BOOKSCAN STATION NOW AVAILABLE AT LIBRARY

Private Donation Makes New Equipment Possible

The Stratford Library has announced the addition of a BookScan Station for its patrons. The new equipment was made possible by a recent $5000 donation from a private contributor in honor of his parents.

The new BookScan Station makes scanning, saving and sharing a very easy process. Patrons are now able to scan, save and edit important documents and school papers. They can also share favorite book excerpts, old letters and photos online via email, Facebook or Twitter with colleagues and friends around the world. The station is located in the Reference Department of the Stratford Library during regular library hours. Librarians are on hand to assist.

The scanned images can be saved to a flash drive, emailed to one's personal email account, or printed out in color or black and white. There is no cost for the scanning service; the only cost is to print (15 cents for a black and white page, or one dollar for a color page).

The BookScan station can even scan a paper resume and convert the resume into a Word document that can be edited. This is invaluable for people who have not previously used computers and need to turn their resume into a file that can be emailed or posted online.

Library Director Barbara Blosveren acknowledged the addition. “The Stratford Library is pleased to be able to offer this invaluable new service to our patrons and we are most grateful to the Stratford donor who made it all possible.”

For further information call the Stratford Library Reference Department at 203.385.4161 or visit: www.LibraryScanStation.com.

Workshops for job seekers at Stratford Library

The Library will offer two innovative workshops in November to introduce job seekers to two useful "tools" in their job search: the websites LinkedIn and Krazoom.

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Monday, November 15 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. The hands-on workshop Get Connected with LinkedIn, taught by a Department of Labor Career Development Specialist, will show you how to set-up a professional networking profile on LinkedIn, build your network, connect and share information about job opportunities. Advance registration is required (register at the Reference Desk). To benefit from the program, you must have a working email account and a copy of your resume saved in .txt format. Call the Reference Desk for details at 203-385-4161

Monday, November 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You can find your next job on Krazoom : an innovative new website for your online job search site. Krazoom creator, Henning Seip, will demonstrate the unique benefits that set this database apart from all the other job search sites. With Krazoom, you match your skills and experience to hundreds of jobs you may not have ever considered.

Both workshops are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Adult Services Dept. at 203-385-4161.

Show your library card for special deals around Stratford

Stratford Library & local businesses offer October and November discounts for Stratford Library patrons

Three dozen local Stratford business are offering discounts or promotional offers in October and November when you "show them your library card."

If you live in Stratford and don't have a library card, please bring ID to the Stratford Library to get one to take advantage of these exciting offers. A library card is free, and it only takes a few minutes to sign up.

The local businesses offering special discounts and offers in October and November include restaurants, florists, banks, and many other services. Take a look at the list of participating merchants and organizations, and then get out your library card!

Business owners invited to Chamber event at the Library

Stratford Chamber of Commerce
invites Stratford business owners and entrepreneurs to
Business After Hours @ Stratford Library

Thursday, 10/7/2010
5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM
Cost: $10 Members, $20 Future members

Join the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, for their "Business after hours" event at the Stratford Library (Lovell Room). Enjoy a selection of UNO Chicago Grill appetizers while Stratford Library staff highlight how library services can assist your business.

Call 203-335-3800 to preregister. Walk-ins are welcome, space permitting.

The Stratford Library + Your Business = A Great Partnership!

Tax forms -- the library won't let you down

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that it will no longer mail out instructions and paper forms for annual income tax returns next year, saving the agency about $10 million annually as more Americans are filing online.

But that doesn't mean that the paper forms aren't available! The Stratford Library will continue to make the most common forms available in our lobby during March and April. If you need a tax form that we don't carry, you can ask the librarians to print it for you off the IRS website.

There is nothing pleasant about filing tax forms, but you may get some satisfaction in knowing that at least some of your tax dollars are paying for helpful, personalized service at your public library.

Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Event

A Celebration of Latin Culture - Una Celebración de la Cultura Latina

The Hispanic Heritage of Stratford committee invites you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a festive kick-off event at the Stratford library, on Saturday, September 25th (noon - 4 pm).

The kick-off event will feature art work from Stratford schools students on themes of Hispanic artists, poetry and instruments used in Latin music. All families are welcome to admire the artwork of Stratford's students. The library will also have on display books, CDs and DVDs infused with Hispanic Heritage-- all available to take home.

A wonderful online resource to delve into during Hispanic Heritage Month is www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/, a joint project of the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art and many other of our most important cultural institutions. Here are just a few of the opportunities this website makes available:

• Listen to best-selling author Isabel Allende discussing her writing.
• Watch a video on the royal armour of Spain.
• Share your family's story with StoryCorpsHistorias, an initiative to record the diverse stories and life experiences of Latinos in the United States.

Truly a Great Festival -- the Great Stratford Bird Festival

You may not think of yourself as a "birder," but who wouldn't want to spend the last golden days of summer enjoying the natural beauty of Stratford and our neighboring towns?

The 3rd Annual Great Stratford Bird Festival will offer a truly amazing array of activities not just for those who love birds for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

The Festival takes place over the weekend of Sept. 24-26.

Over 35 different activities -- many free or low-cost -- include boat trips, marsh paddles, urban bird walks, demonstrations of decoy carving, kite-flying, story-telling, and art exhibits.

This year’s festival features many opportunities to see birds in their natural habitats. Sign up for one of the many field trip opportunities to see birds of prey in flight, swallows in migration, or come to a bird of prey presentations.

Even if you're not much of an outdoors type, you might want to sign up for the New-England-style fundraising dinner with the event's honorary chairperson, Phil Donahue.

Mr. Donahue was an avid of the Bald Eagle Festival which was, until recently, held in Essex, Connecticut. Mr. Donahue is an interested birder in his own right and maintains his personal home and yard to maximize his birding opportunities.

The full schedule can be seen at the site for the Great Stratford Bird Festival.

When the festival is over, why not pick up some books or CDs at the library to further your "bird-u-cation"?

	Birding by Ear You will be amazed the first time you step outside after listening to these CDs, by how the orchestra of bird song begins to sort itself out into individual instruments. As an added benefit, this CD will bewitch any resident cats.
	What should you do if you find a baby bird on the sidewalk? Is throwing rice at a wedding actually bad for birds? The Bird Watching Answer Book answers perplexing questions about birds in an entertaining, clear format.
	On Sept. 25, the Stratford Library's Children's Room will offer a "Bird Storytime" from 10:30 am to 11:15 am for preschoolers and up. Please register at 203.385.4165. And don't forget to watch the skies for birds!