GETTING A LIBRARY CARD
Any local resident may apply at the West Winfield Library for a Mid-York Library System card. Proof of identification, including your local address, is required. Your first card is free, but if you need a replacement there will be a charge of 50 cents. Children, including pre-schoolers, may have their own cards. Those under the age of 18 must have a parent sign the application. The library card gives borrowing privileges at any of the 43 Mid-York member libraries in Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties. Patrons may also request items, via inter-library loan, from any other library in the System. You may pick up a library-card application in the library, or download an application from the internet and print it at home. The internet forms are in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader, you may download it free from this location: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.
Forms for the West Winfield library will be posted in the future:
MOVIE COLLECTION
Movies may be borrowed by library patrons who are 18 or older. Younger patrons need an adult present to borrow movies. West Winfield Library has Blu-Ray, DVD & Videocassette formats to borrow. The collection includes movies from the rotating Mid-York collections and those owed by the West Winfield Library. Just as with books, movies may be requested and received to borrow from other libraries.
OUR LIBRARY’S BOOK COLLECTIONS
ADULT BOOKS – Non-fiction books are cataloged under the Dewey Decimal System. Biographies, Local History, and Oversized Non-fiction books are shelved in their own separate areas. Adult Fiction books are shelved in several collections – General fiction, Christian, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, War and Western.
LARGE-TYPE BOOKS – Adult Non-fiction and Fiction, including Mystery and Western.
YOUNG ADULT BOOKS – Fiction for teen readers.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS – Easy Reader books, including read-to-me and picture books, for our youngest patrons. Juvenile Fiction, Non-fiction, and Biography are shelved separately, for boys and girls who can read on their own.
REFERENCE – Encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and other (mostly non-circulating) reference books.
NEW BOOKS – Our newest acquisitions of adult fiction and non-fiction are prominently displayed on a rotating rack.
OTHER COLLECTIONS TO CHECK OUT
PERIODICALS – Current subscriptions to magazines and newspapers, plus back issues of some popular titles.
AUDIOBOOKS – Adult fiction and non-fiction. Children’s tapes with read-along books.
MOVIES – Our own collection of entertainment and children’s titles in one section (available to any card-holder 18 or older). Our non-fiction videos are shelved along with the adult non-fiction books, according to their Dewey Decimal numbers.
PUZZLES – Jigsaw puzzles from 100 to 2500 pieces.
LIBRARY TO GO – You can download e-books, digital magazines and audiobooks to your device.
BOOK RETURN
Outside of Bisby Hall, near the front entrance, is a painted postal service mailbox that serves as our book drop. If you need to return books while the library is closed, you may deposit them in the box. It’s a long, free-fall drop to the bottom of the box, so please be kind to our books. Put a rubber band around the book or cassette, or better yet, wrap snugly in a plastic bag. There is a can underneath the box with plastic bags for this purpose. Please, remember to tie the bag shut before dropping into the book drop. When the library is open, items should be returned indoors. It’s better for books and other media. Also, we empty the book drop only once a day, just before the library opens, so your books left in the box won’t be checked in until the next day. Returning your books late? See our policy on overdue books.
MID-YORK LIBRARY SYSTEM
The West Winfield Library is one of 43 member libraries of the Mid-York Library System, which serves Madison, Oneida and Herkimer Counties. Mid-York provides library services which the individual libraries could not afford on their own, such as a full-time reference librarian, a delivery system between Mid-York and the member libraries, and a video co-op network.
THE ELECTRONIC DOORWAY LIBRARY
The West Winfield Library is an automated library, using computers to check out library materials and to manage the rest of our circulation tasks. Our library catalog is on-line, where our collection is listed among all the holdings of the Mid-York Library System. Using a public access computer in the library or your home computer and modem, you can search the catalog and order your own request books for pick-up at the library of your choice. For more information, ask at the library for the Mid-York Web Site brochure (revised 1/5/00).
PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS
The library has computers for use by patrons who want to search the on-line catalogue for books, use the internet, or for word processing. Use of these computers is governed by our library’s Internet Policy. A printer is attached to the computers. It may be used by patrons, at the posted price per page.
INTER-LIBRARY LOAN
Books may be ordered from any other member library in the Mid-York system, or from outside the system. Within the system, you may place most of your own requests on-line. We receive a delivery from Mid-York every week day, so your request should take only two or 3 days to fill under normal circumstances. New or high demand materials will take longer. For assistance, ask a staff member.
REFERENCE QUESTIONS?
Our staff will help you search for books you can take home, or for answers in our own reference collection or on-line. If we don’t find what you need, we can seek help from Mid-York’s reference librarian. Also, see our Home page for links to many on-line resources and Ask 24/7.
SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS
For school assignments and special projects, we display groups of books and other resources for students to check out or use in the library. For the best selection stop in early, before the assignment is due. If the school has not notified us about a special project we will not have a display in place.
PHOTOCOPIER
A photocopy machine is available for personal copying. Copies will be in black and white. See the sign posted by the copier for the price per page. Four free copies are available for students doing homework.
FAX MACHINE
Faxes may be sent from the library for a nominal cost.
NOTARY SERVICES
A notary is available several times a week. If you need the services of a notary, please call to see when she is available.
