Due to budget cuts, the Seattle Public Library system has closed down for a week-long furlough beginning today, Monday, August 29 until Sunday, September 4. All branches will also be closed the following day, Monday, September 5, for Labor Day, reopening on Tuesday, September 6.

From the Seattle Public Library:

The week-long closure will help the Library achieve its $3.7 million budget reduction target for 2011. The closure will save approximately $650,000. The closure will mean salary reductions for nearly 640 employees who will not be paid during that week and who are taking cuts in their cost of living adjustments. In addition, the book budget has been reduced, positions have been eliminated and 2010 cuts to branch hours have continued this year. Fifteen branches are only open 35 hours a week.

No materials will be due and no fines will be charged during the one-week closure, and most library services will be unavailable, including book drops, Wi-Fi,  regular programs and events in library meeting rooms, TeleCirc (the library’s telephone circulation service that provides patrons with information on their library account), and text, email or or phone communication with a librarian.

Access to the online catalog will be limited to searching and checking library records, but patrons won’t be able to place holds.

Some online services will remain available, including the calendar of events; the SPL Mobile page; online payment of fines and fees; library podcasts; access to premium online databases, including Britannica Online, ChiltonLibrary.com, Mango Languages, Consumer Reports and Morningstar Investment Research Center; access to downloadable media, such as e-books and audiobooks, songs and movies; and digital collections, such as photos from the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Collection, the Northwest Art Collection and The Seattle Historical Photograph Collection; the Seattle City Directory Collection; and the Century 21 Exposition Digital Collection.

If you’ve got some library books due for return, or ones you’d like to check out for a little summer reading, you may want to head over the Queen Anne branch this week before the city’s libraries take a week-long furlough. The Seattle Public Library system will be closed from Monday, August 29 through Sunday, September 4 due to city budget cuts. All branches also will be closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 5.

From the press release:

The week-long closure will help the Library achieve its $3.7 million budget reduction target for 2011. The closure will save approximately $650,000. The closure will mean salary reductions for nearly 640 employees who will not be paid during that week and who are taking cuts in their cost of living adjustments. In addition, the book budget has been reduced, positions have been eliminated and 2010 cuts to branch hours have continued this year. Fifteen branches are only open 35 hours a week.

No materials will be due and no fines will be charged during the one-week closure.

Most library services will be unavailable during the closure, including book drops (the Central Library’s book drop will close at 8 p.m. August 28); Wi-Fi; regular programs and events in library meeting rooms; TeleCirc (the library’s telephone circulation service that provides patrons with information on their library account); and no texting, emailing or chatting with a librarian.

Access to the online catalog will be limited to searching and checking library records, but patrons won’t be able to place holds.

Some online services will remain available, including the calendar of events; the SPL Mobile page; online payment of fines and fees; library podcasts; access to premium online databases, including Britannica Online, ChiltonLibrary.com, Mango Languages, Consumer Reports and Morningstar Investment Research Center; access to downloadable media, such as e-books and audiobooks, songs and movies; and digital collections, such as photos from the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Collection, the Northwest Art Collection and The Seattle Historical Photograph Collection; the Seattle City Directory Collection; and the Century 21 Exposition Digital Collection.

The Seattle Public Library’s Summer Reading Program kicks off today with the theme “Where Does Reading Take You?” The annual program encourages everyone, especially children, to read during the summer.

To participate, sign up in person at any of the 27 Library locations, including the Queen Anne Library, at 400 W Garfield Street. Children can get a reading log and collect a sticker for each book read. Teens and adults can also track books at their local branch.

Children who participate in the Summer Reading Program will receive a free paperback book and a pass to the Burke Museum after reading 10 books. Children who read 10 books by Monday, Aug. 1 will be entered into a drawing for the city librarian’s popular Breakfast of Champions event held at the Space Needle in August. One winner from each Library location will be selected.

Participating in the Summer Reading Program is a great way for kids to have fun and improve reading skills during the summer break from school. A 2004 study in the Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk found that having elementary school students read just four or five books during the summer can prevent the reading-achievement losses that normally occur over those months.

The Summer Reading Program includes hundreds of free programs for families at library locations. Here are the programs scheduled at the Queen Anne Library:

• Puss in Boots – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursday, June 23. “The ethnic diversity and rich musical traditions of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayous are the background for Oregon Shadow Theatre’s version of the classic French fairy tale. Colorful shadow puppets inspired by Mardi Gras’ outrageous parade costumes along with live Zydeco and Cajun music give spicy flavor to this production. For ages 4 and up.”
• Snakes: Friend or Foe – 3 to 4 p.m., Monday, July 11. “Learn all about snakes in this program led by wildlife educator Nick Sutton. Discover natural history, learn how to identify both local and tropical species, and even touch a real snake! All featured snakes are non-venomous. For ages 7 and up.”
• Going Global – 11:30 a.m.m to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, July 30. “Join juggler Alex Zerbe for a high-energy comedy show that excites kids and adults alike about different cultures and phenomena from around the world. See why this two-time Guinness World Record holder was voted Seattle’s Funniest Prop Comic. For ages 5 and up.”
• Hands-on-Henna – 3 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 9. “Create and wear great-looking art! Learn about the fascinating history and traditions of this beautiful form of body adornment with artist Krysteen Lomonaco. Not suitable for large groups such as day cares or summer camps. For ages 10 and up. Limited to 30 people. Call the branch to register.”
• Brother Coyote and Sister Fox – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursday, August 8. “Join Thistle Theatre for a delightful and humorous adaptation of a beloved Mexican folktale featuring puppets, music and humor. For ages 3-11.”

The Seattle Public Library now accepts online payments for overdue fines and other fees. Library users can use a credit card, debit card or PayPal account.

Library cardholders can also add funds to their account for computer printing. Credit and debit card payments are processed through PayPal, but you don’t need to have a PayPal account. The minimum payment required is $1; there is no service charge.

You can slo pay your fines and fees in person by cash, check or money order at any library branch during regular operating hours. Or you can mail a check or money order to: Attention Borrower Services, The Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. Include your library card number with your mailed payment; they’ll mail you a receipt. Credit card payments are not accepted in person or by phone.

The Seattle Public Library is now offering free access to Career Transitions, an online career resource that offers step-by-step guidance to help you discover your interests and find a new job.

Career Transitions features five guided steps to help plan and make the next move in finding a job: explore and discover occupational interests; investigate thousands of career paths; prepare a resume and list of references; find educational opportunities to increase hiring chances; and find jobs from listings across the country.

To access Career Transitions, go to www.spl.org and select the “Job hunting resources” Quick Link on the homepage. Then scroll down the page to find Career Transitions under “Career Discovery & Job Skills.” A Library card and personal identification number is necessary to access Career Transitions. Users will need to create a username and password in order to save their work and continue later.

As tax time approaches, Seattle Public Libraries is once again getting ready to roll out its tax assistance program. The Seattle Public Library, AARP and United Way are teaming up to offer free tax preparation services at 11 branches around town now through mid-April.

A free, quality, volunteer-run tax assistance, preparation, and e-filing service. The program is operated by the AARP Foundation and the IRS in collaboration with the Seattle Public Library. The service is confidential, there are no membership- or age requirements. Volunteers are IRS-certified. More information www.aarp.org/taxaide.

Here’s a great way to beef up your music collection for free — and it’s legal! The Seattle Public Library announced today that it now offers free MP3 music file downloads on its website through Freegal Music. From the press release:

Freegal Music is an online database that provides access to songs from Sony Music. The music files are DRM-free and do not expire, and are compatible with PCs, Macs, iPods, iPads and other MP3-compatible devices.

Seattle Public Library cardholders are eligible for three MP3 downloads per week. A library card number and PIN is necessary to access and download songs.

Freegal Music contains over 500,000 songs from Sony Music artists, including current hits like Ke$ha’s “TiK ToK,” classics songs such as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” jazz standards like Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and more. New music is added to the collection daily.

To view, browse and download music from Freegal, go to www.spl.org and click on “Library Collection,” then “Digital Books & Media” and scroll down the page to find the “Freegal Music Collection.”

Access to Freegal Music on the Library’s website has been made possible by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

For more information, call The Seattle Public Library at 206-386-4636.

Our sister site My Green Lake ran this story recently. The catalog is online as of yesterday according to the Seattle Public Library website.

The Seattle Public Library has a new online catalog that makes finding books, movies, and music easier and offers social networking options.

In the new catalog you can:

• Find what you want faster
• See what’s available for immediate checkout
• Track your borrowing history
• Rate and review books, music and movies
• Get reading, viewing, listening recommendations.

“Patrons are really excited to discover the new features,” City Librarian Susan Hildreth said in a press release.  “The new system does so much more than list what’s on the shelves — now patrons can connect and share information about Library resources.  It’s a new catalog in a social networking environment.”

Hildreth noted that the former catalog will continue to be available while patrons become more familiar with the new system. “Our goal is to get as many cardholders converted over to the new system as soon as possible,” she said. “About 1 percent of our cardholders are already using it.”

Patrons can search for items in the catalog without registering.  But patrons must register and create a username to place, holds, renew books and materials and use the social networking tools.

“With a username, you can rate items in the collection, as well as follow users with similar reading or listening interests,” Hildreth said. “Patrons can even create and share their own reading lists and add content to them –such as Web links or YouTube videos.”

“Having a username also gets you quickly into the catalog. All you need is your username and Personal Identification Number (PIN). It’s easier than remembering your Library card number.”  Because patrons’ usernames are published when they add content to the catalog, patrons cannot not use their Library card numbers as usernames.

For safety and privacy reasons, children 12 and under will be restricted to usernames that include animals or colors and will have limited access to the social features in the catalog.

A short video showing how to use the new catalog and other information is available by visiting www.spl.org and selecting “Using the Library” located at the top of the page in the horizontal blue bar. The Using the Library page features a section on using the catalog.

All library branches (including the Queen Anne Library at 400 W Garfield St.) and the downtown Seattle Public Library are closed this morning because of an all-staff meeting. They will open beginning at 1 p.m.

So many people gave money to The Seattle Public Library this morning that the library foundation’s website couldn’t keep up.

“The overwhelming amount of traffic to the gift processing part of our website caused it to crash.  We are so sorry for this inconvenience,” wrote Jonna Ward, executive director of The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

That’s good. It means the public is supporting the library at a time of deep budget cuts.

Because of citywide budget shortages, the library’s 2010 budget was cut by $1.17 million (2.4 percent). Next year the library faces cuts that could range from a low of 9.5 percent ($4.9 million), to a high of 14.5 percent ($7.4 million).

So it was great news when an anonymous donor offered the library foundation a grant of $500,000 if donors can match it, for $1 million in all. Our news partner The Seattle Times has a story on that announcement today.

The foundation has set up an alternate way to give, here. Or call 206-386-4130 to make a gift by phone

Just a reminder that the Queen Anne Library (400 W. Garfield St) and all other Seattle Public Libraries are closed today and won’t reopen until Tuesday, September 7th.  Budget cuts forced the closure.  The good news is that no overdue fines will add up during this time.  For a list of things you won’t be able to do, click here.

This is the last week to get things done at the library before budget cuts force the entire library system to shut down until after Labor Day. The Queen Anne Branch and all other branches of the Seattle Public Libraries will close on Monday, August 30th and reopen Tuesday, September 7th.

During the closure most library services will be unavailable:

• No materials will be due and no fines will be accrued.
• The last day to check out Library items before the closure is 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28.
• No book drops will be open. Do not leave books and materials outside Library locations during the closure. The book drop at the Queen Anne Branch will close at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28th and reopen at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7th.
• Limited access to the online catalog. Patrons will be able to search the catalog and check their Library record but will not be able to place holds on items. No staff will be working to process the thousands of books and materials that customers normally put on hold.
• Limited access to the website (www.spl.org). The online calendar, databases, downloadable books and media, digital special collections, podcasts, SPL Mobile app and blogs will be available, but other online information and features will not be available. No staff members will be working to maintain the site or troubleshoot problems.
• No Library computers will be available. You will not be able to reserve a computer for the week the Library system is closed.
• No access to Wi-Fi.
• No book group kits will be sent, received or returned during the one-week closure. Kits will be sent to libraries as usual on the last Wednesday of the month, Aug. 25. Kits not available then will be sent as soon as possible after Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.
• No programs or events in Library meeting rooms.
• No TeleCirc, the Library’s telephone circulation service.
• No Quick Information telephone service.
• No Text a Librarian, e-mail a librarian or chat with a librarian.
• No Mobile Services.
• No parking in Library garages. The Central Library, Capitol Hill Branch and Ballard Branch garages will be closed.

The official high at Sea-Tac hit 95 degrees yesterday, Sunday, August 15 breaking the old record for the date of 92 degrees.

The weather service has issued an “excessive heat warning” through today, when temperatures are expected to get as high as 91 degrees. The good news: The weather is expected to cool down into the 70s later in the week.

Until then, for those of you looking to find a place to cool off or duck out of the heat, try hitting the International Fountain at Seattle Center, or spending some time cozied up to a good book—and free air conditioning—at the nearest public library. The Queen Anne branch will be open from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

That overdue library book may soon cost you a little more.  The Seattle Public Library is considering a hike in fines to help offset its budget woes.  Here’s a look at some of the proposed fines:

• The daily fine for an overdue book, CD, or DVD would change from 15 cents a day to 25 cents a day.
• The daily fine for an overdue interlibrary loan (an item borrowed from outside The Seattle Public Library) would change from 25 cents a day to $1 a day.
• The daily fine for an overdue reference resource would change from 15 cents a day to $1 a day.

The Library Board will take public comment on the proposed changes at its 4:30pm Wednesday, Aug. 25 meeting at the Central Library on 4th Avenue.

The Seattle Public Library is increasing the number of downloadable books and media that you can place on hold and check out. You can now place holds on 25 items (up from 10) and check out 25 items (up from 20) at a time.

The Library’s digital OverDrive collection has grown from 1,878 items to over 43,000 digital, downloadable e-book, audiobook, music and video titles. Items can be downloaded to a PC or Mac, and transferred to portable listening, viewing and reading devices. Checked-out items are returned automatically after 21 days, so no due dates or late fees to worry about!

To browse and download digital e-books, audiobooks, music and videos available via OverDrive, go to www.spl.org and click on “Library Collection,” then select “Digital Books & Media.” A Library card and PIN number are required to download items.

There’s a lot happening at the Seattle Public Library these days, including a new online career resource center and the Summer Reading Program.

SPL’s new Workplace911 is an online career resource covering all aspects of work, from finding a job to handling a difficult boss.

Workplace911 is a joint partnership between author and work expert Bob Rosner, Brainfuse and The Seattle Public Library. The resource is free and will be available from the Library’s website at www.spl.org by selecting the “Job hunting resources” Quick Link.

Rosner is a Seattle-based (Queen Anne) bestselling author and award-winning journalist. He is author of “The Boss’s Survival Guide” and “Working Wounded: Advice that Adds Insight to Injury.” Rosner has a unique perspective on today’s workplace, having personally responded to over 50,000 emails from employees and employers. He is a regular contributor to the Today Show and CNBC, and has been featured in People, the Wall Street Journal and Fortune.

Rosner also will facilitate a series of workshops about employment and the workplace at several local libraries.

The Library also has a program that provides personalized reading lists for teens.

To get your list, go to www.spl.org and then to the “Teens” page under “Audiences.” Use the “Ask a Librarian” e-mail form to tell us about a few books you love or ones that have put you to sleep. Tell us your favorite genres. Fantasy, horror, romance? What else?

In a day or two you will receive a list of five recommended books just for you. You can use the personalized list service as many times as you want, and it’s always free!

For more information, call the Teen Center at 206-615-1410.

The Library system also just kicked off its Summer Reading Program, with the theme “Where Does Reading Take You?” The annual program encourages everyone to read during summer, especially children. You can sign up in person, at any of the 27 Library locations or online.

Children can track books online, or get a reading log from any Library location and collect a sticker for each book read. Teens and adults can also track books online or in-person at their local branch.

Children who participate in the Summer Reading Program will receive a free paperback book and a pass to the Burke Museum after reading 10 books. Children who read 10 books by Monday, July 26 will be entered into a drawing for the city librarian’s popular Breakfast of Champions event held at the Sheraton Hotel in August. One winner from each Library location will be selected.

This year’s Summer Reading Program includes hundreds of free programs for families at Library locations. Here are the programs scheduled for the Queen Anne branch:

• She Sings Sea Songs at the Queen Anne Branch – Popular Northwest children’s performer Nancy Stewart sings songs with an emphasis on the Pacific Northwest coast, including tide pools and ferry boats. For ages 10 and under. Saturday, June 26, 2010, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• 20,000 Volts Under the Sea at the Queen Anne Branch – Sing, dance and laugh with the Brian Waite Band. This deep-sea, rock musical is fun for the whole family and filled with interactive games, zany characters and, of course, great live music. For ages 3 and up. Tuesday, July 20, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.