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Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Precautions and TCPL

In response to public health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Tompkins County Public Library has taken precautions that may help limit the spread of the virus in accordance with recommended practices. TCPL continues to offer access to books, public computers, Wi-Fi, reference services, and a variety of resources and computers dedicated to the 2020 US Census.
 

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January Patron Comments

Comment: I am wishing for free books and a vending machine at the library.
Response: Thank you for sharing your library wishes with us. Did you know that when you participate in our summer reading program, you can choose a free book to keep? And we hope you enjoy borrowing all the books you can enjoy for free all year long. Did you know there are snack, movie, and even book vending machines? We will put these ideas on our wish list too.

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Patron Comments

December 2019 Patron Comments

Comment: How do patrons know which Sundays the library is open? It’s confusing.

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Hoopla Streaming Service to Discontinue

As of January 1, 2020, we will no longer offer cardholders access to the streaming platform Hoopla. This difficult decision was reached after a thorough discussion with library staff and board trustees, and it coincides with the expiration of the current Hoopla subscription through the Finger Lakes Library System. The pricing model and cost of Hoopla make it unsustainable for us, and we believe that our resources are more effectively used towards purchasing more in-demand content through other platforms.

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Patron Comments

September 2019 Patron Comments

Comment: I used the restroom today and noticed they have been retro-fitted with handicap access. Fantastic! Thank you for following through on this.
Response: Thank you for alerting us to this oversight. We are happy to have improved access thanks to our County Facilities support. And we are also working on adding a better transition from the hall to the restroom to allow wheelchairs better access.  

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Patron Comments

August 2019 Patron Comments

Comment: Looking on the website search, I was surprised to find that TCPL did not have available copy of M. Collins’s Carrying the Fire-– and FLLS has few (hardly any)! This being the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11…

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Patron Comments

Patron Comments from July 2019

Comment:  It would be nice to have some benches outside to sit on when you are waiting for your ride. Thank you!
Response: Benches do make waiting much easier. The property does not belong to the library, but the County does have benches on Green Street for that purpose.

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Summer 2019 Outdoor Events

Join us this summer for a series of outdoor events!

We’ll start with a Giant Bubble Extravaganza on Monday, July 1, from 3-4:30 pm. Come engineer your own bubble wand and see how big your bubbles can get! This event will be held on the beautiful Creek Walk, behind the library building.

Next, we welcome back the spirited GIAC Jumpers, a dance, step, and double-dutch troupe from the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. They’ll be here on Thursday, August 1, from 4:30-5:30 pm, also on the Creek Walk.

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YMCA Passes Now Available with your TCPL Card!

We’ve partnered with the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County to bring you Y passes you can check out with your library card!

We now have one family pass and two individual passes available, each for a one-week loan period. A pass will allow the holder (and household members, with the family pass) to take advantage of all the YMCA has to offer, including the pool, fitness equipment, gymnasium, racquetball courts, and group classes.

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Library Closed on Friday, May 10 for Staff Development

We will be closed Friday, May 10, 2019 for staff development. We'll see you on Saturday for our regular hours, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm!

Please note that the Simple Signs for Communicating with Infants and Toddlers workshop will not meet Friday, May 10 as originally scheduled.

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2019 READATHON This Saturday, April 27

Join us this Saturday, April 27 for the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation’s READATHON. The annual read-out-loud fundraising event will take place beginning at 8:00 am and ending at midnight. In its seventh year, the READATHON enlists community members to raise funds for TCPL, culminating in a day-long celebration of reading aloud outside the library building on Green Street. We welcome all forms of literature and have had past readers share passages from classics to their own short stories, stories shared in Spanish and ASL, and even books sung as operas.

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Learn and Create with Creativebug!

Winter is upon us, and what better way to fill cozy hours indoors than by learning and creating? We are pleased to announce our partnership with Creativebug, a new database available to TCPL cardholders. Creativebug, found on our Research Databases page, allows free access to over a thousand award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.

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