By Mary Stewart, Birmingham Library

September welcomes the community back to the routine of school, sports, and a cornucopia of fall events and activities. As the new season begins, the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) wants to remind you of some basic library benefits, introduce you to some new ways of doing old things, and tell you about some completely new services on tap.

What better way to start the fall than to sign up for a new library card if you do not have one or swap that old worn-out one for a brand new keychain card free during National Library Card Signup Month. The card allows you to check out books, CDs, DVDs, and all sorts of other library materials. When you use it online, you have access to magazines, test preparation for ACT, SAT and others, encyclopedias, dictionaries, business resources, health information, auto repair guides, and cool tools for school.

The public libraries of Jefferson County are adding more self-service options to the JCLC Web site. Try them anytime wherever you have Internet access. Notable among these is making requests for books online. Reserving books at the library is nothing new, but have you tried the new way to reserve a book? The new self-service feature works like online shopping and comes complete with a shopping cart that you can fill with books to have delivered to the library of your choice. To request a book, go to the JCLC catalog at http://vulcan.bham.lib.al.us.  Conduct your search to find the book you want and choose the option to request it or add it to your cart. Then if you need something else, continue searching. When you are ready to check out, follow the instructions to designate your preferred pickup location, and submit your request. This operation will either set the wheels in motion to deliver a book from the shelf to your selected library or place your name on a waiting list. You will receive e-mail or telephone notification when your book is ready for pickup.

The catalog not only has shopping carts, it also has a new look. Now when you search the catalog and locate a title, you can see the book jacket or media cover, read reviews about the title, and find biographical information about the author. When you click on the box for Other Resources, you may choose from a variety of options including an Internet search engine for more information.

One feature you can test-drive right now is One-Stop Search, a powerful tool that can search multiple databases at once. You will find it at http://www.jclc.org by rolling your mouse on Resources and clicking on Databases. Search by keyword, title, author, or subject and choose the kind of resource that you want. New databases including HeritageQuest, for genealogy, and business database Reference USA are already up and running.

Throughout the school year, the JCLC libraries will continue to roll out new services. Go to the JCLC Web site or visit your local library and check back often to discover all the ways your JCLC libraries are cooperating for you.

One-Stop Search:

Database

Resources Search Tool

LearningExpressLibrary (test preparation)

HeritageQuest (genealogy)

Reference USA (business)