Arkos architect Jeff Anglemyer speaks during the workshop to get attendees brainstorming.
On Sept. 24, Syracuse Public Library closed for a library design workshop for board of trustee members, Friends of the Syracuse Public Library, and staff. The workshop examined what elements could fit in a new library built on the Dolan Street Property. Attendees were encouraged to dream during the session, and there were some cool features, including a business center with a laminator; a fenced in space for children to enjoy; a meeting space that the public could use (including after library hours); and private study rooms. Becky’s Garden could also be expanded and feature a calming walkway. There would also be outdoor spaces designed for different age groups — adults, too!
There are no finalized designs. The architects at Arkos Design will take information gleaned at the workshop and further refine it. SPL will hold additional meetings that will be open to the public. Watch for news on SPL’s website. As the project develops, follow its progress at https://www.syracuse.lib.in.us/building-project.html.
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Free Fairfield summer library cards are back at the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library from May 1-Aug. 1! These cards are made possible by the Fairfield Schools Literacy Fund, created by an anonymous donor who wanted to stop the summer slide for students living in the Fairfield Schools district. Families and children can sign up for a card any time from May 1-Aug. 1, with cards all expiring on Aug. 31. Who Qualifies?Children, ages birth to entering 12th grade in 2024, who live in either Benton, Clinton, or Jackson townships. The Fund is only available to children. What If We Homeschool?Home-schooled children who live in Benton, Clinton, or Jackson townships also qualify for a free summer library card. What Do We Need To Bring?Families will need to bring proof of their residence in Benton, Clinton, or Jackson townships. This can be an updated driver's license, or a photo ID and utility bill. Children, 13 and older, can sign up upstairs. Younger children should sign up downstairs. To sign up for a library card without an adult, you must be at least 18 years old. If you're younger than 18, you will need an adult with you. What Services Do We Receive With A Fairfield Card?You can check out materials (excluding hotspots) from the Syracuse Public Library and other Evergreen Libraries (like North Webster, Ligonier, Milford, etc.) and access digital apps like Libby and Hoopla!
Becky's Garden will come to life in May! SPL's In the Garden group welcomes the entire community to help it create this memorial garden at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 23, in Community Roots outdoor space. This native plant memorial garden will honor long-time Syracuse Public Library librarian Becky Brower's passion for the natural world, particularly native plants and pollinators. Through its creation, we will continue to spread awareness for the valuable role played by native plants and hopefully encourage a greater appreciation for them within the community. The Becky's Garden web page will chronicle the garden's progress and provide educational resources for those wanting to learn more about its plants and native plants and animals in general, Plant DonationsFor the planting, In the Garden is seeking specific native plant donations. Group members have compiled a list of plants (see the PDF below) that will be accepted. Those interested in donating a plant from the list can email what they have to Sarah Wright at [email protected]. Space is limited, and we want to fit in as many people as possible. We will organize donations and let everyone know which of their plants we will be taking prior to the planting. Plants labeled with Becky's garden will be donated by Becky's husband, Michael, from their personal garden. 
Bringing Plant DonationsPeople can bring the plants In the Garden has confirmed they want to the library either a few days before the planting (May 23) or on the day of the planting. Please be sure to email Sarah so we know what to expect. Rock DonationsIn the Garden is also seeking rock donations to create bee habitats for our native burrowing bees like the bumble bee! Once again, email Sarah and let us know what you have.  
After April 15, users with devices running Android OS 7.1.0 or earlier will be required to update their operating system or switch to another supported device to continue using OverDrive services. Starting the week of March 25, impacted Libby users will see a message to update their OS or switch to another supported device to continue using the app. This message will include steps for how to use a setup code to easily copy their library cards, loans, holds, and tags to another device.
In an email announcing this change, Overdrive stated, "We apologize for the inconvenience this will have on users with impacted devices. This change is necessary to uphold OverDrive’s standards of security and patron privacy and our commitment to delivering a quality experience to all libraries and their users." The same email noted that usage on Android OS 7.1.0 and earlier has been declining and accounts for approximately 1.5% of all OverDrive users, with Libby users being the most impacted. Note that Google has also discontinued support for these earlier versions of the Android OS. 
Each year, the Lilly Center Art Contest invites 4th-12th grade students from across Kosciusko County to submit their creative depiction of our local waterways. Artists with winning entries receive cash prizes and the privilege of having their artwork on display in public spaces throughout the county. 2023-24 Lilly Center Art Contest: Memories at the Lake
The 2023-24 contest is open for submissions! Please leave artwork with Ariel Wagner at the Lilly Center, located at 806 Connection Circle, Winona Lake, IN. All artwork is due no later than Thursday, March 28, 2024. Prizes will be awarded for First ($100), Second ($75), and Third ($50) places. Winners are selected in each of the following grade categories: 4th/5th/6th, 7th/8th, 9th/10th, 11th/12th. Winning pieces will be exhibited in public spaces and made into a collection of greeting cards. Contest Rules Artwork is evaluated by the Grace College art department. They’re searching for overall creativity, artistic merit and depiction of the theme, but to make sure your piece passes every test, follow these guidelines. (We’d hate for your artwork to be removed from the contest on a technicality!)
This is important: No artwork depicting invasive species (i.e. trumpeter and tundra swans are acceptable, mute swans are not) will be considered! Native plants, animals and landscapes only, please. Finally, the submission form must be attached to the back of the entry. Use the Artwork Description to reflect on how your artwork imagines life at the lake in the past or the future. We look forward to seeing how you inspire your community to preserve its natural history! That’s it! Artwork is returned to students after the judging process, unless the artwork is among the winning pieces. Winning selections will be returned at the art contest ceremony. 
Syracuse Public Library has added a new resource for parents and their preschool-aged children: TALK. TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten is a text messaging service. It sends developmentally leveled activity suggestions based on the five Every Child Ready to Read practices to parents and caregivers with children 5 and under. The more parents and caregivers talk and list to young children, the easier it is for them to learn to read and write when they start kindergarten. Simple activities, such as singing and play, can help children develop cognitive and language skills. Unfortunately, not all parents have time to develop learning activities for their little ones, creating a school readiness gap that impacts children from under-resourced families disproportionately. A text messaging service aims to change this, helping children learn through simple, everyday interactions. TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten sends two text messages each week suggesting activities that parents and caregivers can easily incorporate into daily routines with their children. The service also notifies parents of free activities and services at the library. TALK is available to parents and caregivers in Michigan and Indiana with children ages 5 and under, and officially launched in Syracuse in January 2024. Parents can sign up by texting TALK to 75547 or visiting www.textandlearn.org.  Magazine fans, rejoice! It's never been easier to uncover new magazines on Libby! When you discover a magazine in our Libby collection, you can now open it and start reading with one tap! Magazines also appear on a new dedicated section of a user's Shelf called the Magazine Rack. From the Magazine Rack, you can access the latest issue of your magazine subscriptions and any other issues you choose to keep. This helps you find your favorite magazines from your library in one convenient place.
To save space on a user’s device, magazines are not automatically downloaded for offline use. Instead, users can manually choose which issues to download. Other updates include:
Syracuse Public Library is constantly adding new stories to the shelves! Here are just a few new ones that will spot now through December. Be sure to check some of them out!
Does a friend or family member live in the town of Syracuse or Turkey Creek Township and doesn’t have a library card? If yes, encourage them to sign up for a card at the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library this September during National Library Card Sign-up Month. Resident library cards have no added cost since they are paid for by residents’ tax dollars. Beyond gaining access to a wealth of reading materials and DVDs, SPL library card holders can visit and check materials out from any Evergreen Indiana library, including Milford, North Webster or Ligonier, to name a few. SPL patrons can also use digital resources like Libby or Hoopla to read e-books; listen to audiobooks and music albums; or watch television shows, movies and documentaries. Hotspots are another popular item at the Syracuse Public Library and help connect patrons with the internet in their homes or wherever they may roam. As a bonus, everyone who signs up for a new library card in September will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. All ages are included in the drawing. Syracuse Public Library also offers non-resident library cards, available at a rate set by the state of Indiana. Those who sign up for a non-resident library card will also be eligible to take part in the drawing. For details about our card policies, visit www.syracuse.lib.in.us/policies-and-procedures.html.  Michelle and Katie are ready to get you set up with Evergreen Indiana library cards -- as are other SPL staff members! 
Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library is sharing an update from the Indiana State Library about the materials courier service between Hoosier libraries: A new statewide library courier contract began on June 26. Over these past two months, the Indiana State Library has received feedback on the new service from the entire library community, including everyone from library patrons to directors and deans of academic libraries. Unfortunately, the new company was unable to keep up with the volume and complexity of Indiana’s public library routes. While their administration was capable and communicative and some promising progress was made during the two months, the impact on libraries was felt widely. Many deliveries were made in error or not at all, mostly due to staffing and driver issues. For these combined reasons, the Indiana State Library will be pivoting back to the previous courier service to carry out the current contract. NOW Courier will assume ownership of all library materials currently in transit on Sept. 1. They will utilize the week of Sept. 4 to sort materials received, and then begin delivering to library locations the week of Sept. 11. In an effort to help the new courier start smoothly, resource sharing in state -– including Evergreen Indiana, SRCS and Indiana Share -- will be paused temporarily. Evergreen patrons may still borrow in person from all member libraries and place holds, but interlibrary holds will not be occurring until Sept. 17. Evergreen users will also have full access to the Indiana Digital Library eBooks and audiobooks through Libby and Hoopla. Timeline
Syracuse Public Library PatronsWhile material holds are paused, already-placed holds will be fulfilled once deliveries resume. You do not have to cancel or resubmit your holds. Since the Syracuse Public Library is an Evergreen Indiana library, our patrons can visit and check out needed materials that are not available at SPL from other Evergreen Indiana libraries, such as Milford, North Webster, Cromwell, Ligonier, to name a few. You can find a full list of Evergreen libraries here.
Staff at SPL can help you place holds at other local Evergreen Indiana libraries. You will just need to pick the materials up from that library. As always, our digital resources -- Libby and Hoopla -- are available and offer access to hundreds of digital e-books, audiobooks, magazines, movies, and TV shows. We appreciate your patience during this transition. |
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