Perth County Information Network

What's New?

On May 22, 2013, the materials from the three North Perth Public Library branches became available in the PCIN catalogue. Now library card holders from Perth East, West Perth, Stratford, St. Marys and the 3 North Perth branches can access materials from any library in Perth County!

As of January 1, 2013, Public Library on Wheels became a program of the Stratford Public Library. For PLOW program information or to learn more about how you can have PLOW in your community, visit the SPL PLOW webpage.

PCIN is excited to announce that North Perth Public Library became a full member of PCIN in December 2012. Their library collection will be merging with the rest of PCIN's in spring 2013.

Welcome to North Perth Public Library who became an Associate Member of PCIN in early 2012.

Youth in West Perth, Perth East, Perth South and Stratford are invited to enter our "Fly Like Arthur the Hawk" Contest. Contest entries will be received until September 15, 2011. Full contest details here.

The Perth County Information Network needs to develop a strategic plan for sustainable future growth, and is looking for a candidate to develop this report. Read more in the Request For Proposal.

Update: Position is now filled - watch for detail of the plan's outcome.

St. Marys Public Library welcomes a new CEO on their library. Yunmi Hwang will start her new position on May 30, 2011. Read more about Ms. Hwang in an article from the St. Marys Journal Argus, May 4, 2011.

Congratulations to Perth East Public Library in the move to their new library building. Official opening was held on December 11th. Their new address is now 19 Mill Street East, Milverton.

Perth East Public Library

Report Providing BiblioCommons Outreach to Increase Individuals’ Web 2.0 Digital Literacy Skills created by Natasha Hesch, Digital Literacy Librarian, Stratford Public Library

St. Marys Public Library Becomes a Full Member of PCIN

St. Marys Public Library is expanding their partnership in the Perth County Information Network! They were recipients of an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to connect their library to PCIN. Soon you will be able to find their records in BiblioCommons, borrow from their collection and more.
Read the full press release here.

Trillium Grant Announcement Group Shot

Ontario Trillium Grant Announcement Group Photo

Discover BiblioCommons – Enrich your Library Experience

Perth East, Stratford and West Perth public libraries are second in the world to launch BiblioCommons!

BiblioCommons is the new finding tool that allows library users to find what they are looking for. It incorporates web 2.0 and social networking features, which means that library users can contribute information to the catalogue and interact with each other.

Voice your opinion by adding comments and star-ratings about books and movies.
Create lists to share with other users about your favourite authors, genres or interests.
Connect and communicate with other users with similar interests in a safe, trusted environment.
Manage your account online, place holds, renew items and check due dates.
Build networks of favorite reviewers that result in personalized recommendations.
Explore bestsellers, award winners and newly acquired library materials.

All of these additional discovery features give library users a new and interesting way to find library materials.

This user-generated content is shared by all libraries that use BiblioCommons. This results in a much richer catalogue experience for the user. For example, Perth East Public Library users can read comments and lists created by others from their library, as well as user-generated content from Stratford, Mitchell and Oakville. Soon we will see library users from Halton Hills and Ottawa adding online content.

Check out BiblioCommons:

Perth East Public Library: http://pepl.bibliocommons.com/dashboard
Stratford Public Library: http://spl.bibliocommons.com/dashboard
West Perth Public Library: http://wppl.bibliocommons.com/dashboard

BiblioCommons is a project of Knowledge Ontario, which is funded by the province of Ontario. The support of the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Culture, is acknowledged.

Have you heard? Downloadable audio books are @ your library! (February 6, 2008)

More than 1300 downloadable audio books are now available to library customers, free of charge, thanks to the collaboration of area libraries including the Perth County Information Network (PCIN), Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Waterloo Region. Together these libraries have purchased downloadable audio books that can be found on a shared website called downloadLibrary.

At www.downloadlibrary.ca you can browse a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction titles. Select the book you want to hear and download it to your personal computer. Listen to titles on your PC, or transfer to your MP3 player. A list of supported devices is available on the website.

“The five library systems have teamed up to pool their resources and offer more titles together than would have been possible for each library on its own”, according to Caroline Shewburg, of the West Perth Library/PCIN.

To use downloadLibrary you will need a valid library card, a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and the Internet. Quick Start instructions will get you on your way. If you have slow or no Internet access at home, the same great titles are offered at a special download station, available locally at the Stratford Public Library. An easy-to-use “download wizard” or helpful library staff will walk you through the steps. “The whole process can be done from the comfort of your home, and offers a wealth of current titles for busy people on the go”, says Wendy Hicks of the Stratford Public Library/PCIN.

Up to ten titles at a time can be “borrowed”, each for a period of two weeks. The downloaded audio books automatically expire when they reach their due date which means there are never overdue fines. With car stereo adaptors, plug in an MP3 player and listen to a great book when you’re on the road. “This is a wonderful new service to offer to our regular library users, and may attract some new younger patrons who are technologically savvy and have the tools”, adds Patti Henhoeffer of the Perth East Public Library/PCIN.

The variety of available titles is impressive, from all the best in fiction to biographies, self-help, business and language learning. There’s a great selection of audio books for everyone: adults, teens and children. It’s all @ your library. Anytime, anywhere. Listen to a good book today from downloadLibrary!

Family Literacy Day 2008

Stratford Festival Marketplace, Public Library on Wheels, Perth- Middlesex Early Years Centers, and the Avon Maitland District School Board partnered together to bring an Enchanted Adventure to the Stratford Festival Marketplace, January 26 2008, 10am - 3pm.

Children were able to meet their favorite Nursery Rhyme and Fairy Tale characters. Kids were given "autograph books" collect autographs from their favorite characters. Performances by local musicians, story teller and performers. The Early Years Center provided a craft area and stories were read by John Wilkinson, Dan Mathieson and others at the mall's centre court. Lots of draws for books were held throughout the day. There were over 3000 people at the mall during the Enchanted Adventure! What a fantastic turn out and an amazing event!

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from Stratford Public Library tagged with enchantedadventure. Make your own badge here.

Congratulations to PLOW for WINNING the CLTA/Stan Heath Achievement in Literacy Award - presented by CLTA (Canadian Library Trustees Association) to the Perth County Information Network in recognition of outstanding accomplishments in identifying and meeting the need for literacy services and support in Perth County, Ontario! The award will be presented Thursday, 15 June, 2006, 6 p.m., at the National Library and Archives of Canada.

PLOW is on the shortlist for the Minister of Culture's MINISTER'S AWARD FOR INNOVATION. PLOW and 4 other projects are in the running to receive this award at the Ontario Library Association's SuperConference in February 2006. For more information click here (requires pdf reader).

October 17 - 23 is Ontario Public Library Week and Canadian Public Library Week. Visit your library to see what is going on today!

PCIN was at the International Plowing Match September 20 - 24th. Located in the Perth County Tent, PCIN members demonstrated Information Perth, and discussed what PLOW was to interested visitors. The Public Library on Wheels (PLOW) van was also be in the Little Sprouts area of the Education tent entertaining young and old with story times.

PCIN Staff at International Plowing Match
Brenda Tessell and Wendy Hicks at the PCIN booth

Trish telling a story for PLOW at International Plowing Match
Trish entertaining a number of children

The Perth County Information Network is pleased to announce that Public Library on Wheesls (P.L.O.W.) is on the road! The P.L.O.W. van has been making the rounds to various locations in the county this summer. Watch for the P.L.O.W. van in your community. For more information on P.L.O.W., click here.