Library Hours
Monday: 9:00 - 5:00
Tuesday: 9:00 - 8:30
Wednesday: 9:00 - 5:00
Thursday: 9:00 - 8:30
Friday: 9:00 - 5:00
Saturday: 9:00 - 5:00
(Saturday in summer:
9:00 - 1:00)
Welcome
Want to Participate in a Focus Group?
Thomas Memorial Library Study Committee Selects Consultant for Library Study
On June 9th, the Town Council authorized the Thomas Memorial Library Study Committee to move forward with the project to conduct a Needs Assessment and Design Concept for a Library Improvement Program. A contract will be signed by the Town of Cape Elizabeth on June 23, 2008 with the library consulting firm of Himmel & Wilson of Milton, Wisconsin, partnering with Casaccio Architects of Haverton, Pennsylvania. Read more.
The Thomas Memorial Library Study Commitee is seeking members of the Cape Elizabeth community who are interested in participating in a focus group to help determine the future of the Thomas Memorial Library. Several focus groups will be convened this summer as part of the the Needs Assessment phase of the committee's building study . The consultants will lead 8 - 10 Focus Groups to include: general library users; pre-school and K-5 parents and children; middle- and high-school students; senior citizens; library staff; town officials; Thomas Memorial Library Trustees and Thomas Memorial Library Foundation Board members; community and business leaders. If you are intersted in participating, please click here to fill out an email form, or call the library at 799-1720.
Coming Soon! The New TML Borrower's Card
In order to make life easier for library users--while complying with Maine’s strict confidentiality law--we soon will be offering a new library card option to our patrons. The new card sets, which include one wallet-size card and two duplicate key tags, will be available to both new library patrons as well as any current patron who wishes to take advantage of the flexibility of the new system. Using the new tri-part card, a patron can keep one card on their person while giving the two remaining copies of their card to other family members, a nanny or any other person whom they trust. For library patrons who have difficulty getting to the library during normal hours, this flexibility will provide a way to allow a spouse or other family member to pick up items that are waiting for them on the reserve shelf.
The new cards will be available beginning in early July.
The Key to Library Services
At their May 12th meeting, the Town Council approved the library's revised circulation policy, which will go into effect fully with the introduction of the new library cards. Changes to the policy were designed to balance the library's legal obligation to protect the privacy of library records with the need to provide the best possible service to library users. State law requires that library records that contain information about what materials a library user has borrowed cannot be revealed to anyone other than the library cardholder without written permission. This law applies to children, as well as adults. It also applies to spouses--a husband may not have access to his wife's record, and vice versa. The new policy explicitly states that a library card will be treated as "the key to all library services." As such, the policy states that "the library will assume that any person presenting a library card is authorized to use it, unless that card has been reported lost or stolen." In other words, library patrons may, if they choose, give one of their library cards to someone else if they wish that person to be able to pick up reserves, borrow items, or otherwise have access to their library record. The new library card sets will allow patrons to make that choice, while still keeping a copy of the card themselves.
New Cards Are Optional
Upon receiving new cards, patrons will be asked to re-register, signing a statement that acknowledges the library's circulation policies with regard to use of materials and confidentiality. Library users who are not interested in getting a new card may continue to use their old card; however, as current registrations expire, all patrons will be required to complete a new registration form during their annual address check. No patron will be allowed to pick up library materials for another person without presenting that person's card whether it is an old-style card or one of the new library cards. A photo ID will still be an acceptable substitute for a person wishing to borrow materials on their own account, but will not provide access to the cards of other family members or friends.
Kids Get Their Own Card When They Turn 5!
Parents will welcome another significant policy change: children will now be able to get a library card when they turn 5 years old instead of having to wait until they turn 6. Patrons are advised that the new circulation policy discontinues the past practice of granting fine-free status to senior citizens. The library's Board of Trustees voted to do away with this special status in the interests of treating every adult library user equally. Read the library's complete circulation policy here.
When you find a book of interest in the library's catalog, you can click on the "More About This Item" button to read a summary, published reviews, or sometimes even a sample chapter or excerpt. (Older titles may not have any additional information available.)
Note: You must have your brower's pop-up blocker turned off in order for this feature to work!
If you are interested in finding, for example, only the movie version of a Harry Potter title, you can use the Limit/Sort Search button to limit your search to a particular "material type"-- in this case "DVD." If you are only interested in an audiobook on CD, you can select "spoken CD" as a material type.
Click here for a step-by-step tutorial on limiting your searches.
If you want to browse the catalog and reserve a number of items, you can avoid having to type in your name and barcode number each time you want to place a hold by logging into your patron record first. Once you are logged in, all you have to do to request an item is click on the Request button!
For instructions on logging into your patron record, click here.
We create catalog records for many our popular fiction titles for adults and children well in advance of their publication date. You can reserve these titles just like you would any other item in our collection.
Click here to go to the New and Forthcoming Books page.
Click here for information on how to place a reserve.
Library's Summer Reading Program Now Underway!
Kids of all ages are invited to sign up for this year's Summer Reading Program (sign up continues until August 16.) This year's theme, "Catch the Reading Bug!" focuses on insects and spiders. Click here for complete details.
Children's Librarian Featured in Podcasts
Our children's librarian, Rachel Davis, can be heard reading a number of children's stories and fingerplays in the Maine Humanities Council's "Humanities on Demand" series of podcasts. Click here to listen.
You may also listen to updated episodes of all the "Humanities on Demand" podcasts--for adults as well as children--on our Books & Literature Links page (Adobe Flash player required.) In coming weeks, new episodes featuring children's books read by Rachel Davis, as well as other area librarians and authors, will be added.
These podcasts can also be downloaded through the iTunes Store (search for "Humanities on Demand" to access the complete list of episodes.)
Visit the Friends of the Thomas Memorial Library Lobby Sale! |
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Get a reminder notice from us before your books are due!
If we have your correct email address in your library record, you will automatically receive an email reminder notice from us three days before your items are due. If you have borrowed books from other libraries through interlibrary loan, you will receive a reminder email notification from the libraries that own the materials you borrowed. Not sure if we have your email address on file? Give us a call at 799-1720.
Our summer hours
are now in effect:
We are open
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
on Saturdays.
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