Easter Sunday falls on April 4th

Hippity-Hop into reading something this weekend and prepare yourself for Easter Sunday! Of course, you could grab your favorite version of the bible and read some scripture if you're into that. In fact, we have bibles right here at the library if you're missing your copy. We also have various books on Christian religion and faith, so if you're looking for something to compliment your religious practices you should come and check out our selection. You will find most of these books in the 200's if you are interested.

But, don't forget the Easter Bunny either! We have books related to the Easter Bunny too, many of which are for your little ones. Come in and ask a library clerk where you might find one of these before this weekend and festivities end. And, just for fun, here are some Easter Bunny fun facts: 

1. Did you know that the Easter Bunny's holiday takes in approximately $18 billion annually? He (or she, as there is some debate about this) is one expensive bunny!  (Alderton).
2. In some countries, the Easter Bunny takes on a different form, such as a church bell or a bilby, which is an Australian-native marsupial endangered by the invasive rabbit species (Alderton).
3. The Easter Bunny does indeed lay eggs, but the reason behind this remains with the fact that it stems from a story about a goddess of springtime turning her own pet bird into a rabbit (Alderton).

For more fun facts and interesting things related to Easter Sunday, visit the library and see what you can find among our stacks. Happy Easter!

Bibliography

1. Alderton, Matt. 13 Incredible Easter Bunny Facts You Didn't know. Bestlife, Chegg, 6, April, 2020, https://bestlifeonline.com/easter-bunny-facts/.

Portland Creates is back for 2021!

Are you Crafty and want to enter into an art contest? The Portland District Library has just the event for you! 

After a pandemic-related year off, Portland Creates is back! Have fun creating an original masterpiece, and have it displayed at the Portland District Library. Artists ages 6 and older can submit artwork of all types--paintings, drawings, sculptures, photos, and more. The submission period runs April 2nd through April 23rd, and the artwork will be on display throughout the month of May. Be sure to come in to vote for your favorites. Stop by the library to pick up the rules and submission forms, and join us for this year’s Portland Creates!

Here are some submissions from our past Portland Creates events:

 

There are some rules everyone must follow, these include the following:

· The Portland District Library is not responsible for any work of art that may become lost or damaged. 

·        Art must be in good taste and cannot contain excessive violence, drugs, or alcohol.

·        Original work in any medium is eligible, including photography and sculpture.

·        Each art entry will be restricted to 20” x 20” and should not be framed.

·        3D art must have a base no larger than 2 feet in any direction.

·        Entries will be limited to 2 per artist.

·        An entry form must be filled out for each piece of art entered.

·        Art pieces must be the original work of the artist submitting the piece. Photocopied or reproduced art will not be accepted.

·        Submitted work may not be traced from another piece of art.

·        Art entries will be divided into four age levels: Littles (ages 6-9), Middles (ages 10-12), Teens (ages 13-18), and Adults (ages 19+).

·        Prizes will be awarded to 3 entries in each age level. One winner and a runner up will be chosen by a group of judges. A People’s Choice winner will be selected based on votes submitted by the public during a one-month period.

·        All submitted artwork may be photographed and reproduced for promotional purposes.

·        Winning works of art will be held for display at the Portland District Library for the reception in June, 2021.

More Important dates to remember:

April 2nd - Submission period begins, submit art to the Portland District Library.

April 23rd - Submission period ends.

May 3rd - Art will go on display and voting will begin.

May 28th - Voting period ends.

June 5th - Reception will be held at the Portland District library for all participants and their families. Invitations with more information will be mailed out in May.

Stop by The Portland District Library to pick up a promo bag and entry form, submissions start Friday April 2nd!

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at either of these emails:

• Jada Spitzley - jspitzley@portlandmilibrary.com

Shae Stoddard - sstoddard@portlandmilibrary.com

How to log into OverDrive & Libby

 

If you are using OverDrive on a computer or desktop browser

1. Navigate to our website: https://www.pdl.michlibrary.org/

2. Scroll down and click on “Download audiobooks - ebooks - OverDrive” that is found both

   underneath “The Stack Report” (purple button) OR in the box labeled “Download Books Here” 

   to the left of the page.

3. Now you are at OverDrive’s main home page screen. You will want to click on the “Sign In” 

   button in the upper righthand corner of the screen.

4. You will now have the option to click the dropdown for your home library. 

   Select “Portland District Library”. You will then be prompted to enter your library card number 

   in the box below this. You will want to add “PDL” to the beginning of the library card 

   numbers. See example below.

5. Then click “Sign In” and you will be taken back to the home page screen. Here you can browse

   online materials using the search bar at the top of the page (it looks like a magnifying glass).

6. If you have other library cards, you will have to sign out of the current library card to sign into 

   another while browsing on a computer or desktop.

If you are using a mobile device or smart device

1. You will want to download the “OverDrive” app from your smart device’s store. 

   This will be either Google Play (Android) or App Store (Apple) in most cases. 

   Once you have successfully downloaded the app, click on it to open it up.  

   Example below is from the App Store on an iPhone.

2. You can also navigate to our website using a web browser on your mobile or smart 

   device and click on the OverDrive icon found there; you will find this icon underneath 

   the Stack Report button. It will open up a prompt to download the app from your device’s store.

3. After opening the app on your smart device you will then want to sign in. 

   You will be prompted at the top of your screen to sign in if this is the first time you

   have done so OR if you have signed out of the library card you previously used.

 

4. You will sign into your account by looking up our library using the dropdown and

selecting “Portland District Library” OR you may type in the name of the library in
the search bar as well. Once you have selected the library, you will enter your library card.

 

 

5. You will sign in by adding “PDL” to the beginning of your library card numbers. 

   Ex: PDL123456. See screenshot below for more clarification.

6. Once the information has been entered, you will click on the button “Sign In” 

   just below these text fields. This will lead you back to the home screen page.

7. You can tell you are signed in because there is no button at the top of the screen 

   prompting you to sign in. Here you will be able to search for your book using the 

   search bar at the top: click on the magnifying glass or click on the space just after

   it to start.

Adding another library card to your OverDrive app

Note: The library card must be from another library system and the patron must be

using the smart device app, not the browser version. If using a browser to sign in,

a patron must completely sign out  in order to sign into another library card;

you cannot switch between cards while still signed-in.

1. When adding another library card to your OverDrive, you will navigate to the left

    of the screen where you see three lines. Click the three lines and a menu will pop up. 

   Underneath “My Libraries” you will see “Add a library”. Click on this to start adding your

   other library card.

2. You will search for the library by typing the name in the search box and click the “Search”

    button. You can also use the “Browse for libraries” button to get a list of libraries to

    choose from.

3. Then you will be brought to the same sign-in page as adding a new card.

4. Once signed in you will be brought back to the main home page and you will know

    you have signed in if there is no prompt to sign in on the screen.

How to sign into the Libby App

Note: Libby can only be utilized on a smart device and cannot be accessed through

 a web browser.

1. You will need to download the Libby app on your smart device using either Google Play

    store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone) in most cases. Below is what the app looks

    like in the App store on an iPhone.

2. Once you have downloaded the Libby app, select it on your home screen. 

   Once the app is open you will want to add your library card. To do this, you will want

   to click the Libby icon in the upper righthand corner of the screen.

3. Once you have selected the icon, a pop-out window will appear. You will then click on

    “Add A Library” under Your Libraries.

4. Once you have chosen to add a library card, you will be taken to a screen where

    you can search for your library. Type in “Portland District Library” in the search bar,

    which will automatically pull-up “Woodlands Library Cooperative”. You will click on this

    box to continue.

5. After selecting Woodlands Library Cooperative, you will be taken back to the main home

    screen where you can search for books at the top of the page. You can also search for

    books by hitting the button “Explore”, which allows you to further tailor your search when

    browsing.

6. If you would ever like to add a new library card to your account or simply want to check

    on the status of your card to see how many books you have borrowed, simply click on

    the Libby icon in the top right hand corner of the screen. You will be taken to your

    electronic card which tells you how many holds (books that you are on a waiting list

    to receive) you have and how many loans you have (how many books you have

   checked out). At the bottom of your electronic cards the option to add a library shows up

    - you will simply click this and add your card this way.

We've got programs for everyone at the library

Our community has been able to take advantage of so many youth activities that it might be difficult to uncover the fact that we also have adult programs. Our adult programs cover a wide variety of interests and can be tailored to the interests of the community. At present, we have a couple for you to sign up for, which you can inquire about further by calling, stopping in, or reading on.

Get Creative With Cookies started on Thursday, March 25, a program where you will learn how to pipe, flood, marble, and decorate like a pro. This is an take-and-make activity that contains everything you need to make a batch of royal icing and decorate a dozen cookies. You will follow along with a YouTube video whenever works best for you. This program is limited to 10 participants, but we still have availability! Sign up ASAP to take advantage of this sweet program.

As always, we continue the one-on-one computer classes for anyone who wants to sign up. If you are having trouble navigating browsers, signing into your email accounts, converting and printing documents, saving your documents to specific folders or devices, or really anything else related to computer use, then this program is for you! A staff member will sit down with you and go through technology trouble areas, answer any questions that might arise, and guide you through basic computer skills that you struggle with.This runs throughout the year and is tailored to you (within the hours of the staff member who is available).

You may also have your own thoughts and opinions about the adult programs we have run in the past or some that you'd like to see in the future. We welcome your feedback and your interests for future programs. At this time, our suggestion box may be put away, but you can always call or stop in to let us know what you think about our programs. Thanks for being part of the library experience!

Spring is here - Stop by our spring display today!

Despite the fact that we lost an hour, (we did "spring forward" on March 14 in case you might have missed it like I did) we are so happy to celebrate the first day of Spring, March 20! I think it's safe to say that we're looking forward to Spring at the library. Stop by our display near our Large Print books for spring related reads. It's easy to spot because of all the delightful little flowers adorning the books and shelves ⚘🐰☀ Happy Spring!

Reserving materials right from home!

 

Did you know you can reserve library materials from home?  Let me show you how.

The first thing you will do is go to the Portland District Library’s website at https://www.pdl.michlibrary.org. 

To get to our online catalog, you will click “Search for Books and Other Library Materials” in the upper right hand side of the library website homepage.

  

In the upper right hand corner of the next screen, you will find the account log in area.  

 

When you click “Logon”, you will get a new screen asking for your login information.  Your username will be your first initial and last name.  (Example: Jsmith) The password will be the capital letter P and your library barcode number.  (Example: P10101) After entering your username and password, click “Log On".

 

You can then search the catalog for your book by keyword, title, author, subject, or series.

Once you have decided on a book, click on the green and white “+” button to add the book to your bookbag.

 

 

When you have added all your choices to your bookbag, click “View”, which is below the logoff button at the top right hand side of the page.

 

The books you have put in your bookbag will show on this page.  Click your mouse in the box to the left of the title of the books(s) you would like us to hold for you, and then click “Reserve”.  

 

 

You will get a showing the number of items you are reserving.  Click “OK”.

 

You will then get a message that says Item Reserved Successfully. Click “Close”.

 

You have now reserved your book!

You can either choose more library materials, or log off.

Portland District Library checks Reserve Requests at certain times of the day, and will notify you when your requested item is ready for pickup.   

We hope this feature makes using the library more enjoyable for you.