As you can probably imagine, Librarian Mary gets asked lots of questions at the library. That's great, librarians love to answer questions! It is our raison d'etre, besides our love of books and orderliness. Today I thought we could address a few of the most common ones.
"Librarian Mary, I have some family photos that I would like to scan to my computer. Can you help me with this?"
Yes! The library now has a scanner. There's no charge to scan any number of documents to your external storage. If you need a thumb drive to scan your documents to, Librarian Mary has one that you may borrow until you upload your scans to the computer. Just ask at the Circulation Desk.
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"Librarian Mary, I have an important legal document that I need to have notarized. Can you do that for me?"
Librarian Mary does not provide notary services. The City Clerk's office at the Court House (1316 N 14th St, Suite #200) provides a notary service free of charge. You could also ask at your bank, as many of them provide this service to their customers.
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"Librarian Mary, I am working on a cross stitch pattern, but it is so tiny! I have tried a magnifying glass, but it's hard to cross stitch and hold it at the same time. Can you help me?"
Yes! The library has a copier that can enlarge your original pattern. If you have lots of pages, use the document feeder to make life easier. If you need instruction, just ask at the Circulation Desk. Librarian Mary is happy to help. Copies are 15 cents per page.
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Unfortunately, Librarian Mary is not allowed, by law, to give you any tax advice-even if I personally know the answer. I can steer you toward books and websites on the subject, but I can't tell you what forms you need or how to fill them out. I can, however, print any tax forms for you at 15 cents a page, but you must know which forms you need.
This really goes for any other advice you may need-medical, gardening, pet questions, how to answer the questions on a job application. Librarian Mary will help you find the resources that you need to answer these types of questions, but I can't personally give you advice.
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"Librarian Mary, I am a globe trotting traveler and I don't like to lug all these books around on the plane, and if I put them in my luggage I'm over the weight limit! What should I do?"
You need ebooks! Download all your books and magazines to your tablet or phone and lighten your load. All you need is an Overdrive account and an internet connection. Instructions can be found at superiorlibrary.org. If you need more help, set up an appointment with Librarian Kyle at 715-394-8863.
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"Librarian Mary, I am very busy today. I have a package for my friend who is coming to the library tomorrow afternoon. Can I leave it with you until then? And can I put this personal letter in your out-going mail?"
Sorry, I can't help you with this one. Librarian Mary cannot be responsible for any personal items you leave at the library. Maybe you need a personal assistant? Or some help organizing your day? I can steer you in the direction of resources for this.
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"Librarian Mary, the computer wants the password to my email. What is it?"
This question is surprisingly common. So many people have their email set up on their phones without need of a password. When they need to log on from a computer, they can't remember what the password is. Sorry, Librarian Mary can't help with this. In fact, Librarian Mary is embarrassed to admit that she also has this problem.
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"Librarian Mary, school has only been out 2 weeks and my children are already bored. Help!
Our Children's Room can help with this. Storytime, Summer Reading Program, Read to a Dog, free movies, Lego Club Mondays, crafts, games, computers-we have something for all ages and interests. Librarian Kelly, Librarian Nancy, and Librarian Kayleen are ready to help.
This is just a sampling. If you have more questions, or just want to find out what's going on, visit our website at superiorlibrary.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter(@librarysuperior). Or do the old fashioned thing- pick up the phone and give us a call at 715-394-8860. We'll do our best to answer YOUR questions.
