year a courier service will be set up by consortium members that will allow a patron to check out a book at one member library and drop it off at any other member library.

Having an online card catalogue was one of the requirements for the Mountain Home Public Library to join the consortium, which brings with it a number of other benefits.

As a member of the consortium, local library patrons also will have free access to a huge collection of on-line resources, which either aren't available normally to the general public or which require a subscription fee. Using their new library card ID number and a password provided by the library, patrons will be able to access the following from any computer:

* A comprehensive professional auto repair manual that provides schematics, troubleshooting procedures, parts lists and other materials for almost every car made since 1945.

* A book index with reviews, including a system that allows you to search for that book you can't remember the title of but you remember some of the characters or story line.

* A huge online book collection (books that can be read on your computer).

* The full text of 27 of the nation's top newspapers.

* Study materials, resources and learning programs for students elementary age on up.

* InfoTrac OneFile, which includes Gardening, Landscape and Horticulture; Home Improvement Collection; General Reference Center Gold, and a General Science Collection.

* InfoTrac Student and Infotrac Junior, including Kids Infobits.

* Academic OneFile: Agriculture Collection; Communications and Mass Media; Computer Database; Criminal Justice Collection; Diversity Studies Collection; Educator's Collection; Environmental Studies and Policy; Expanded Academic ASAP; Health Reference Center Academic; Information Science and Library Issues.

* InfoTrac Nursing and Allied Health.

* Insurance and Liability Collection; Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure; Vacations, Carreers and Technical Education; War and Terrorism Collection; LegalTrac; Military and Intelligence Database; Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine; Pop Culture Collection; Psychology Collection; Religion and Philosophy Collection; US History Collection; World History Collection; Business and Company Resources Center; General BusinessFile; Business and Company Profile ASAP; Health and Weliness Resource Center with Alternative Health.

* Informe (Spanish Language).

* Gale Virtual Reference Library Selected Titles; Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America (2000, lst ed., 6 volumes); Biology (2002, lst ed., 4 volumes); St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (2000, lst ed., 5 volumes); Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (2005, lst ed., 4 volumes); Encyclopedia of Cancer (2006, 1 st ed., 2 volumes); Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (2005, 1 st ed., 2 volumes); Encyclopedia of Medicine (2006, 2nd ed., 5 volumes); Encyclopedia of Multicultural America (2000, 2nd ed., 3 volumes); Encyclopedia of Small Business (2002); Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History (1999); World of Earth Science (2003, lst ed., 2 volumes).

* The World Book Encyclopedia Platinum Plus Online version.

In addition, patrons will have access to the Learning Express, a series of test preparation programs for ACT; AP, ASVAB; Civil Service, Cosmetology, EMS, Firefighter, GED, GMAT, Law Enforcement, Nursing, Praxis/PPST, Real Estate, SAT, and U.S. Citizenship.

The program also provides courses in: Algebra, Basic Skills Courses with Spanish Instructions, GED, Geometry, Grammar for Writing, Math, Reading Comprehension, Resume Writing, STOEFL, Vocabulary and Spelling, and more.

House admitted that the closure, and some of the changeover procedures, such as issuing new library cards to every patron, may cause some grumbling from some patrons initially, but, she said, "these are things our patrons have told us they wanted, and when it is all done, and we've shaken the system out, the services we'll be able to offer our patrons will be greatly expanded, and we think they'll enjoy them."