OverDrive Enhancements

It’s hard to believe, but it has been almost five years since we launched our OverDrive eBook collection. eBooks have exploded in that short time, and we’re gratified to see how popular the collection is. Since the launch, our collection has grown by leaps and bounds (with new titles added all of the time) and we’ve expanded the service to include eAudiobooks.

OverDrive has changed over the years as well, and recently made some important modifications to our eBook site. There’s a new look, new features and new sign-in options. A bit more about this below:

New Look
The new design includes includes easy-to-understand item availability, as well as quick links that let you borrow titles or place holds right away.

New Features
New sorting and filtering options make it easier to find the title you’re looking for and make new discoveries. You can now filter your search results by availability, format, date added, subject, and more. You can also sort search results by relevance and popularity. Tabs at the top of the page let you to see what’s new and trending in the library’s eBook collection.

New Sign-In Options
You can still sign in directly with your library card number and PIN, but now you have the option to link your library card with an OverDrive account or your Facebook account. For more details, see OverDrive’s web page on which sign-in option is best for you.

This isn’t all. There’s a full list of enhancements on the OverDrive Help page. Overdrive is also planning to introduce new features that will work with readers who use OverDrive and Facebook accounts in the near future. These include personalized recommendations while browsing the website, new ways to manage your checkouts, holds, and wish list items, and more. Stay tuned!

Person using photocopier.

Printer and Photocopier Changes Coming to All Branches 

We’re pleased to announce new enhancements to our printer and photocopier system at all library branches. The improved system will let you send print jobs from anywhere wirelessly: from your own laptop within the library, and even from home or work. In addition to remote printing, we’re also adding more colour printing capability, with colour-enabled printers/copiers on the first floor of the Central Library and at the Brooklin Branch.

We’re also making changes to the printing and photocopying payment system at all library locations. Photocopies and printouts will be paid for using your library card and the coin-operated payment system will no longer be available. You will be able to load funds onto your library card at any service desk, and you can then scan your card at the machine to pay for printouts and photocopies. No card? No problem. Visitors who don’t have a library card can ask staff for assistance.

The new card payment system and remote printing service will be introduced at the Central Library in early February, followed by the Brooklin Branch and the Rossland Branch.
Did You Know?

You Can Borrow Admission Passes

Boy swimming underwater.We have all kinds of materials to borrow at all of our branches, including books, DVDs, CDs, video games, language learning kits, but did you know we also have admission passes you can borrow? Check out a Skate and Swim Pass and explore Whitby’s recreation facilities. More of a history buff? We also have passes to the Parkwood National Historic Site (also known as the Parkwood Estate) which was the home of Robert Samuel McLaughlin, whose car company evolved into General Motors of Canada. The estate is now a museum, and has been the set of a number of feature films and TV shows, including X-Men, Murdoch Mysteries, Bomb Girls and Amelia.

Each pass entitles you to free admission for up to five people (maximum two adults with the Parkwood Museum Pass), and you can use the passes an unlimited number of times during the checkout period. You can even place a hold on the passes and pick them up at your WPL branch of choice.

See our web page for more about the Skate and Swim pass, or place a hold on one here. Click here to place a hold on the Parkwood Museum Pass.
Upcoming Programs

Photo of Marilyn Sinclair.

African History: Global Identity at the Central Library 
Monday, Februrary 1
7:00 to 9:00 pm
Meeting Room 1B

Marilyn Sinclair, Founder of Cross Cultural Tapestry will lead a discussion on the diversity, connections and contributions of people of African descent from Africa, the Diaspora, Canada and locally.

Registration is required. Register for African History: Global Identity online or by contacting any branch.

Teen Advisory Group.

Teen Advisory Group at the Central Library 
Thursday, February 11
Meeting Room 1
4:00 to 5:00 pm

Looking for community service hours? Want to help plan programs for teens at the library? Know of a good book that the library should buy? If you’re in grades 7 to 12 you’re eligible to join our Teen Advisory Group (TAG) where you get to boss us around. We meet on the second Thursday of each month from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. February’s meeting will take place on February 11 in Meeting Room 1.

There’s no need to register to attend, just stop by on February 11 to have your say. For more information contact the Children’s and Adult Fiction Department at 905 668-6531 Ext. 2010 or email askcaf@whitbylibrary.on.ca.

Registration is not required. Just drop in!

A Walk in the Woods movie poster.

Big Screen Film Club at the Brooklin Branch 
Thursday, February 18
6:30 to 8:30 pm

Read a movie, watch a book. Join us for the Big Screen Film Club to enjoy movies that are based on books. The Club will meet on the third Thursday of the every month, and adults 18 and over are invited to register and join us for a free film screening and discussion.
February’s film is A Walk in the Woods, based on the novel of the same name by author Bill Bryson.

After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson returns to the U.S. where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends. (Description from IMDb.com)

This film is rated 14A according to the Ontario Film Review Board. Closed captioning will be available for this film.

Registration is required. Register for the Big Screen Film Club online or by contacting any branch.

Stuffed bear reading.

Books Before Bed at the Brooklin Branch 
Tuesday, February 2, 9, 16, 23
7:00 to 7:30 pm

Come in your pajamas, bring your favorite stuffed animal and snuggle up with your parents by the fireplace as you enjoy stories, songs and rhymes before bed. All ages are welcome!

Registration is not required. Just drop in!

Heart shape with fruits and vegetables inside.

Heart Healthy Habits at the Rossland Branch 
Thursday, February 11
2:30 to 3:30 pm

Celebrate Heart Month with us. A representative from the Heart and Stroke Foundation will discuss tips and strategies to keep your most important muscle healthy and happy all year.

Registration is required. Register for Heart Healthy Habits onlineor by contacting any branch.

Kendama.

Valentine Kendama at the Rossland Branch
Saturday, February 13
10:30 to 11:30 am

The Kendama is a traditional Japanese ball and cup toy. Make your sweetheart a special edible Kendama and a cool bling card. For children in grades 1 and up.
Book Marks 

An American in Canada 
Book cover of Grass Beyond the Mountains.
Are you a William Murdoch fan? Who doesn’t like that handsome, intelligent (if slightly nerdy) police detective who solves crimes in 1900s Toronto? Murdoch Mysteries, based on the books by Maureen Jennings, is not the only CBC series to feature Yannick Bisson. He also stars in the TV Series called Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy, based on the book,Grass Beyond the Mountain by Richmond P. Hobson Jr. His character is an American who comes to the Canadian West in the 1930s to build a successful 4 million acre cattle ranch while facing hardship and packs of wandering wolves. The story continues in book two, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy and the third book, Rancher Takes a Wife, says it all. An exciting and adventurous non-fiction trilogy set in our own backyard.  
Books, Research and More

Multilingual Matters

Book cover of War_s Unwomanly Face.

Belarusian Writer Wins 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature

Svetlana Aleksievich, a Belarusian journalist and writer who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature, primarily documented Chernobyl, the Afghanistan War, and Soviet women in World War II inher works.

While researching for her books, Aleksievich interviewed hundreds of people. She focused on their daily lives and the disappearance of their way of life, rather than the political climate of the surrounding war or disaster. The library has a selection of her works, including three Russian novellas, T͡Sinkovye malʹchiki, Zacharovannye smertʹi͡u andChernobylʹskai͡a molitva, in one volume.
Virtual Branch: WPL on the Web

Person fixing a car.

Auto Repair Reference Centre  

As one of the most important automotive centres in Canada, Durham Region has always had a great car culture. For many, that means fixing and maintaining your own wheels. But as cars get more sophisticated, fixing them isn’t as easy as it used to be. If you want to do some work under the hood, give our new Auto Repair Reference Centre(ARRC) database a try.

AARC has repair and maintenance information, including drawings, service bulletins/recalls, step-by-step photographs and wiring diagrams for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles from 1954 to present. All parts of the vehicle are covered, including transmissions, brakes, ignition, electrical, exhaust, heating/cooling and more. All of the content has been created by ASE (Auto Service Excellence) certified technicians. ARRC replaces our Chilton’s Auto Repair database.

And while we’re on the topic of online databases, you may have noticed some changes to the resources that we offer. Thanks to a province-wide funding program, we were able to provide access to several online databases. This program concluded at the end of 2015 and some of these resources will no longer be available through the library.

However, while our online offerings have changed, we still offer an excellent collection of databases on a wide variety of subjects. Whether you’re writing a high school or university paper, searching for businesses or researching your family history, our website is your gateway to academic journals,historical newspapers, magazine articles and many other helpful resources.

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