From time to time, even the savviest Lakewood Public Library patron discovers a service or program available to them that they had never imagined. Here are three ways the Library works to make access to resources and information better and easier:

Holds Lists/Email Notification

How often do you want to read, watch or listen to Library materials, only to find that they are checked out or have not yet been released? It is difficult to keep track of all the exciting new books, CDs and movies that are available, and it is often even harder to actually get your hands on them. A great option that the Library offers is putting items On Hold by requesting materials in person or over the phone. Just call the Library at 216-226-8275 and ask for the Reference Desk, or stop by next time you are in the building. All you need to do is give your name and the title and author of the item you are requesting and you will be put on a list for it.You can also request materials through our catalog from inside the Library or from home or work at lkwdpl.org. When you find an item you are interested in, just click on “Place Hold” and enter your User ID (on the back of your Library card, beginning with “PLPL”) and PIN Number (available by showing your Driver’s License or ID at the Circulation Desk). Your name is then put on the list for that item and will show up under Holds in the “My Account” area of the Catalog.

When the items that you request become available, you have two options for being notified. By default, each patron is set up to receive a note in the mail to let you know your materials are waiting. You will receive it within a day or two, depending on how close you live to the Lakewood Post Office. A quicker choice is adding your email address to our database by clicking “E-mail notification of available holds” at the top of the Catalog page. Not only will you know the same day that materials are available for you to pick up; you will also be skipping paper notices and helping to make Library operations a little “Greener.”

Ohio Web Library Access and Test Preparation

If you are a fan of doing research through the OPLIN Databases, you may have noticed a change to our homepage. Instead of the OPLIN logo, there now is an Ohio Web Library search box into which you can enter your search terms.

For those readers who have never used the OPLIN Databases to which the Library subscribes, they are a resource that offers a wealth of information from professional and scholarly journals, access to fiction recommendations through NoveList, and the NewsBank resource, for searching back issues of newspapers from across America. You can access these resources from the Technology Center at the Library, or from home with your Library User ID.

The Ohio Web Library search box gives results for all of the OPLIN Databases. Once you type in your query and click “Search,” results will be displayed by relevance, with the option to sort by Title, Newest and Oldest. On the left side of the results page, each OPLIN Database is listed with the number of results it provides. Also listed are a series of Subjects into which your search terms fall within the results. If, for example, you search for the travel author Bill Bryson, you will see that subjects under which the results can be grouped include “Books—reviews,” “Best sellers” and “Booksellers bookselling.” There is also the Subject of “BRYSON, Bill” if you are looking for a more biographical article. You can also narrow your results by database (e.g. by clicking on MasterFILE Magazines), then picking out ones under a particular subject heading (e.g. HIKING).

At any time you are in the Ohio Web Library, you can also scroll to the bottom for such helpful tools as Explore Ohio and LearningExpressLibrary.

Explore Ohio features any and all kinds of information about the Buckeye State, from Family Fun Spots to Public Records to Home & Garden. Search by Keywords or browse by Subject, with the option to narrow your results by County. Check out Explore Ohio next time you need a Biography of a famous Ohioan, information on local services for Senior Citizens, or a list of local charities to turn to for assistance or to offer your time and expertise.

LearningExpressLibrary is an outstanding test preparation program. Whether you are studying for the GED, your Real Estate license, a Civil Service exam, GREs, the ASVAB or dozens of other evaluations, this is the resource for you. Not only can you study for your exam and try out practice exercises, you can also take timed practice tests and get the results immediately, along with explanations of each answer and tips for further studying. You can access LearningExpressLibrary from the Library’s Technology Center or from home after creating a user name and password.

Homebound Patron Delivery Service

If you cannot come to the Library in person, the Library can come to you! Thanks to a van generously donated by the Friends of the Library, your enjoyment of Library materials is just a phone call away. Whether you are temporarily or permanently unable to leave your home, it is easy to register for the Library’s delivery service: Call 216-226-8275 ext. 110 and a member of the Staff can help you.

The service makes its rounds every other Tuesday afternoon, with the next delivery on September 30. Call by noon on the day of the delivery with a list of specific titles or general types of books, videos/DVDs or cassettes/CDs you would like. We highly recommend that you call a few days in advance, in case the items that you want are checked out. You will then have time call back with a list of other items you would like, or we can pick out similar materials for you.

Items that you would like borrow that are checked out by another patron when you call can be put On Hold. The materials will then be set aside for you when they are returned and we will send you a note in the mail. When you receive the notice that they are available, call the Library to let us know that you would like them brought to you on our next delivery day.

If you have any questions about any of these Library programs and services, please call and talk to a Lakewood Public Library Staff member. We can’t wait to hear from you!