Otis Library is a Massachusetts Certified Library and a member of the CWMARS Library Resource System.
Otis Library & Museum has been in existence since the middle of the last century. The Otis Library & Museum became certified by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in December 2007.
WINTER HOURS ARE HERE! Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday CLOSED
Wednesday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
We are proud to announce that we have joined the CWMARS network. This means you can access all our materials as well as materials throughout the state of Massachusetts. We have been busy during the winter and we are so excited with our new resources. Please stop by the library and register for your new bar coded card which can be used throughout the Berkshires. You can browse the catalog on the computer or come use one of ours, request what you want and have it delivered to the Otis Library - waiting just for you! For all you electronic readers, CWMARS has over 2000 electronic materials available for downloading to certain readers, so check it out!
WELCOME KERRY BEAN! We are delighted to welcome Kerry Bean as our newest librarian. Kerry is a first grade teacher at the Conte Community School. She is an avid reader and a wonderful patron of the library. Kerry will work Saturdays, and during the summer she will add hours. Kerry lives in Otis with her husband Jeff and daughter Zoe. Please come in on a Saturday and welcome Kerry. Also, a welcome to Donna Latham who is now serving as our substitute librarian when we either need extra help or when we need her to sub for one of us. Donna has worked in the East Otis Post Office, been a health care provider, and has had many other occupations. An avid reader and a frequent visitor to the Otis Library, Donna has been a great replacement for us. She lives in Otis with her husband Charlie.
AS WE CLOSE 2011, thanks are in order to all who have helped the library flourish. To all who have worked to rebuild the porch and to maintain the building, to those who work hard to fundraise the money needs to supplement the town's municipal appropriation, and to those who provided special programs for the library, such as John Stanmeyer, Linda Graves, Bruce Mandel, Rita Casher Bagel, Howard Levin, the CWMARS staff, the MLA staff, and the summer program instructors. And lastly, to all the wonderful patrons who visit, use, and appreciate this library. Your comments of praise and appreciation make every minute of our work worth it!
EXCITING NEW TECHNOLOGY! On behalf of the wonderful Library Trustees I invite you to come see the new digital readers! There is a Nook and a Kindle at the library. These devices are where technology meets the book...We will help you learn how to use them...We can show you how to browse the CWMARS digital catalog and see what is available. You can download to your computer, and then transfer to your Kindle or Nook. You can also use the CWMARS Overdrive Digital Catalog directly onto several mobile devices such as IPOD, Sony Reader, IPAD, and other devices. For a complete list of compatible devices visit www.overdrive.com/resources/drc. There are some books in the catalog that you can sign out using your CWMARS Library Card, and you
can go to several sites and find eBooks that are free. It is an exciting way to read a book!
NEW RELEASES FOR WINTER READING!
1Q84 by Murakami Haruki 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
The Angel Makers by Jessica Gergson The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy
Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George Blue Nights by Joan Didion
The Forgotten Affairs of Youth by McCall Smith Breakdown by Sara Paretsky
Catherine the Great by Robert Massie Deadline by Fern Michaels
Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
NEW MATERIALS: We have added over 200 DVDs to our collection and over 350 new books. If you have any specific request, please leave them with a librarian and we will try to get what you would like. I am most proud to announce we have all these books available at the Otis Library. This is a great time to catch up and read!
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS: We had busy after school children's craft programs. We made Thanksgiving Indians, Christmas ornaments and decorations, and now we are getting ready to let bluebirds go, and do some valentines. Please stay informed via flyers distributed in school as well as here in the library.
LIBRARY PASSES: The Library and Recreation Center offer over 20 passes to different sites of interest and enjoyment. The intention is to allow Otis residents and patrons of our library, rec center, and town to visit these places at reduced or no cost. Passes are available on a first come, first served basis and each loan is for two days only. The Library has passes for Berkshire Museum, Chesterwood, Clark Museum, Mass MoCA, The Mount, Norman Rockwell Museum, Ashley House, Bartholomew's Cobble, Field Farm, Mission House, Naumkeag, Ventfort Hall, Amelia Park Ice Arena, Berkshire Botanical Gardens, Hancock Shaker Village, Magic Wings, and the Zoo in Forest Park. New this year are passes to the USS Constitution located in the Boston Area, and Massachusetts State Parks. The Recreation Center maintains the
passes for Otis Ridge and Six Flags.
Joel Morris and other members of the board are working diligently to raise money through donations and grants for our library and our movement to the CWMARS system. This system will be more important now that the regional services have been eliminated. CWMARS will allow us to interact and articulate with many other libraries, also it will give patrons direct access to the extensive library of approximately 3 million articles, and our students and patrons will be able to access over 19 databases, including newspapers. If you would like to make a donation, please contact the Library. If you would like to work with Joel on his fundraising campaign, please contact the library.
Respectfully submitted,
Board of Trustees
Otis Library & Museum
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