Barberton Library

For more than 100 years, your hometown library has been dedicated to enriching the community as Barberton's most reliable knowledge source. In addition to offering a welcoming atmosphere, we are continuously doing our best to provide valuable information and resources around the clock.

Library Closed for Fourth

BPL will be closed in observance of Independence Day on Saturday, July 4. Regular hours of operation will apply to Friday, July 3. For your convenience, the after-hours return boxes remain open at the Main and Community Health Branches. Information is always available on this website. Have a safe and happy holiday from you friends at BPL!

Save a Stamp!

Help us reduce paper volume and the cost of mailings by registering your e-mail address with NetNotice, a Clevnet messaging system. Updating your contact information will allow you to receive:

Weekly account details
Overdue notices
Reserve status

You may also elect to obtain Barberton Public Library's digital newsletter by clicking the "Newsletter Signup" button in the left column and submitting your e-mail address directly to BPL.

*E-mails will be used for library purposes only. We will never share or sell your contact information.

Library Funding Update - June 26

To read Governor Strickland’s June 26, 2009, letter concerning library funding: http://www.governor.ohio.gov/LibraryLetter/tabid/1108/Default.aspx

To read Ohio Library Council’s response to Governor Strickland: http://www.olc.org/pdf/OLCResponseStricklandLtr062609.pdf

State Funding Update

On Friday, June 19, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland proposed drastic cuts in the state budget to help close a $3.2 billion gap. His plan would decrease the Public Library Fund by $227.3 million – nearly 50 percent – over the next two years. Although Barberton Public Library (BPL) receives some income from a local operating levy, a dramatic decline in state funding, coupled with losses already sustained during this economic downturn, would have a direct and devastating impact on BPL.

When we asked you to contact your legislators, you certainly took that request to heart. Thank you for being strong advocates for Ohio’s public libraries! Your calls and emails to our legislative representatives have certainly had an impact – nearly all members of the General Assembly have issued statements of support. Now, we must give them time to respond as they continue to struggle with crafting a balanced state budget in this difficult economy.

If you haven’t already contacted your legislators, we hope that you will do so. Please express your thanks for the support they have shown to libraries in the past and urge them to continue to maintain our public libraries during these times of financial crisis by rejecting the Governor’s current proposal. Let them know what public libraries mean to you. We will keep you updated as we learn more about the next state budget and funding for libraries.

Additional information is also available at www.saveohiolibraries.com

Governor Ted Strickland
Governor's Office
General Info: (614) 466-3555
Fax: (614) 466-9354

Click here to email the Governor.
Governor Strickland is also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Representative John R. Otterman
Phone: (614) 644-6037
Fax: (614) 719-6945
Email: district45@ohr.state.oh.us

Senator Kevin Coughlin
Senate Building
Telephone: (614) 466-4823
Email: SD27@senate.state.oh.us

Senator John Carey
Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
(614) 466-8156
SD17@senate.state.oh.us

Representative Vernon Sykes
Chairman of the House Finance Committee
(614) 466-3100

Movie & Book Discussion Group

Read any good films lately? Read the book and then join us to watch the movie and discuss - or just come to enjoy the movie. Showings are scheduled for Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Spillette Meeting Room. Discussion will follow the screening, but is not required. The next title is Jaws (August 6). For further information on the scheduled books and films, and to reserve your copies, please click here. If you have any questions, contact Rachel at Rachel.Helbing@barbertonlibrary.org.

What’s Your Carbon Footprint?

August 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Discover what your carbon footprint is and how you can creatively reduce it! On Monday, August 3, at 7:00 pm, Lisa Gilgenbach will share tips on how you can do your part to save the planet! Take a free on-line quiz to see what your footprint number is and learn ways you can manage your impact on the planet. Be sure and attend this free and timely program. Questions? Contact Mary Eritano at mary.eritano@barbertonlibrary.org.

Guitar in a Day

August 8 at noon – 4:00 p.m.

Pre-registration is required

Be Creative @ Your Library and learn to play the guitar in a day! Professional musician Larry Burns will teach you how to play acoustical guitar on Saturday, August 8, from 12:00 -4:00 pm. This workshop is open to participants 12 year of age and older. You must bring your own acoustical guitar. Please contact the library for more information and to pre-register. Please call 330-745-1194 or email mary.eritano@barbertonlibrary.org.

Employment Assistance - Free Resources

The Barberton Library can assist you in your search for a wide variety of employment resources. Job Resources connects users to many sites for job seekers: like CareerBuilder.com, JobWeb and USA Jobs.

Applying for a civil service job? Studying for your GED? Preparing for the ASVAB? Taking practice tests for the SAT? Check out The Learning Express Library. Practice tests of all types are available on this stie. Learn your score right after you take the test!

Need to post your resume on a job-seeking site? Check out OhioMeansJobs.com. The State of Ohio developed this site for those presently seeking employment. Learn how to post your resume to a job site by following a PowerPoint tutorial on the site.

Looking for help during these difficult economic times? Check out thse sites for all kinds of assistance: employment, education, housing, etc. The State Library of Ohio has an excellent resource for getting started. Live help is available at this site Mondays-Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. Job seeking can be overwhelming, this site is a great place to start. Find Help in Tough Economic Times connects the user to state links for children, job seeking, senior citizens and more.

Your Barberton Public Library card just got a whole lot more powerful!

Beginning Monday, May 11, Barberton Library has joined a cooperative partnership called Clevnet. This is a consortium of more than 30 library systems across 9 counties in Northeast Ohio. By using your Barberton Library card, you will now have shared access to more than ten million items, exclusive online subscription resources, and a rich collection of downloadable media.

Using your card is still very simple. As a card holder, you can:

Borrow materials from any of the 30+ participating library systems.
Have items brought to you from any of the 30+ participating library systems.
Return any Clevnet materials to Barberton Library.
Check your library account, place holds, and renew material online through the "My Account" feature.
Access subscription-only online resources covering topics such as car repair, genealogy, consumer information, and medical information.
Connect to the eMedia collection to download audiobooks, eBooks, music, and videos from your home or office computer.

Nearly ten million items are readily available to you through your hometown library via this cooperative effort. So what are you waiting for? Full access begins Monday, May 11, 2009. We will have orientation classes beginning in June to help you use these new and expanded resources. The first Clevnet orientation classes will be held on Tuesday, June 23, at 2:00 p.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. Learn how to search the Clevnet database to look up items and place reserves from home or at the library. Questions? Please email Dia Thomas at dia.thomas@barbertonlibrary.org.

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