Library has new room-booking service, mobile printing, homepage

Starting May 1, the new and improved events calendar and room booking service, mobile printing, and homepage were rolled out for the Belleville Area District Library.
At the library board’s regular meeting on May 14, Library Director Mary Jo Suchy explained the services.
She said LibCal is the library’s new events and room-booking calendar software.
“This is a major project, and all things considered, it has been rolled out fairly smoothly, considering that it is a little bit like an airplane refueling mid-flight!” Director Suchy said.
She said the library has also implemented Princh, a new mobile printing service and so far it seems to be much easier to use than the previous service.
People can send from home what they want printed to the library over the internet and then come pick it up and paying the ten cents per page regular printing fee.
Board member Dan Fleming said he really liked the new homepage and he uses the library internet services a lot.
Director Suchy said the flagpole light has again malfunctioned. She said they just put on a whole new cover for the light, but there is water in it again. An electrician is coming to look at it.
This light in the cement below the flag has been a problem for several years.
Board member John Juriga said the flag needs to have a light on it, or it should be taken down every night.
“I don’t think the public is concerned, but we want every little thing right,” said board chairperson Sharon Peters.
Suchy also reported that the staff participated in a very full in-service training day on April 29 when the library was closed for the day. She said topics included: Safety, active shooter, and emergency procedures review; demonstrations of some of the many databases available through the Michigan eLibrary (MeL), including LearningExpress Library and NoveList Plus; an instruction webinar on the library new calendar/room booking software; and others.
Also staff members Karen Dubke and Lindsay Lore attended the annual Public Library Association Conference in Indiana and brought back information.
She said library clerk Jasmine Riehl got a full-time job elsewhere and so two half-time employees will cover that position. Micaya Cannon was promoted to library clerk and new employee Lavonne Shetler will be a library clerk.
Heard Suchy report that the free comic book day/plant swap/Friends’ book sale on May 4 was a great success. She said this continues to be one of her favorite days of the year at the library.
In other business at the 46-minute meeting, the board:
• Learned the Phil Hale Jazz Trio will be back by popular demand at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29;
• Heard Juriga thank Fleming for mentioning at the last meeting the FEMA grants available for damage from last August’s storms. Juriga said his wife called FEMA and they got $3,500 put into their bank account in just a few days. He said that is one-tenth of what he paid for cleanup, but he was glad to get it. Fleming said he saw the information in the Independent. Chairperson Peters said she called FEMA and they came right out. The grant request deadline has now passed;
• Heard Fleming comment on how beautiful the flowers in the planters are in front of the library. He was told they were provided by Garden Fantasy on Tyler Road. Peters pointed out that Garden Fantasy was celebrating its 50th anniversity;
• Heard Linda Priest say she was introduced to Playaway, a portable media player to which you can plug in your earbud and listen to a book. This is now available at the library;
• Heard Peters say the doctor took off her boot earlier that day following foot surgery and now she will be able to drive again;
• Learned that the history program “Belleville Bluecoats: Local Civil War Soldiers and Their Stories” is set for 6 p.m., Thursday, May 23, at the library. The library’s Nikki Pickeral and Civil War Expert Jeff Pollock will present the program. Also, the Youth Summer Reading Program begins June 10 for those ages 1 to 18; and
• Discussed the report on how there is a decline in kids’ pleasure reading at the age of 9 and it is getting more pronounced year after year. Priest suggested parents could read to children from the classics to encourage pleasure reading.