Good Bye Blog!

After many years of blogging about library events, library news, early literacy, and literary morsels, it has come time for this blog to say good bye for now.  While we have appreciated you as a follower, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for even more up-to-date library news and information.  Plus, we still have our website too! Thank you for spending time with us!

It's Time for a Story Time Break!

Starting Monday August 22, 2016, we will be on a two-week story time break.  If you forget that we are taking some time off, no worries!  We'll have the toys out and available to play with in the Puett Room.  We will start our fall programs and story times the day after Labor Day, on Tuesday Septemer 6th.

Story Time Break

We will be on a Story Time break May 31-June 10th.  During this time, Youth Services staff will be out and about the community visiting schools and promoting the annual Summer Reading Program that begins on June 1st.  If you want to come to the library, we will have toys available to play with in the Puett Room during the week.

Summer Reading is Around the Corner!

The 2016 Summer Reading Program: On Your Mark, Get Set...READ! starts on JUNE 1ST!
Don't worry if you can't make it here on that date to sign-up.  Registration for the program will be open through July 30th.  Non-readers can sign up for our "Read to Me" component, children who are reading on their own up through 5th grade can sign up for our 'Independent Reader" component, and students going into 6th through 12th grade can sign up for our "Teen" summer reading component.  AND...adults (ages 18 and up) can sign up for the adult summer reading program too!

Children ages 0-12 who sign up for summer reading will get a Tualatin Hills Parks and Rec swim pass (good through December 7, 2016) and a coupon to Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center for a free round of miniature gold or to the Kidopolis Playland (good through Sept. 30, 2016), PLUS other incentives!  Once reading goals are met, reading records can be turned in July 15-August 31st to claim prizes plus a choice of a book to keep!

Story Time Break, February 22-26

We are on a story time break this week, February 22-26.  But that doesn't mean you can't come visit the library this week!  We will have TONS of boxes of many shapes and sizes ready to be played with in the Puett Room.  This will be a great opportunity for youngsters to practice their imaginative play.  Stop by and play, then come back for story times next week, beginning on February 29th!

It's Annual Survey Time!

It's time for the 2016 Tigard Library Annual Patron Survey!

We’ve Got the Questions!  You’ve Got the Answers!
What do you think of the library?  How can we serve you better? Are there any programs or services you would like the library to provide? Take the Tigard Library’s annual survey and let us know.  
We value your perspective.  The library has surveyed its patrons for more than 20 years.  Your feedback has moved the library to make many changes over the years.  Some of these changes include:  

• Re-opening on Thursdays
• More programs for kids on weekends
• Longer loan periods to three weeks for most DVDS
• Greater variety of computer classes.
• Self-pickup shelf for reserved books.
• And much more! 

The survey will be available in both English and Spanish.
La encuesta estará disponible en inglés y español.

 

Other ways to take the survey:

• On paper inside the library at the table near the new automated check-in return (Sunday, January 31 – Saturday, February 13, 2016)
• Online throughout February
• In the February issue of Books and Bits, the library’s e-newsletter
• In the February issue of Cityscape, the City of Tigard’s e-newsletter
• On Facebook and Twitter

Let us know what you think!

Welcome to 2016!

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2016!  

The Library is starting off the new year with some good news!

Thursdays Are Back at the Library in January… and so is the coffee shop!

Beginning Thursday, January 7th, the Library will re-open on Thursdays from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Hungry for some help keeping your New Year’s Resolutions? Thirsty for some good, free live music? Or simply looking for a cozy place to get together with friends and combat a blustery January? Now you’ll be able to feed your information needs seven days a week!!!

If you’d like to feed your body as well as your mind, check out the new Literary Feast Café in January. Owner Joslyn Webster said the café will offer organic gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads, smoothies and pastries. The Literary Feast will also feature coffees and teas from Portland-area companies.

Webster and her family are Tigard residents, avid readers and library users. Each item on the menu will be named after a book. Visit us at the library this month and indulge in both literary and culinary treats!

Levy Proposal - Library Levy Replacement

A library levy affecting all libraries in Washington County will be on the November ballot. The levy, Measure 34-235, will replace a five-year levy that expires in June 2016. As a member of Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), the Tigard Public Library receives one-third of its funding from the existing levy.

Passage of the measure would allow the Tigard Library to open on Thursdays to serve the community. It has been closed on that day since 2012 because of city budget cutbacks.

The levy would support several services for Tigard and other libraries throughout the county such as:

• reading programs for children,
• purchasing books, e-books and other materials
• continuing to offer library information and technology resources for job-seekers.

Tigard and other libraries would likely reduce services and hours if the levy does not pass.  Other possible reductions for Tigard would be purchasing fewer books and other materials and reducing the number of programs. The rate would be 22 cents, per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of 5 cents over the current rate.  If approved, it would be the first rate increase since 2006.  In 2016, homeowners with an average assessed value of $255,408 would pay about $56 per year, or $14 more than paid in 2015.

To learn more about the levy, please visit the WCCLS Levy Replacement Page.  Frequently asked questions can be read here.

Please Note: The library is not a ballot drop-off site, however ballots may be dropped off in the ballot drop box located at City Hall near the Skate Park.

Story Time Break, August 17-28

Our summer story time break is about to begin.  We will be on a break starting August 17th and ending August 28th.  We will resume our regular story time schedule on August 31st.  Also note that the library will be closed on Monday September 7th in observance of Labor Day, but we will continue the next day on Tuesday September 8th.  Have a safe holiday and we will see you soon!

Start Claiming Your Summer Reading Prizes!

Starting on July 15th, kids and teens can start to claim their summer reading prizes!  Stop by the children's desk with your child or teen's completed summer reading record anytime between July 15th and August 31st to get the following:

• Prize bundle 
• Portland Trailblazer ticket voucher
• Oaks Park discount coupon
• Paperback book of their choice

Summer Reading Starts Today!

Today is June 1st and do you know what that means? 

 

Today is the first day of Summer Reading!!!! 

 

 

Stop by the children's room between now and July 31st to register.  Everyone ages 0-18 is eligible to participate.  And once they are registered, they get to take home the following goodies:

• Summer reading record to track reading goals
• Pencil
• Bookmark
• Coupon for one youth open swim at at Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation pool, good through December 31, 2015
• Coupon for one free activity of your choice (Miniature Golf or Kidopolis Playland) at Bullwinkles Family Fun Center, good through September 30, 2015
• Ticket to attend a Portland Thorns women's soccer game on a date of your choice: July 22, August 30, or September 12, 2015

Summer Reading is right around the corner!

It's almost summer and you know what that means?  The annual library summer reading program is right around the corner! June 1st is when sign-ups begin.  Everyone ages 0-18 get the following goodies when they sign up:

• Summer reading record to track your reading goals
• Pencil
• Bookmark
• Coupon for one youth open swim at at Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation pool, good through December 31, 2015
• Coupon for one free activity of your choice (Miniature Golf or Kidopolis Playland) at Bullwinkles Family Fun Center, good through September 30, 2015
• Ticket to attend a Portland Thorns women's soccer game on a date of your choice: July 22, August 30, or September 12, 2015

Stop by the children's room any time between June 1st and July 31st to sign-up.  And it's o.k. if you have a child in your family who does not know how to read.  They can be read to!

Story Time Break

Attention all story time attendees!!

We will be on a 2-week story time break, Monday May 25 through Friday June 5th as we make final preparations for the annual summer reading program!  We will have toys available in the Puett Room for little ones to play with during the week.  See you the week of June 8th!

Annual Spring Book Sale

The Annual Spring Friends of the Tigard Library book sale is coming up!  Three days of used book bargains...a book buyer's dream!  Stop by the Burgess Community Room one of these sale days:

Friday April 24th, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday April 25th, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

BAG SALE DAY! Sunday, April 26th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

And stop by the Circulation Desk inside the library for a fifty cent off coupon!

(Sorry, it does not apply to the Bag Sale)

Annual Library Food For Fines Drive

Library Food for Fines DriveTake a Bite Out of Hunger
Sunday, March 22 – Saturday, March 28

Do you have fines on your library account? Join the Library’s Food for Fines drive, help out the community and do yourself a favor, too. For every non-perishable food item you donate, you can clear $1 of fines from your account up to $10. In the past, patrons donated two items to clear $1 of fines. This year, it will be 1 item to clear $1.


The food will be donated to the St. Vincent DePaul food pantry in Tigard, which will distribute it to local families in need. March is an important month for food pantries because their inventory is often depleted.

Acceptable donations include:

• Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon etc.)
• Canned and boxed meals (chili, soup, macaroni and cheese etc.)
• Peanut butter
• Pasta, rice and cereal
• Canned fruits
• 100% fruit juices
• Baby food

The Library cannot accept homemade, perishable, open or unlabeled items or rusty cans. Donated food can only be used to reduce fines, not other library charges. Take a bite out of hunger and your fines at the same time.

Story Time Break

This is a reminder that we will be on a story time break February 23-27.  If you happen to stop by, we will have toys available to play with in the Puett Room.

It's Annual Survey Time!

The time has come for the annual library survey!  Please tell us what you think about the library by taking this quick 10-question survey!   Click HERE to take the survey!  The survey is available for you to take online all  month.  If you prefer a paper copy to fill out inside the library, this option will be available the first two weeks in February.  And, all ages are eligible to participate too!

Early Literacy Workshop

Do you have kids under 6? Would you like to help prepare them to read? Then leave the kids with a babysitter on Monday, February 2 and join me from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Puett Room for a workshop on early literacy.

Early literacy does not mean that your young child should already be reading. In fact, I most certainly will not be teaching you how to teach your baby or your 2-year-old to read. Early literacy is the set of skills your children will need to develop in order to learn how to read once they are a little older.

Call the Children's Desk at 503-718-2673 to register. Grown-ups only, please, but I will make an exception for babies that are not moving around on their own yet.

Annual Mitten Tree

This year we are celebrating the 18th annual Mitten Tree here at the library!  Throughout the month of December, bring new hats, scarves and gloves to decorate the branches of the tree, located inside the Puett Room. The Good Neighbor Center will give them to homeless families in Washington County. The Mitten Tree is Generously sponsored by Friends of the Tigard Library.

Fall Story Time Break

This is just a reminder that we will be on a one-week story time break November 24-28, 2014.  You and your little ones are still welcome to stop by the Puett Room and play with toys!  We will be back in session starting on December 1st!  Click here to see our winter story time schedule!