Now it the time!

The Library Board of the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library is reaching out to the citizens of Monroe with the following message:

The Town budget will be developed over the next few months and that means now is the time to let our First Selectman, the Town Council and the Board of Finance know that you support adequate funding for the library.  The library director has submitted a budget with a modest increase that includes raises for part time employees who have not had an increase for 7 years, in addition to an increase in the book and materials budgets.  The materials budget covers programs, DVD’s, music, magazines and newspapers. Please email, call, or write our elected officials and let them know you support these increases and that you consider the library an important part of our community.   Email addresses may be found on the library website at www.ewml.org or the Town website at www.monroect.org

Every year the library falls behind in its ability to bring the latest informational technology to our citizens and to deliver an abundance of books for young children just beginning their relationship with books.  The library hours of operation have dropped from a high of being open for 58 hours to 47 hours.  The library operates on less than one penny for every tax dollar collected and provides more than the recent bestsellers.  It is where help is given to the patron seeking a new job, the student requiring more resources than his school provides, a meeting place for teens to create their own safe space to share interests outside of school, the first social interaction for a toddler, and enriching cultural and informative programs.

It is time for our 12,000+ patrons who made over 130,000 visits to the library to voice their opinions; for the 10,000 patrons that attended library programs to let their voices be heard! The library contributes to the economic vitality of our Town by demonstrating to prospective residents and businesses that Monroe is a desirable Town in which to live and do business in.  Support the library by writing today.

Submitted by the Library Board of Trustees of the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library

William Ehlers, Chairman

Alice Deak

James Fogarty

Erin Passineau

Emily Serniak

Patricia Shea

What exactly is a database?

People often say to me that they can “get all the information I need by just asking Google”.  How do you know that the website any search engine points you to is giving you reliable information? A library database is an organized collection of data that gets its information from professionals or experts in the field.  They contain published works where facts are checked and they are easy to cite in a bibliography. Library databases are updated frequently and include the date of publication.  They are perfect for your research and reference needs. We have a lot of databases available for your use at the library on such topics as history, health & science, business, literature and more. We have a database to help you learn a language, research a medical problem, find stock and bond analysis, and find an old newspaper article.  Most can be accessed using your home computer or you can use one of the many computers we have available in the library. A reference librarian is always available to help you.  Find a listing of our databases on the library website, www.ewml.org/databases.htm

Let me introduce you to two of our popular databases: Transparent Language and Morningstar.  Transparent Language is an online language learning system designed specifically for use by patrons of public libraries. It takes you through a series of simple steps to memorize words and phrases in a new language in the shortest possible time. Over 70 languages are available for you to learn and you can access the system from inside the library or at home.  Transparent Language has advanced pronunciation analysis to help users perfect their pronunciation skills and individual progress tracking and assessment tests.  It’s fun and easy to use and you can even download a free app for your phone or tablet and get instant help with a language while you are traveling.

Morningstar offers detailed analyst guidance on thousands of stocks, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds. Morningstar is well known in the investment world for their star rating system for stocks and bonds. Whether you prefer to learn by reading or by watching videos, Morningstar will explain the basics of stocks, options, ETF’s, and  closed-end funds. You receive unlimited access to easy-to-use portfolio management tools, personalized portfolio analysis, select investment ideas, and independent, in-depth analyst reports to help you earn returns you can count on.  Whether you are just keeping an eye on your mutual fund investments or you are an active stock trader this database provided free for your use by the library is a valuable investment tool. If you are new to investing Morningstar has a Help & Education tab, if you want to learn the basics of asset allocation use the Portfolio tab.  Our librarians can help you get started so just stop by the Reference Desk. 

Many thanks!

Summer Reading is over and we had a record number of children, teens and adults participate, but that’s not the story I want to tell.  The real story is that we could not have done it without the donations we received from the community.  Businesses donated prizes, individuals donated their time, and some cash donations paid for programs. Participants in this year’s reading program included: 918 children, 173 teens and 139 adults. Congratulations to all of the children who kept their reading skills active during the summer and are now getting ready to go back to school.  The teens and adults already know the rewards of reading and they just enjoy coming to the library and winning all the great prizes!  Oh, by the way, July is the busiest month of the year at the library; 13,724 people visited.

Please help us thank our sponsors by supporting their business and telling them you appreciate the help they gave the library this summer. They include: Union Savings Bank, Newtown Savings Bank, Costco, Roberto’s Restaurant, Monroe Diner, Linda’s Storytime, Big Y, Glenro Spirit Shop, Country Pizza, Peachwave, McDonald’s of Monroe, McGowan’s, Benedict’s Home & Garden,  Bill’s Drive-In, Dunkin Donuts, Monroe Arts Council, Monroe Parks & Recreation, Jennie’s Pizzeria,  Country Hearts, The Angry Pepper,  Dairy Queen,  Brewers, Brian Adams Salon, Joggen Your Noggin, Sal’s Family Pizza, Golden Nails & Spa, Soup Thyme, The Last Drop Cafe, Ace Hardware, ArtSmart, Athletic & Outdoor Sports, Susanna Wesley School, Beardsley Zoo, Monster Golf, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Danbury Westerners, Sports Center of CT, Applebee’s, Golf Quest, Hart’s Seeds, Quassy Amusement Park, New Britain Rock Cats, and last but not least, The Friends of the Library. You can never have enough Friends!

Museum Passes

Summer is the perfect time to borrow one of the library’s museum passes! Visit the Beardsley Zoo, CT Science Center, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Maritime Aquarium, American Museum of Natural History and many more. For a complete list of our museum passes visit the library or go online to: www.ewml.org/passes

The passes provide free or discounted admission to local cultural attractions and most passes are available for a three day loan period. The Beardsley Zoo, Discovery Museum, and Stepping Stones Museum passes are available for a one day loan because they are so popular. Patrons often ask us why we don’t purchase more than one pass to each museum and the answer is that the museum or zoo will not allow us to have more than one pass. Passes are available on a first come/first serve basis – so what’s the best way to get one? Call the library to ask if the pass you are interested in is available. If it is we will hold it for you to pick up within two hours. When you come in please know that you must be 18 years old and a Monroe resident, taxpayer or member of the Friends of the Library. For one day loans you will have 24 hours to return the pass and they can be placed in the library book drop before we open at 10:00 the following day. Passes cannot be renewed and patrons are responsible for the replacement cost of the pass if they lose it.

The Friends of the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library provide the passes through their fund raising efforts so please consider becoming a member of the Friends to support their hard work. The Friends also provide supplemental funds to the library for books, materials, and programs. Membership in the Friends is only $15 for an individual or $25 for a family.

Enjoy your summer at one of our State’s great cultural attractions and say thanks to our Friends for the pleasure!

What's the big deal about summer reading?

The library will be hopping on Saturday, June 22 as we kick-off our summer reading programs for children, teens and adults. We’ll have various activities and contests throughout the day.  You can decorate a planter, make a yummy dirt cup, create a pet rock, try ice archaeology, and more. Don’t miss Mime Robert Rivest at 2:00 pm in the Ehlers Room.  Our sidewalk chalk contest is back with prizes for the best chalk drawing in several age categories. Grab your slab of sidewalk and decorate from 10:00 – 2:00; judging starts at 2:00 and prizes are awarded at 3:00. Don’t forget to bring your own chalk!

Why do we make such an effort to get children and families to the library? It’s because of the “summer slide”.  Studies have shown that children who do not read during the summer will lose more than two months of reading achievement, and the effect is cumulative. Kids who lose reading skills over the summer will be two years behind their classmates by the end of the 6^th grade.  By joining the Summer Reading Club, kids can prevent this from happening. We have programs for adults and teens too, with lots of prizes!  Why a program for adults?  Why should the kids have all the fun?  By joining our adult reading program parents can join the fun and make reading a family affair. Reading is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

This year’s children’s theme is Dig Into Reading.  Children love to dig into things – dirt boxes, mysteries, or solving a problem.  They want to find the answer, to satisfy their curiosity. This summer’s reading list will “dig” into science, nature, history, detective stories and more.  Our children’s programming will encourage kids to discover and create through fun science activities, arts & crafts, and exciting performances. Teens can read “Beneath the Surface”, about what can’t be seen or known at first glance, but is always there waiting to emerge. “Groundbreaking Reads” will encourage adults to expand their understanding of the world and enjoy programs that will give you a new perspective on history, science, and health. Register starting on June 22 and receive a summer reading starter kit complete with reading log, bookmark, brochures and other goodies. This year all three programs are also online! You can log your reading from your computer, tablet, or smart phone and receive notification when you are eligible for a prize.

The library and the Monroe Public Schools are working together to coordinate their summer reading program with the Governor's Reading Challenge.  The library will be forwarding information from all of the online reading logs to the schools at the end of the summer, so be sure to note which books you have finished reading when you log your minutes. Hope to see you at the library this summer and enjoy your reading!

National Library Week

Its that time of year when we celebrate libraries. librarians and library workers. At EWML we have a short survey at both the adult and circulation desks.  It will only take you a minute to fill out, I promise, and it will really help us plan for the future.  We want to know what you are thinking so now is your chance to let us know!

Libraries today are changing - they are much more than a repository for books and other resources.We are a community resource center; a place to gather, reconnect and reengage with each other. To find out what is happening at our library, please sign up for the library email list on our library webpage, www.ewml.org
Just add your email to the box in the upper right corner of our page and you will receive announcements of our programs and services.
Just one more thing - take the time to let our elected officials know that the library is important to you. It's budget season and very important that they know the library is a valued part of our community. Many thanks!

We have an APP!

Want to renew a book or place one on hold; find library hours or directions; download an ebook? We have an app for that!

EWML has a mobile App named Boopsie to put the library at your fingertips. From any mobile phone connected to the internet you can instantly tap into library resources, anytime, anywhere. You can search the library catalog, check your account, ask a question, and check our program calendar.

Our mobile app will put library information just one click away with much faster access than going through a browser. It’s important for library patrons to have access to our rich resources. Searching the catalog with the mobile app is especially easy. Just type the first few letters of two or three words and search results will begin to appear. For example, if you’re looking up Mark Twain in the catalog, just type “ma twa”. Once you find the title you’re looking for, you can place it on hold right from your phone.

To download the App on your mobile device use your phone’s browser and type in www.biblio.boopsie.com. Apple devices including the IPad can download the app by searching for Bibliomation in the App Store. You may also call the library Reference Desk and we will help you.

The library’s mobile app was developed by Boopsie Inc. More than 250 libraries and universities use Boopsie to increase campus and community visibility.

Our staff is the best!

On any normal day, about 300-400 patrons use the library.  On Wed. Oct. 31, after Hurricane Sandy, 1682 people used the library. Each day of that week saw record numbers of library users. Almost every seat in the library was taken. People were sitting on the floor next to outlets to charge their cell phones and tablets.  And through it all our staff answered questions, charged out movies and books, helped people in any way thay could, and all with a smile on their faces.  They worked longer hours keeping the library open for people to keep warm.  Some of our staff voluntered extra time to help out. Many people, appreciating this, thanked the staff.  Some patrons donated coffee and tea to help us keep our coffee bar running.  Thank you to them also.  But the real point of this post is my appreciation for the great people who work in the library who give the best service they can every day.  Thank you!

New Children's Librarian

Please join me in welcoming Michelle Turbak to the Children’s Room staff! Michelle will start as our new Children’s Services Librarian on September 4. Michelle joined the Reference Department at EWML in October, 2010, working only on Sundays. We quickly realized that her friendly smile, devotion to giving the best possible service to our patrons, and creative talents were something special so she took over more hours at the Reference Desk when we had an opening. Turns out Michelle has more to offer because she has experience in children’s programming, story hours, and summer reading programs so she is the perfect choice to lead our Children’s Department.


Michelle is a Monroe resident, raising her three boys here so she knows our community well. She is eager to meet the children and their parents and begin her new tasks in the Children’s Room. Please stop by in September to welcome her. Congratulations Michelle!

Summer Reading

Summer Reading is in full swing so come in and join the fun!  We have reading programs for kids, teens, and adults with great prizes in each program.  You can sign-up any day until August 14.  Teens and adults can register and participate online; see the library website.  Children can register and receive their reading packet at the library.The library is the place to visit this summer in Monroe.  Don't be left out. We have special programs for all age groups. See you at the library!

Police Deptartment Construction

Construction will begin on the new Police Department on Monday, May 7, 2012 and is expected to last for one year.  For the safety of our citizens and the crews performing the work, the Town Hall rear parking lot will be closed to through traffic.  Parking spaces will be limited during construction and we encourage you to carpool if possible. Please check the library program schedule for times when special programs might impact your library visit.
We apologize for any inconvience this project may cause you and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.


Captain Michael R. Flick, Monroe Police Department
Margaret Borchers, Library Director

Library Elf

EWML is not renewing our Library Elf subscription service. All the features you love about Library Elf, holds waiting, overdue reminders, and pre-overdue notices, are available through the library's circulation system, Evergreen. All you have to do is make sure your email address is listed on your library account. Ask about this service at the Circulation Desk. It is free.

Morningstar Investment Research Center

If you invest in stocks, mutual funds or ETF’s you know that Morningstar is a trusted name in investment advice. For years EWML carried their printed newsletter and it was very popular. Now we subscribe to their online database providing comprehensive data and analysis of over 35,000 investments. Why the switch to online? The data is real time, not one month old as with the paper version and patrons can access the database from home, 24/7.
If you are new to the online format there are many tools available to help you. The Help & Education tab of the database offers a new tutorial center. Users can get a video overview of each area of the database and determine which tabs or tools they’d like to use. Not interested in a video? There are several PDF’s to read at your own pace. You can research specific investment goals from the portfolio tab such as “Find your Money Baseline” or Retirement Planning.” Use the help and education tab for specific investment topics such as socially responsible investing, exchange-traded funds, and options. The help and education tab also contains the glossary and methodologies section, where users can look up terms and understand Morningstar’s ratings. The Portfolio X-Ray is a really nice tool for users to look at their investments in-depth, and see how they are diversifying their investments.
Also available are monthly training webinars on the first Thursday of each month at 11:00 am, Central Time. You can register for the webinar and participate at home or come in and our reference librarians will help you attend by using a library computer. As always, our reference librarians can help you with this database or with one of the many others we offer, free of charge. Just call the reference desk at 203 452-2850 #6 for help.

Ebooks? We Can Help!

EWML is now a member of the Overdrive Advantage program. What is that you say?

Overdrive is the service that our library shares with other Bibliomation libraries that provides ebooks and downloadable audio books. That means Monroe patrons are part of a larger pool of the 48 member libraies using this service. Free ebooks are very popular, and often there are waiting lists for new titles. The Advantage program allows EWML to purchase more copies of popular titles and add titles that can only be used by Monroe patrons. If you see this logo next to the title you are interested in, make sure you sign in as a Monroe library patron.

If you are not using Overdrive now is the time! Many people will receive new ereaders, IPods, IPads and other electronic devices this Christmas. Let our library reference librarians help you use them. Just give us a call or come in with your device and we will get you started. Don't forget, your Kindle is now compatible with Overdrive.

PrepMe is Back!

Thanks to the Friends of the Library, the SAT and ACT test preperation database, PrepMe is back! The library had to drop this popular database because of budget cuts but the Friends are using their funds to restore it.
PrepMe is a premium online SAT preparation course founded by graduates of top schools such as Caltech, the University of Chicago and Stanford. Their course will identify your strenghts and weaknesses and create a custom week-by-week schedule for you to help raise your scores.
You may access PrepMe by going to the library database webpage www.ewml.org/databases You need your library barcode number to access the site, and will then be asked to create your own ID and password to create a test program customized to you.
PrepMe is just one of the databases the libray offers. Please check us out!

What's new?

So many things have been happening in the library this summer. I am happy to welcome some new staff members: Lauren Balla is the new Children's Assistant replacing Maureen Pihonak who just retired; Michelle Turbak takes over for Joan Clark at the Reference Desk and Nicole Cignoli is replacing Karen Recine at Reference who also retired. You will see some new faces at Circulation if you come in on Sunday. Evelyn Platt and Barbara Pringle join our Sunday team. Sunday hours, 12:00 - 4:00 pm start on October 2.
As we start the Fall season I am excited about a raffle the Friends of the Library are holding starting on October 3 and running until November 14. Three quilts created by the Connecticut Piecemakers Quilt Guild are being raffled.Tickets are $1 and can be purchased in the library. The quilts will be on display near the Adult magazines. I hope you will support the library by purchasing a ticket. All proceeds will be used to purchase books for the library, and do we need the help! The library book budget was cut by $10,000 this year so buy those tickets! Thank you to the kind members of the Piecemakers Quilt Guild who made the quilts for us. They are really beautiful.

Summer Update

We have finally settled down after migrating library records to our new system, BibliOak. If you are experiencing any problems please call our Reference Desk. We will be glad to help.
Bibliomation, the library ILS (integrated library system) provider is still busy migrating Bridgeport Public Library and the public schools into the system. When they are finished they will begin working on enhancements to the current operating system. If there is anything missing in the new system that you would like restored please let us know and we will put it on our "wish list". Please note that Monroe is one of over 50 libraries and 24 schools in the Bibliomation consortium so there are bound to be a lot of requests.
Summer Reading - on a very happy note - we have enrolled record numbers of our patrons in children's, teen, and adult summer reading. The library is busier than ever, and thanks to the Wheeler Trust, we are open on Saturday's during the summer. Enjoy your summer and "keep on reading"!

New catalog operational

Our new circulation and catalog system, BiblioOak, is operational. Access to your accounts, the online catalog, and all library functions are working. There may be a few problems to correct so I am asking for your patience. Please inform library staff if you need help.
When accessing your account online you will be asked to sign on using your library card number and a password. Your password is the last four digets of your phone number. You will then be asked to choose a new password. Be sure to follow the instructions to choose a secure password.
Thank you.

Still Offline

It's Wednesday morning and we had planned to be operational on our new catalog, BiblioOak, but unfortunately that has not happened. Moving the bibliographic records of over 50 libraries, statewide, has proven to be more difficult than anticipated.
We are still operating offline, which means our patrons can take materials out, but books and other items returned to us can not be entered into the system and then re-shelved until the new catalog is operational. At that time, we will upload all the transactions that have taken place since last Thursday, May 26. We then have to "check-in" the hundreds of items that have been piling up in our back offices.
This is a difficult time for all of us and I ask for your patience and understanding.

New Catalog Update

We need more time, so the library compter systems will go offline on Thursday May 26 at 8 pm. Holds and renewals will not be available afer 8 pm Thursday and won't be available until Tuesday, May 31 at 10:00 am.

On Friday, May 27 the library will be operating offline. Please remember to bring your library card with you as we will be unable to lookup your information. New registrations, paying fines and other housekeeping items will have to wait until Tuesday, May 31.

To access your new library account, when you log in the first time - if the last four digits of your phone number do not work, try four zeros (0000). Email notification for holds, overdues, etc. may not work immediately. Please report any problems or incorrect fines to the library staff.

Thank you.