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January 25th, 2007

02:00 pm
Maybe you haven’t been into one of the CPLS branches in a while. Maybe it’s because you think you know everything we offer...maybe you’re here all the time but only go to your favorite section...maybe you’ve never been here but stumbled upon this blog by accident.

Well, today is your lucky day. If you think the library is just books, well, I’ve got a surprise for you! Here are 8 things that CPLS does that you may not know about. So come check us out.

8) Books!
Well, this is a given. You know we have books. But did you know that we buy many copies of bestsellers that you can place requests to be sent to your closest branch? Plus, we have books in multiple formats such as on CD or Large Print or even e-Books so that just about anyone can get what book they’re looking for. Check out our online catalog and start placing those requests. Also check out our new titles RSS feed to keep up with all the new books! (No sure what an RSS feed is? Check out our explanation here!)

7) Movies!
This might be another given. We’ve had VHS tapes for a long time. But we’re expanding our DVD collection and adding new titles every day, including old and new movies and television shows! Check out our DVD RSS feed to keep up with all the new stuff! We also have a VHS collection of Described Videos for the sight impaired. We also show movies twice a month at our Main Library’s Films on the Bluff series.

6) Magazines & Newspapers!
I know, I know. The last two and this one you already knew about. But did you know that the Main Library is home to the Clearwater Sun Archives? And has current and back issues of magazines such as Archaeology, Martha Stewart Living, Popular Mechanics, and Sesame Street? We also have newspapers on microfilm back to the 1920s and 1930s.

5) Items by mail!
Through the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, CPLS offers a mail service of any of our circulating items. For more information call 727.441.9958 or email Marilyn Stevenson at mstevenson@pplc.us.

4) Community Space!
4 out of the 5 CPLS branches offer meeting room space of various sizes free for non-profit organizations and community groups. The spaces at the Main Library also have DVD & VHS players, Internet access and laptop hookups as well as LCD projectors available for use. Call Paula Chaplinsky for more information at 562.4970 x5281.

3) Online resources! (that you don’t even need to come to the library for)
Check out our web site for access to information from anywhere. Resources such as World Book Online (always start with an encyclopedia), Biography Resource Center (find out interesting facts about people), the Florida Resource and Opportunity Guide (information about groups and resources in the greater Clearwater area), Kids’ Infobits (a kid-friendly information resource great for homework), and Rosetta Stone (learn a foreign language!)

2) Art and Craft displays!
Everything from oil paintings to weaving displays to toy trucks to cloth dolls – we display it in our libraries.

1) Family time!
In addition to our Family Storytime at Main, we also offer something for every age group, ranging from picture books perfect for reading aloud in our comfy couches in our youth departments, to games of checkers or chess, not to mention old monster movies with trivia games and prizes for all. Check out our events calendar for more all sorts of family friendly programs.