2011 CT State Parks and Forests Day Pass

Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Hamden Public Library, we have now three copies of the popular 2011 CT State Parks and Forests Day Pass in circulation.

Check availablity here. The passes cannot be reserved. Passes are checked out on a first come, first serve basis. Hamden residents with a valid Hamden library card can check out the pass overnight at the info desk at Miller library. One pass per family. Passes are due the next day before the library closes. During the summer, when the library is closed on Saturdays, if the pass is checked out an a Friday, it is due on Monday before the library closes at 9 pm. Passes need to be returned to the info desk at Miller library.

The passes are valid until December 31, 2011 and cover the cost of parking at state parks and forests where there is a charge. This includes beach state parks as well as inland state parks. The passes also cover admission for two adults and four children at state historical sites and exhibit centers at Dinosaur, Fort Trumbull and Gillette Castle State Parks. The passes are not valid for groups or vehicles carrying more than 12 passengers. They are offered as part of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE initiative.

For more information call the information desk at 203/287-2680. See a listing of our other museum passes here.

Mango Languages App from iTunes

We are pleased to announce that Mango is now offering an app of their foreign language program for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Get free access to more than 34 foreign language courses and 14 English as a second language courses in the palm of your hand with your Hamden Library account. Just visit the iTunes store to download the Mango Languages app. Mango makes learning a new language fast, easy, and incredibly effective!



You will need create a user login on the web-based version of Mango before you can use the app. To get started, the Hamden Library's Mango Languages database. After entering your library card number, create a Mango account (email address and password), then use that email address and password to log in to the app.

Android, Blackberry, and other mobile users may use the Library's web-based version of Mango Languages with their device's web browser.

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Pass

We received two new passes to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. Each pass admits the pass-holder and accompanying family members for free. The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays and New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The museum is open on the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. The passes can be checked out by Hamden residents only with valid Hamden Library cards (first come, first served).

Pass Status

List of Museum Passes

New Art and Photography Books

Summer's almost here!

If you've been keeping up with Totem Tom-- and we hope you have-- you know the library's new air-conditioning is beating back the heat and humidity that's typical of our New England summers. Come in to beat the heat, and stay to browse our "good reads".

As a reminder, all children's books are two-week books starting Monday, June 20, 2011. NO RENEWALS! You will also not be able to place reserves on children's books during this time. This lasts for the duration of our summer reading program, and regular borrowing periods resume in September.

Also, summer hours start the week of Monday, June 20 and are as follows:

Monday-Wednesday: 10 am-9 pm
Thursday, Friday: 10 am-5:30 pm
Closed Saturdays and Sundays

Regular hours resume after Labor Day.

New and Improved Language Program!

Our online language instruction program, Mango, has just added 7 new languages to their service: Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Indonesian, Slovak, Tamil, and Ukranian. That brings the total to 29 Foreign languages, and English courses in 15 languages.

Foreign languages include: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Pashto, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

You can also find English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction from 15 languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

All languages include a basic and complete course. The basic level is perfect for a foreign language beginner, Mango Basic teaches everyday greetings, gratitudes, goodbyes and helpful phrases in a short period of time. If you're looking for something more advanced, Mango Complete offers a 100-lesson course that digs much deeper and is designed to provide a more complete understanding of the entire language and culture.

All you need is a Hamden Library card. Visit Mango and get started today!

Who says people don't read books anymore?

Steve Jobs famously declared "People don't read books anymore" back in 2006, and his assertion has been repeated often enough that it has almost become conventional wisdom. Clearly Mr. Jobs has never met the residents of Hamden, CT. Between June 1st and July 9th this year, 62,302 books were checked out of the Hamden Library. It seems like EVERYONE in Hamden is reading books this summer.

And if you also count audio-visual materials, the check-out total climbs to 84,235. While we're thrilled that so many people our using the library, it has made it difficult for our staff to get returned items put back on the shelves as quickly as we'd like. This can make it difficult for people looking for books, since they can end up sitting on our book trucks waiting to be put away. We hope you bear with us during this busy time, as we do our best to make your visit to the library as pleasant and convenient as possible. We just can't always keep up with you voracious Hamden readers! (Take that, Steve Jobs!)

History Videos on Demand

The Hamden Public Library is now offering history videos on demand. You can now watch a wide assortment of documentaries and archival newsreels from your home computer - all you need is your Hamden Public Library Card!

American History in Video provides the largest and richest online collection of video available for the study of American history—2,000 hours and more than 5,000 titles. The collection's wealth of video and multiplicity of perspectives allows you to see, experience, and study American history in ways never before possible. This collection is an exclusive collaboration with A&E Television Networks and features some of their most important documentaries and series from The History Channel, A&E Network, and Biography. You will also find numerous episodes of the PBS series "The American Experience," as well as Ken Burns's "The Civil War," "The West," and "Jazz."

Start watching>

Summer at the Library

It's that time of year again: summer. The air is warm, the beach is crowded, and you need something to occupy the many hours of time you'd be watching television or doing homework during the rest of the year. (Ha-ha.)

If you're looking for something to fill the time between now and September, come in to the library! All media is free for the duration of its loan period, and we have a great variety of best sellers, classics, and perennial favorites. Whether you're looking for the latest Stieg Larsson--- and if you are, I 'd recommend calling us to put yourself on a wait list--- or the first Agatha Christie, a fluffy romance or sci-fi epic, or maybe even a childhood favorite to share with friends or family, there's a good chance we'll have what you're looking for.

As a reminder, all children's books are two-week books starting Monday, June 21, 2010. NO RENEWALS! You will also not be able to place reserves on children's books during this time. This lasts for the duration of our summer reading program, and regular borrowing periods resume in September.

Also, summer hours start next week and are as follows:

Monday-Wednesday: 10 am-9 pm
Thursday: 10 am-5:30 pm
Friday; 10 am-4 pm
Closed Saturdays and Sundays

Regular hours resume after Labor Day.

Who Do You Think YOU Are?

Have you been watching NBC's Who Do You Think You Are? (Fridays at 8 p.m.)? Do you want to learn more about your own family tree? Hamden Public Library provides free access to Ancestry.com databases for patrons using computers within the library. (Remote access is not available at this time.) All you need is a valid library card that is in good standing to log on to library computers and find out more about your family's history.

Special Thanks

During the recent holiday season, Hamden library patrons generously donated to those in need our community. By Christmas Eve the total items collected at the libraries were as follows:

Toys: 149

Coats: 162

Mittens: 177

Food: 13 boxes

Thanks to all who offered a helping hand to your friends and neighbors this year!

Connecticut Science Center

The Connecticut Science Center in Hartford has scheduled a half-price Community Day on Saturday, December 5, from 10 am to 5 pm. Half price applies to general admission tickets only. The Connecticut Science Center opened in June 2009. It offers 150 hands-on exhibits, 3D movies, live science, a gift shop, a cafe and more. For more information on the Connecticut Science Center click here or call 860-724-3623.

For a listing of our new Science and Nature books click here.

Blog about the Nutmegs

4th, 5th & 6th Graders are invited to join us at

www.hamdennutmegreaders.blogspot.com .
Let your friends and classmates know what
you think about this year's Intermediate
Nutmeg Nominees.

And, if you want to talk to some real, live
readers, join us at Brundage Community
Branch for in-person discussions (with
refreshments) on October 15, November 5,
December 10, January 7 and January 28.

Stretch Your Dollars

Looking to ways to make your money go farther? Come to the library! Instead of buying small mountains of books, CDs, DVDs and even magazines that you'll only use once, check them out at the library instead.

Take a look at our Library Value Calculator and see what you could be saving with your library card.