Whether this is your first visit or you're an old friend, we hope to make you welcome at the Roy R. Estle Memorial Library in Dallas Center, Iowa. The library has variety of materials and services. Library Information is an introduction to the library's materials and policies. It also answers many of the public's most frequently asked questions. For more help of any kind, ask your library staff. estledc@prairieinet.net
| Library Information | Genealogy | Calendar of events | Location Information | Hours | |
| EBSCOHost | SILO |
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1308 Walnut St P.O. Box 521 |
Monday and Friday 9 am - 5 pm |
|
| Story time | Homework help links |
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Dallas Center, Iowa 50063-0521 | Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 9 am - 7 pm |
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| Book Club | Friends of the Library | Children's Corner | (515)992-3185 fax(515)992-4929 |
Saturday 9 am - noon |
Library Information table of contents
Location | Hours
| Staff | Services | Library
governance | Becoming a borrower | Checking
out | Renewing materials | Returning
materials | When we don't
have the item you need | Overdue/lost/damaged
materials | Loan/fine guidelines | If
there is a problem | Notices | Suspension
of borrowing privileges | Court action | Parents
will want to know
Director: Mary Werch estledc@prairieinet.net
Director of Children's Services: Mary Anne Grieve estlelibrary@yahoo.com
Library associate: Carole Hoover
Wendy Collins
The library provides a wide variety of materials and services, including:
Internet access - Summer programs - Meeting room - Tourist information - Story
times - Polaroid Sun camera - Study areas - Harry Durkes slides - Typewriter -
copier (both black and white and color) - Magazines - Newspapers -
Microfilm reader/printer - Tax forms - EBSCOHost - Local history - Button maker
- FAX machine - DVD's - Videos - Interlibrary loan - Audio books on cassette and
CD - Slide projector - Genealogical material - Reference service - Word
processing - Community information - Test proctoring - Large print books Table
of contents
Five Trustees, appointed by the mayor or County Supervisors, set library policy. The Trustees employ a director and staff who are responsible for the library's day to day operation. The policies adopted by the Board of Trustees are available to the public in a notebook in the reference section of the library. The Board reviews each policy at least once every three years.
Current Library Trustees are: Sara Myers, Chris Loftin, Karyl Palmer, Patty Howard and Heather Willrich
If you are a resident of Dallas Center, rural Dallas County, or have a valid card from another Iowa library that participates in the Open Access Program, you may become a registered borrower after presenting identification with a current address. Library cards are issued to patrons in kindergarten and above. Registration is for one year and is renewable following expiration IF there are no outstanding fines or fees. There is a $1.00 fee to replace a lost card. Table of contents
You must use your own card when checking out materials. If you've forgotten your card and the computerized check out system is in service, you may check out after proper identification. As a service when you check out, the staff member will remind you of any outstanding fines. Table of contents
You may renew materials once if other borrowers haven't reserved them. Renewals may be made at the check out desk or by calling 992-3185 or by e-mail at estledc@prairieinet.net Table of contents
You may return materials at the circulation desk or the outside drop-box if the library is closed. Equipment and art prints must be returned to the desk. Because the outside return is available 24 yours every day, fines are charged every day of the year whether the library is open or closed. Table of contents
WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE ITEM YOU NEED
Although we have a collection of over 18,000 items, we may not have the
specific item you need, or our copy may be on loan. Here's what we can do:
Reserve:
If we own an item but it's checked out, you may place a reserve so it will
be held for you when it is returned. You will be called when the tem is
returned and it will be held for you for one week.
Request for purchase:
If you would like us to purchase a certain item, you may make a
recommendation. All patron requests are given serious consideration within
the constraints of budget and selection policy. You will be notified by phone.
Interlibrary loan:
Our library is part of SILO (State of Iowa Libraries Online) and is
supported by a national library network that allows us to borrow items we do not
own. There is no fee for this service. Table
of contents
OVERDUE, LOST AND DAMAGES MATERIALS
Sharing is the basis for any community's lending library. Sharing means that when you borrow an item you promise to bring it back by a certain date, so that someone else has an opportunity to borrow it. There are limited number of materials in the library and we want everyone to have a fair chance of finding what they want. To encourage equal sharing, the library charges overdue fines when materials are kept longer than the date due. People sometimes have compelling reasons or circumstances for not returning materials on time. Even so, if an item is overdue, it is not on the shelf ready for use by others and an overdue fine is charged.
When a library item is lost or damaged beyond repair, you will be asked to pay the library's cost of replacing it. When an item is damaged, you will be charged a fee to cover the cost of repair. Table of contents
All adult and juvenile materials, except those listed below, are loaned for
two weeks. Fines are $.05 per day.
| ITEM | LOAN | FINE |
| videos | 2 day | $1.00/day |
| DVD's | 2 days | $1.00/day |
| magazines | 7 days | $ .05/day |
| vertical file | 7 days | $ .05/day |
| equipment | 7 days | $1.00/day |
| slides | 7 days | $1.00/day |
| art | 2 months | $1.00/day |
Maximum fine is the replacement cost of the item. Table of contents
The library makes every effort to be careful and thorough in loaning and checking in materials. When you believe a mistake has been made, we check our records for any errors. In the case of a lost item, we search the shelves a number of times. We ask you to look at home for the item as well. When no error can be identified or a lost item cannot be found, we must rely on our record of the transaction. A refund is always made if a mistake can be identified. If you have paid for a lost item and find it at home within three months we will refund everything but the overdue fine. Table of contents
A first notice is sent after items are at least 14 days overdue. The notice lists the items not yet returned and the dates they were due. We do not assess the fine owed until the items are returned. A final notice is sent when items are at least 30 days overdue, listing the cost if they aren't returned. Returning the item and paying the fine is always less expensive. No notices are sent for fines only. Postage is charged for each notice sent. Table of contents
SUSPENSION OF BORROWING PRIVILEGES
If you accumulate $10.00 or more in fines or fees, your borrowing privileges are suspended until they are cleared up. Table of contents
As the community's agent, the library is serious about seeing that public property is returned. When an item is two months overdue, notices have been sent, and the overdue items still have not been returned, a warning letter is sent. The letter informs the borrower that legal action will be taken if the item is not returned or paid for within 14 days. Table of contents
PARENTS WILL WANT TO KNOW: OPEN BORROWING PRIVILEGES
The library maintains collections of materials for children, young adults, and adults. Anyone, regardless of age, may select from any part of the library collection. To serve varied interests and points of view, we select materials from a broad range of political, economic, religious, artistic and philosophic viewpoints. The library may own materials on subjects that you, as a parent, may consider unsuitable for your own children. The Roy R. Estle Memorial Library has a strong commitment to a policy of open access by which all materials are available to library users, regardless of age. Because we live in a democratic society which values freedom of thought and work, it is essential that the public library respect each person's right to information and confidentiality, no matter what age. It is the responsibility of those parents who wish to do so to monitor their own children's use of library materials. Table of contents
EBSCOHost offers web-based information resources, including full-text magazines, journals, encyclopedias, newspapers, graphics, and much more. It is available 24 hours a day. This service is provided with funds from the State Library of Iowa using federal Library Service and Technology Act dollars, Area Education Agencies and your local library. To access EBSCOHost you may use the Internet computers at the library or stop at the library for user name and password to access the site from your home or work computer. back to top
A book discussion group meets in the Conrad and Doris Labor Program Room at the library the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The book for each month is available at the meeting or at the circulation desk during regular library hours. This group is open to all adults.
Upcoming dates and titles:
SILO (State of Iowa Libraries Online)
|
SILO (State of Iowa Libraries Online) is a statewide electronic
library information network that connects libraries to the information
resources available via the Internet.
These resources include: the electronic card catalogs of the State Library (medical, legal and public policy information), public libraries and Iowa's university libraries; the statewide "card catalog" known as the Iowa Locator that lists 3.5 million books owned by Iowa libraries; thousands of databases worldwide on almost any topic; and online reference sources such as an index to magazines, newspapers, government publications, etc. There are currently 707 participating libraries. |
Some links to sites for homework or research help
Colorado State Library kids
click
Internet Public Library kids
space
Seattle Public Library's Homework
There is an extensive collection of genealogy relating to Dallas County and surrounding counties at the Roy R. Estle Memorial Library. The collection consists of (in part) Federal census records for Dallas County (on microfilm) from 1850 to 1930; Iowa census records for Dallas County (on microfilm) for 1885, 1895 and 1925;complete Federal census for the United States for 1880 on CD-ROM; microfilm of most of the newspapers published in Dallas County (except the Perry Chief ); a card catalog with abstracts of births, deaths and marriages listed in local papers; many town, church, and individual family histories; and much more. The collection can be accessed at the Library's on line catalog under the "G" call number or by title or subject.
The Dallas County Genealogical Society houses their collection at the library and meets in the library program room on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm.
A few links to genealogical sites on the Internet
Cyndi's List
Mormon Library
Iowa Genealogy/Dallas County
January 22, 2008
