As reported back in December, Sunday hours are a welcome 2013 change for our local Seattle Public Library branch – and now our Queen Anne branch has its turn at celebrating with the community! Mark your calendars for this Sunday, March 3rd for the Sundays are Special celebration, which runs from 2pm-3:30pm.

I spoke with the Library director about the event, and in addition to refreshments and craft activities (which are drop-in during the celebration), he also expects special guest attendees including City Librarian Marcellus Turner and SPL Director of Programs and Service Stephanie Chase. I’ve also confirmed with the Seattle City Council that Councilmember (and Queen Anne resident)  Tim Burgess will be attending Sunday’s event.

The Friends of The Seattle Public Library will be at the event with customized Queen Anne branch canvas tote bags. These will be limited-edition bags, and it’s cash only ($15) to get one of your own.

In addition to the celebratory activities, you can also participate in the Check-Out Challenge – visit any Library branch on Sundays until May 5 to get your card stamped. Patrons with 15 stamps can enter a prize-drawing for a chance to win a booklovers basket and lunch with Marcellus Turner, SPL City Librarian. Plus, if your old SPL card is worn-out or you just want to change things up, you can also swap out your card for one of the new ones with photos of the Central Library, Space Needle, Pike Place Market, or Mt Rainier.

Remember, you can stop in at the Queen Anne Library any Sunday between 1pm and 5pm in 2013 – the only non-holiday where you’ll see a “closed” sign on the door is Friday.

Conveniently located at the bottom of the hill, the Friends of the Seattle Public Library’s annual holiday book sale will be Saturday, December 8th from 9am-5pm at the Seattle Center’s Lopez Room.

The sale will include thousands of gift-quality books, CDs, DVDs, cookbooks, art books, and children’s books, with proceeds benefitting The Seattle Public Library. Due to the large volume of materials, volunteers for sale prep and day-of-event help are needed. If you’d like to volunteer to help sort through the Library’s materials to identify gift-quality items for the sale, let them know via email or call 206.682.7567.

Key Details:

• What: Friends of Seattle Public Library Holiday Sale
• Where: Seattle Center Lopez Room, in the Northwest Rooms adjacent to Key Arena
• When: Sale is Saturday, December 8th, 9am-5pm, volunteers needed now and day-of-sale

The Seattle Public Library, AARP and the United Way of King County are working together to offer free tax help at 11 Library locations through mid-April. Trained volunteers will be available to answer questions and prepare personal tax returns. From 1pm – 4:45pm today they will be at the Queen Anne branch.

Drop-in Tax Help is offered on a first come, first served basis. Please note: you must be in the branch and signed in before 4:45 p.m.

This service is free and available to individuals– the free service is not available for business tax returns. IRS reproducible forms are available for photocopy (15 cents per page) at all Library locations. Please call your branch to find out if print forms are in stock. Most IRS forms are available online at the IRS web site.

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.