I really like the section of the library that has been set up for recommended by library staff books. I''ve found some great books there that I probably wouldn''t have discovered on my own.
Thanks for Listening
Thanks for starting to buy more fiction - glad to know you pay attention to our comments.
How About Some PG Movies
Could I request that you purchase some adult movies that are not rated R. Some of us would like good cinema without the barrage of violence, profanity and sex. I would guess that >80% of the movies upstairs are rated R. Thank you, Adrian
STAFF REPLY
While our DVD collection does include R-rated films, our goal is to provide a variety of movies. We have many PG and PG-13 rated films in the adult collection, as well as other items (for example, PBS, A&E, and BBC productions) which may be more to your taste. Keep in mind that about 60% of our films are checked out at any time, so there may be items you have missed by browsing the shelves. You might want to browse the collection in the online catalog and put films that interest you on hold (the reference librarian will be glad to help you with that).
We've only been purchasing DVDs for a few years, so the film collection is definitely still "under construction". We welcome suggestions for additions to the collection, and we do our best to purchase requests that meet our film selection criteria: winners of major film awards, as well as film classics and critically acclaimed foreign films, independent films, and films based on books.
Non Fiction
I really like finding titles to read in the non-fiction New Book section of the library. The librarians are doing a fabulous job of choosing interesting books. Jeanne
New Fiction
Why are there so many more new non-fiction books on display than new fiction books, in the lobby? I would like to see more new ficiton to choose from. Beth
STAFF REPLY
We do buy a LOT of fiction and it is popular. However, we do still hear this comment from time to time. We are in the process of looking at ways that we can make more fiction titles available to our customers while also maintaining a current and up-to-date non-fiction collection. We are also in the process of changing the amount of time we leave fiction books on new book display to give more people a chance to check them out.
Online Book News
Just wanted to thank you for the new online booklists. (BookLetters) Lots of interesting categories to look at. This is a great service to use at home, for kids or adults!
I told my book group about it, so they are signing up even though many of them don't live in Lafayette.
STAFF REPLY
Thanks for spreading the word about BookLetters!
Anyone can look at - or subscribe to - over 30 booklists that change monthly.
Check out additional features such as author information, lists of award-winning books, book discussion guides, and audio clips.
Best of all, there's a link to the library catalog to see if an item is available. If it is checked out, you can place a hold on it right away.
If you have not yet tried this great resource, see all the choices at:
BookLetters Lists
To receive selected BookLetters in your email, go to:
BookLetters Signup Page
Catalog
I am a teen and I love to read but when I try to find books on the computer I seem to get confused! :-) is there anyway you could make it easier? Thank you, Love2read
STAFF REPLY
Thanks for writing. We're glad you like to read and feel bad that you had trouble with our catalog.
It would help us to know what it was confusing to you in order to find out if there is a way to fix it. We get so used to our computer system that we forget it may not work the way other people expect it to. Please let us know the specifics of your problem or stop by and talk to the one of the reference librarians. It may be something we can show you or it may be a computer glitch we can fix.
Fiction Selection Gone Downhill
Your selection of new fiction is VERY limited compared to that at other area libraries (Broomfield, Louisville, and Boulder) and also compared to what you formerly had. Perhaps your procurement activity is not keeping up with your demand? You might consider increasing your acquisitions.
STAFF REPLY
Thank you for your observation. We think you might be noticing that we've reduced the number of shelves on which we display new fiction and therefore have reduced the length of time that new books stay on display in the library lobby. We are also concentrating more of our resources on buying multiple copies of popular books so our users can read the book while everyone is talking about it. For additional newer fiction that is not on display, ask our reference staff at the desk upstairs to help or place a hold on a popular new title that is checked out.
Our book budget has stayed the same over the past few years while the cost of books has increased. However, we have increased the percentage of that budget that we spend on fiction and buy new books every month. We are very responsive to requests for books, so if there are authors, titles or particular fiction genres that you would like us to purchase please let us know. We do re-evaluate decisions such as how long to leave books on the New Book" shelves and how to distribute our book purchasing funds. We will keep your feedback in mind as we plan for next year.
Children's Reference/NonFiction Area
I realize the library is limited by space, but was wondering if there are any plans to have a children's reference and nonFiction area rather than having it all mixed in with the more grown up and difficult books. Also, it would probaly help adults not have to sift through all the kid books as well when they are looking into nonFiction. The folk tales would also make more sense to be with the children's section. But other than that we LOVE the library!!
Lisa - Mom to 4 avid readers
STAFF REPLY
As you've noticed, we do have a different approach to non-fiction than many other libraries. With the exception of the very easiest books, which are found in the book bins in the children's area, all non-fiction books are filed together in a single collection. Our objective is to make it easy for our customers to find everything we have on a subject without having to visit different sections of the library ("one stop shopping"!). Adults who need materials at a lower reading level don't need to visit the children's collection to find them, and children and teens who are working on reports can find everything they need in one place. Just as kids sometimes need the higher level information found in a book intended for older readers, adults may also find what they are looking for in a book designed for kids.
We do recognize that sometimes you are looking just for a children's book. Our children's non-fiction books are labelled with big yellow dots on the spine, to make them easy to spot when browsing. We also spotlight high interest non-fiction subjects, such as dinosaurs and fairy tales, in the displays and bins in the children's area. Please let us know if you have trouble finding what you need in our non-fiction collection - we are always glad to help!
Fiction A La Carte
Where did it go!!! I miss it!!
STAFF REPLY
It has moved upstairs, on the south end. Look for the A-frame display, still with a good selection of fiction titles.
