The Electronic Newsletter of the Palm Beach County Library System

Contents:
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes
2/ Web Site Tour
3/ Library Booth at the South Florida Fair

1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes

Welcome to the Palm Beach County Library System's newest publication.  Books & Bytes exists to provide insights into the new Library web site. Once a month, will provide updates on library news and programming.  Books&Bytes will also serve as a guide to using our web site for your research, providing details about our catalog and the fact-filled databases we provide to you.  We hope you will enjoy receiving this publication.  Please let us know what you think of Books&Bytes by writing to us at: webmaster@pbclibrary.org

2/ Web Site Tour

PBCLibrary.org was launched on January 2, 2001, marking a vast enhancement in online accessibility to the resources of the Palm Beach County Library System.  Our web site offers a huge number of tools for your research and entertainment needs.  All of which are easily accessible from the left-side bar.  Here is a quick highlight of our services:

Library Catalog: Near the top of every web page is a form to search our catalog.  The two main methods to search are by using the quick search box on the left, and the branch selector on the right.

The quick search box provides the fastest access to our catalog, allowing you to do author, title, and subject searches.  It will then provide immediate results, displaying items found at the Main Library. Items at other locations can be found by clicking the "Additional Holdings" link in each record. 

The branch selector on the right allows you start your search at your local branch library.  After choosing this option, the browser automatically jumps to the regular catalog search form.  Again, you may perform an author, title, or subject search with your chosen branch's holdings shown first.  Also, you may search by keyword or by Dewey Decimal Number.

News and Events: Every month, the library holds dozens of special programs ranging from children's story hours, to classic movie showings, to tax clinics.  "News and Events" provides listings of special programs by branch.  It also lists our three publications : Happenings, GRS Update, and Books & Bytes.

Your Library Card: Do you want to know when your videos are due?  Need to renew your books?  You can check your library card account through our web site.  Using your library card number and a PIN for security, you can access your account.  The account screen will display all items currently on loan to you, list any accrued fines, and show if your requests are ready for pick-up.  You may also renew borrowed materials through this section.

Research Resources: Every day our librarians answer hundreds of questions.  You are able to benefit from this expertise through our "Research Resources" section.  It provides access to a wide variety of tools.

Electronic Databases: Our vast array of electronic databases contain a wealth of information.  Whether you are searching for magazine and newspaper articles, phone numbers, company fact sheets, or medical information, they can be found through our web site.  Several of these databases are accessible from home twenty-four hours a day, enabling research to be done well after the library is closed for the night.  Be sure to have your library card number handy so that you may log in.

Useful Web Links: Our librarians have compiled lists of high-quality web sites for assistance in your research.  These sites have been sorted by subject to provide easier access for all library users.  Sites that don't fit nicely into our subject headings have been collected into the "Useful Stuff" page. Before sorting through the massive results provided by web search engines such as Google or AltaVista, try our lists of useful web links.

Government Research Services: For information on anything to do with government, our Government Research Services has collected a vast set of resources on their web pages.  Use them to find information about all levels of government, from the smallest county department to the doors of the White House to all spots in-between.  Local documents, county maps, election resources, and links to legal resources are available.

Email Reference: If you need to ask our librarians a question, but are unable to make it into the library, email reference may be for you.  Simply fill out our question form and you will receive an answer on the next business day.  The
Reference staff can provide brief answers to factual questions or suggest locations or other sources which might help to answer your question.

Youth Pages: The Palm Beach County Library specializes in providing first-rate service for kids.  We provide Homework Help, Internet Safety Tips, child authors in the Writer's Corner, and general Fun Stuff.  In the Youth Pages, teens can also find useful homework web sites and college information.  And parents are able to find great information to answer their parenting questions.

Library Services: Fourteen PBCLS libraries are open around the county, from the Glades in the west, to Tequesta in the north, and into Boca Raton in the south.  Check this section to locate the library nearest you, or learn more about our Outreach Services such as the Bookmobile and Adult Literacy.  We also have many programs available to assist physically-disabled patrons.

About the Library: The library is more than a collection of books.  To keep our system functioning smoothly, we rely on the help of the "Friends of the Library", the "Library Advisory Board", and "Volunteers".  We are also seeking motivated people to join our staff.  If you want to support the Palm Beach County Library System, check out "About the Library" to discover the option that is best for you.

3/ Library Booth at the South Florida Fair

The South Florida Fair is underway, and once again the Palm Beach County Library System is there.  Every year, dozens of staff members volunteer to work the Fair, operating out of our booth in Building 8.  It is an opportunity to talk to the public and provide information on library services.  So please take time in-between roller coaster rides and cruising the Midway to visit our booth to pick up free goodies.

See you at the Fair!