Anderson County Library System and The Cleo Bailey Experiment Collaborate to Unveil “Little Free Library”

We’re Switching Systems!

What to expect:

If you plan to visit our branches the week of June 19 – 23, please anticipate the following:

• The catalog will effectively be down.
• There will be a borrowing limit of 5 items per library card.
• Holds will not be delivered from other libraries this week (but you can pick up an existing hold).
• The Powdersville 24/7 Lockers will be closed (but you can pick up an existing hold inside the branch).
• The Bookmobile will not run this week.
• Your “My Account” PIN/password may be different. If you’re having trouble logging in, click on “Forgot Password” within the new catalog to receive an email with reset instructions.

FAQs:

Why are you switching systems?

Anderson County Library System is part of SCLends, a statewide consortium, who elected to switch vendors. While the change was a requirement for all SCLends libraries, we’re excited to be able to offer patrons a more powerful catalog search tool, as well as a soon-to-debut mobile app.

Will my holds transfer?

Yes! Your existing holds will transfer to the new online system.

Will the library be open?

We will be! The usual tools that we use to locate items or place holds may be temporarily unavailable to us, but we’re ready to help.

Can I still use the Digital Library?

Yes! We are not anticipating any interruption to our digital services (Hoopla, Kanopy, Libby)

Can I still sign up for a library card during this time?

If it is a physical library card, definitely! We’ll get you into the new system as soon as it’s ready. We will not be able to issue digital library cards during the week of 6/19 – 6/25. Digital cards will resume on 6/26.

I don’t see the new book I want. Are you adding new ones?

During the transition, we can’t add new books. Rest assured we are accumulating new books and they’ll be added as soon as we get the all-clear.

Kanopy is Now Streaming with Your Library Card

Film aficionados rejoice; the Anderson County Library System now provides access to over 30,000 films and TV through Kanopy. With diverse content such as documentaries, international movies, Criterion Collection films, and content just for kids, Kanopy provides thoughtful, enriching entertainment for everyone.

Getting started with Kanopy is easy. Library users can create a free account with their library card number, then stream on their desktop or through the Kanopy app, available for Apple and Android devices and smartTV apps like Roku, Apple TV, Samsung or AmazonTV. Users have five play credits each month, and each video will use one play credit regardless of length. Exceptions are Kanopy Kids, which does not require any play credits, or monthly credit-free films. Credits reset at the beginning of each month.

Kanopy Kids is a collection of curated movies and shows that are educational and engaging. Selections include shows from PBS Kids, Highlights, and Sesame Street, plus international stories, beloved book character adaptations, and much more. Users can also set up parental controls, so children cannot access other content on Kanopy.

Kanopy is the newest addition to a wealth of digital resources available anytime, anywhere with a library card. Library cards are free to anyone who lives, works, owns property, or attends school in Anderson County.  For more information about Kanopy, getting a library card, and all resources available from the Anderson County Library System, visit any library location or go online to www.andersonlibrary.org.

No library card? Now’s the time!

September marks the return of some of everyone’s favorite things: pumpkin spice lattes, football season, and of course, Library Card Sign-Up Month. Your library card opens a world of reading, lifelong learning, entertainment, and connection for the low cost of absolutely free. This September, when you sign up for your first library card with the Anderson County Library System, you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of three $50 Visa gift cards, plus other fun prizes.  

Library cards are free to everyone who lives, works, owns property, or goes to school in Anderson County. To apply, bring a picture ID to any of Anderson County’s nine library locations or any bookmobile stop. If your ID does not have your current address on it, please plan to bring proof of address, like mail or a utility statement.

With an Anderson County Library card, you can save money when you borrow instead of buy. Books, audiobooks, movies, magazines, and music are all available both at the library and digitally with the Libby and Hoopla Digital. You can also learn something new 24/7, with access at home or on the go with online classes, investment research tools, genealogy resources, and business development databases. Finally, entertain your kids – or yourself – with weekly storytimes, afterschool programs, monthly crafting classes, and author and special events. You can even check out passes to SC State Parks and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, as well as fishing equipment, wi-fi hotspots, and seeds from the Seed Library.

Find unique collections and opportunities only at the Anderson Main Library. Browse the Local Author Collection for new and classic books from authors in Anderson and the surrounding area. Go back in time and explore historical newspapers, land deeds, records and more dating back as early as the 1790s with the Local History and Genealogy Collection. Teens can explore a space just for them: the Gambrell Teen Room. The newest addition is the Electric City Creative, a makerspace for creators, makers, and craft enthusiasts. Create projects using a suite of Cricut tools, sewing machines, looms, the Adobe Creative Cloud, and much more.

There’s always something new to explore and read when you get your free Anderson County Library card. Visit the Anderson County Library online at www.AndersonLibrary.org, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for questions or more information.

Have You Met Libby?

What is Libby?
Libby is a free app you can use to checkout eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more from the library.

Who’s Libby for?
Anyone who has or can get an Anderson County Library card, meaning you live, work, go to school, or own property in Anderson County. If you have a reciprocal library card, you can check with your home library about Libby, or pay the annual $25 nonresident fee.

How does Libby work?
Download Libby from the Apple or Google Play app stores to your phone or tablet, or go to libbyapp.com on your computer. Then, enter your library card number and start browsing! Browse or search by genre, popular, newly added, or available now; check items out; place holds; or make a wish list for later.

What about my Kindle?
The Libby app is not available on Kindles. However, you can select the “Send to Kindle” option when checking out most eBooks from your computer or other device.

How is Libby different than Overdrive?
Libby is a newer app by the same company, called Overdrive. They have stopped supporting the original Overdrive app, and it is no longer available from app stores. You can continue using Overdrive, but over time it may lose functionality and compatibility.

What’s available on Libby?
Lots! Thousands of eBooks and audiobooks, including collections for kids and for teens. Popular and unique magazines, including international ones. Extras including Craftsy classes, movies on Indieflix, The Great Courses, and online classes. Don’t see a book you want? Request it by emailing overdrive@andersonlibrary.org

Bonjour, Mango!

Learning a new language just got easier. The Anderson County Library System now offers Mango Languages, an award-winning language education resource, to all library users.

Mango Languages offers over 70 languages and more than 20 English courses for speakers of other languages. Mango is the only adaptive language-learning system powered by proven methodologies, designed to naturally establish retention and rapidly build conversation skills. It is accessible on desktop and on mobile devices with an Apple and Android app.  Users can create accounts to keep up with progress, set up a family account, and for offline learning.

Mango Languages is the latest addition to the digital resources available with a library card. From researching products and investments to studying for the SAT, GED, and other technical exams, library users have access to a wide range of online learning and research tools available anywhere, any time with a library card.

The Anderson County Library System serves residents of all ages in Anderson County across nine library locations, a bookmobile, and the digital library. Get Library events, books, and news straight to your inbox by signing up for newsletters.

Check Out A Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot

Wi-Fi hotspots are now available to check out with a library card from the Anderson County Library System. The hotspot lending program aims to increase broadband Internet access for Anderson County residents and is made possible by a partnership among the Library, Anderson County, and T-Mobile.

 “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that residents of Anderson County face issues with broadband availability and affordability. Some residents do not have access to broadband internet in their area or simply cannot afford to pay for internet in their homes,” says Library Director Annie Sutton. “The Library already provides Internet and Wi-Fi access in all nine libraries. Providing hotspots to check out seems a natural addition to library services .” 

According to the US Census Bureau, around 18,000 households in Anderson County do not have Internet access. The hotspot lending program provides invaluable Internet access to individuals for education, employment, and services. In addition, the Library will provide anonymized geographic data, patterns, and trends to Anderson County leaders to help better inform future broadband infrastructure projects.

Wi-Fi hotpots will be available to check out with an adult library card from each of the Library System’s 9 locations, with the greatest number available at the Honea Path, Iva, and Anderson Main libraries. Hotpots can be checked out for two weeks at a time. If hotspots are not returned after the two weeks, Internet access will be disabled until the device is returned. All devices are equipped with standard content filtering.

“We continually work to offer unique, creative items for checkout and to meet the needs of our residents. I’m excited to provide this new service for library patrons,” says Sutton.            

The Anderson County Library System serves residents of all ages in Anderson County across nine library locations, a bookmobile, and the digital library. Check availability of the Wi-Fi hotspots in the catalog, or ask at your local library.

Be a Citizen Scientist with Project Feederwatch

Love birds? Want to help scientists better understand their migrations? Be a citizen scientist with Project Feederwatch! Project Feederwatch will begin November 13 at the Anderson Main and Pendleton libraries.

To participate, visit the children’s area at either library any time Fridays and Saturdays November 13 through April 30. If you see any birds at the bird feeders, identify them with our aids or the Merlin app, then write down your findings.

At the end of each week, library staff will report your sightings to Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. That data tell scientists about changes in bird abundance and distribution across the United States and Canada, like where birds are and where they are not. This crucial information enables scientists to piece together accurate population maps and identify species that might be at risk.

This will be the second year the Library System participates in Project Feederwatch. For the 2020-21 season, only the Anderson Main Library was an observation site. During that time, library patrons and visitors observed 231 individual birds and identified 22 different species. This year, the Library System is expanding to have two observation sites: at the Pendleton Library and again at the Anderson Main Library.

Patrons can also explore great collections of picture books or nonfiction books for children and adults about birds, nature, backyard gardens, ornithology and more. For those who want even more educational activities to do at home, Cornell Lab provides free K-12 resources online.

Meet Annette, the New Assistant Director

In August 2021, the Anderson County Library System welcomed Annette Greenway as the new Assistant Director. Get to know Annette!

How did you begin working in libraries?
After spending about a decade working in the financial industry, I decided that I wanted to try something different. In 2000 I saw a job opening at my local library. I thought I might enjoy working there because I loved books and libraries. I got the job and it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had found a career that was a really great fit for me.

What is something people find surprising or a little unexpected about you?
I have also worked as a yoga teacher, paddleboard instructor, and river guide.

Since picking a “favorite” book can always be a challenge, what’s something recent that you read and enjoyed?
I am currently reading Songbirds by Christy Lefteri. I recently read another book by her called The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Christy’s parents were Cypriot refugees and she has worked with refugees in Athens. She puts a human face on the refugee and immigrant experiences through the characters she creates.

What makes you excited for working with the Anderson County Library System?
This is my hometown library! I grew up in Anderson and even remember when the bookmobile would visit my neighborhood. I moved away after high school, and I am so glad to have finally found my way back and to have the opportunity to serve the community where I was raised.

Libraries Empower: Celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and this year’s theme from the American Library Association is “Libraries Empower.” To celebrate how libraries can empower individuals, the Anderson County Library System is giving away two $100 Visa gift cards. To enter, pick up a “Libraries Empower” bookmark from your local library, write how libraries have empowered you or your family, fill out the rest of the bookmark, and return to your library by Thursday, September 30.

Don’t have a library card? September is the perfect time to apply. Library cards are free to anyone who lives, works, owns property, or goes to school in Anderson County. With a library card, you can get more than just books. The Anderson County Library System circulates passes to SC State Parks, the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, book club kits, fishing equipment, learning tablets for children, and so much more.

Go digital with your library card. Read eBooks and digital magazines, listen to digital audiobooks, or stream movies, concerts, and lectures with Libby, Hoopla, and Flipster Magazines.

Library cards also provide access to reliable information and research resources. Research your family’s history with Ancestry: Library Edition and HeritageQuest. Search or browse past issues of the Independent-Mail and Consumer Reports. Take an online class at your own pace with Universal Class or practice for the GED, SAT, Praxis, and other college and career exams with LearningExpress Library. Need help getting started? Make an appointment for one-on-one help with Book-A-Librarian.