Thursday, November 29, 2012

Homemade Crafts for the Holidays

The staff at the Otis Library is a pretty crafty bunch. Many of the staff makes various homemade gifts for each other and their family and friends around the holidays. The holidays around here can be filled with many sweet and savory snacks in the staff lounges (with promises to start diets in the New Year!)



So many of our ideas come from the books from our very own shelves. Right now we have on display some great holiday crafting and baking books, along with an accompaniment of some holiday music. They are going out very quickly, but we do seem to have a pretty large collection!  
Check out our catalog to put some books on hold!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Horror Books on Display






'Tis that time of the year where many of us like to read scary stories, watch scary movies and dress up in horrific costumes...its fun, I guess! To help you in these frightful pastimes the library has multiple places to grab some blood-curdling items. In the entry way you can find books for all ages, fiction and non-fiction. Upstairs in the children's area, you can find extra seasonal displays for the kids to read...(but you can read them too). In the Young Adult section there is another display...and tons of new books on vampires and werewolves!

We also have some ideas for Halloween costumes, we might even dress up too!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

E-Readers at Otis Library

We are now offering e-readers to check out!


E-readers Lending Policy
  • Why are we offering this service?
To offer you an e-reader experience so you can make informed decisions should you decide to purchase one. You can decide whether this new technology delivers reading in a way that fits your lifestyle.

  • What kind of e-readers are available to check out?
    • 3 Nook Simple Touches
    • 1 Amazon Kindle Touch (has a text-to-speech function)
  • Who can borrow the e-readers?
Otis Library card holders (18 years and older) with a valid library card in good standing (less than 5.00 in fines) may borrow one e-reader at a time. You must have been a cardholder for at least six-months. Must provide a Picture ID, which we will take a photo copy of to hold with the User Agreement you signed.

  • How long can I keep an e-reader? And how many titles can I download?
14 Days with no renewal. You will need to wait a week before you can check out an e-reader again. Titles will be pre-loaded, with a selection that the Otis Library has purchased. Not all e-readers will have the same book selection on them. We tried to have a wider range of titles that would appeal to a variety of people.

  • Can I purchase e-books using the library’s e-reader?
No. You may not purchase any e-books using the library’s e-reader.

  • Can I reserve an e-reader?
No reservations. First come, first serve.

  • Do you offer instructions on how to use the e-reader?
We may supply e-reader manual- print out instruction- link to a tutorial video- download some titles on e-readers etc…We also offer one-on-one sessions that you may schedule with us.

  • Who do I return the e-reader to?
E-reader can only be returned to the library in person. There will be a fine of $10.00 if e-reader is returned in the book drop. There is a 5.00 late fee per day overdue.

  • User Cost
The reader is free to borrow. If the reader is borrow and damaged, you will be expected to replace the item. The charge for replacement is 150.00 for the Nooks and 200.00 for the Kindle.

We hope you enjoy your reading experience. This is a new service that we are offering, so we hope it runs smoothly! Please forward any comments or questions to Amanda abrouwer@otis.lioninc.org or call 860-889-2365 x109.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Monday, August 20, 2012

Job Seeker Workshop with CTWorks

On August 28th, from 10-11:30; Otis Library will host the program 'LET CTWorks Work for You'. A representative from CT Works will talk about the employment and career resources available through this agency.


CTWorks One Stop Career Centers are located throughout the state, including Norwich, offering resources ranging from employment workshops to resume assistance for job seekers. Whether a person is unemployed, looking for a different job, or interested in getting back into the labor market, CTWorks services are available to anyone, regardless of employment status.

This program is free and open to the public. Please call (860) 889-2365 x128 to reserve your spot. You may also register online now, here

We will also provide a handouts of services that the Otis Library provides to those seeking employment, as well.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Giveaways on Facebook

Please check out our Facebook page at Otis Library Facebook and see the books we will be giving away all through this summer. Each week we will give away a new book and all you will need to do is add a comment or answer a short question.

This weeks giveaway is an Advanced Reader's copy of Elin Hilderbrand's Summerland

Plus, you have to pick up the book here at Otis, but it's okay we have some fabulous air-conditioning!

If you mention to me (Amanda) that you read this blog post, I will also give you a book bag of your choice!


Saturday, June 16, 2012

Summer Reading

Come in early to grab the best Summer Reading titles. We have lists in all departments for different schools around the local area. If we don't have a list we can always try to find it.

Don't forget that we also run some great programs over the summer for kids and adults too.

We will also be offering some adult computer sessions on the basics of job applications, email and Pinterest.

Otis Library will be starting to lend out E-Readers to our patrons soon!

We look forward to a busy and fun summer! Hope to see you here at Otis!

Don't forget that we will be closed on Saturdays for July and August, but our other hours are the same.

Monday & Wednesday 10-8, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10-5. 

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Join Otis Library on Pinterest

The Otis Library is now on  Pinterest! Follow us at pinterest.com/otislibraryct to see what new books we are adding to the various collections, upcoming books we will be adding to the collection, program ideas, past library displays, ideas for future displays, news about our annual Evening with an Author event, and so much more.  We will highlight new boards each month showcasing a different area in our collection. 

We want to introduce two very special collaborative boards. The first board is Favorite Book in Norwich. The Otis Library wants to know your favorite book and invites you to share it with us. You must be a follower of Otis Library on Pinterest. Please add the book title and author to your pin.  At the end of May, we'll be randomly selecting one pin to receive a gift card from Dunkin Donuts.

The second board is called Choose Your Character's Outfit where we want your to create an outfit for any character of your choosing using www.polyvore.com (a free site). Again, you must be following Otis Library to participate in adding your pin to the board. Please also add the character's name and the book title. At the end of May, we'll select a winner who will receive a gift card for Cold Stone Creamery.

For the month of May we will be bringing you a Graphic Novel board to coincide with Free Comic Book Day on May 5th, the release of  'The Avengers' Movie on May 4th, and a special event with Tony from Arkham Asylum on May 21st at 6:30 in the Meeting Room to talk about comic books. 

We hope that you're as excited about this as we are! We'll see you on Pinterest!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Review of Lovely Knits for Little Girls


Lovely Knits for Little Girls


Title: Lovely Knits for Little Girls
Author: Vibe Sondergaard
Fabulous pictures, the models in the book seem so happy too! Love to see the front and back of the finished product. It was great to see patterns that were geared towards girls that are a somewhat forgotten age group in Knitting patterns.