Getting a Passport?

You can now apply for a Passport here at the library!
Be sure to call ahead to make an appointment and verify what you need to bring.

We are able to process your application for a new passport or the new passport card. We can also supply you with the proper forms for other passport business as well as help you find answers to your questions.

The most important thing adults need to know when applying for a passport is an official Birth Certificate with the raised seal plus a valid photo ID must be presented with the completely filled out application form.

For minors under 16 years, an official Birth Certificate must be presented and BOTH parents must be appear at the time of application with their own valid photo IDs. If both parents cannot appear, a consent form must be properly completed and presented instead.

More details about each line of the application, the form itself and other forms are available on the State Department’s website. http://travel.state.gov/

What is considered a valid photo ID? Here’s the list…
Previous U.S. passport (book or card)
Certificate of Naturalization
Certificate of Citizenship
Government employee identification card
Driver’s license (not temporary or learner’s permit)
Aircraft pilot’s license issued by the DEPT of Transportation, FAA
Official military ID card

We will make appointments beginning one hour after we open (meaning the first appt can be at 11:00am every day except Tuesdays. On Tuesdays the first appt could be at 4:00pm). The last appointment must be completed one hour before we close (meaning the final appt of the day on Monday through Wednesday can be at 6:30pm and on Thursday through Saturday the final appt can be at 3:30pm). The library is closed for all business on Sundays and Holidays.

Grand Re-Opening!

A special Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 13 at 10:00 AM.

After the ribbon is cut the entire Biesecker Children's Wing of the library will be open to the public once more.

Since the reopening of the main part of the library on August 14 much of our children's collection has been housed in the Adult Reference area and Adult Fiction Room. We also held our storytimes in various other places since the regular storytime room (the Cabot Room) was unavailable.

Storytimes will once more be able to be held in our Cabot Room at the rear of the building as well as big screen movie showings, book club discussion groups, and anime club meetings.

Our first storytime back in the Cabot Room will be with Miss Barb on Thursday September 18th. All the September storytimes scheduled to take place in special locations throughout the community will still take place, so don't miss out on the visit to Taylor Backes Glass Blowing studio and gallery coming up next on Friday September 19th at 10:30AM.

See you at the Ribbon Cutting or some future event!

And the (Teen) Winners are...

School has started again and the Raffle Drawing for the Teen Prizes in Boyertown was held. Several of our library's Teen Advisory Council (TAC) - Sam Cronrath, Veronica Smith, & Evan Randall - drew the winning entries on September 2nd.

Our Teen Summer Readers (ages 13 to 18) read many, many books to collect raffle tickets to try for up to 14 different prizes just for their age group. 103 Teens turned in 1,487 green reading logs this summer, that's the equivalent of 7,435 books! For each green reading log turned in a Teen could get a raffle ticket to try for any of the 14 prizes.

Congratulations go to:
- Insulated Travel Mug winners - Kaitlyn Eisenher, Heather Filer, Ashley Lane, Aaron Saltzer, & Kristin Sechrist
- T-Shirt winners - Samantha Cronrath, Heather Filer, Brittany Mulcahy, & Aaron Saltzer
- Fullmetal Alchemist episode DVD winner - Ethan Fox
- Inuyasha Action Figure winner - Ethan Fox
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour for PS2 winner - Brett Kelly
- Spiderman 3 for Wii winner - Matt Schaeffer
- 1 large pizza from Carmelo's Pizzaria winner - Heather Frey
- $10 gift cert. from The Grill Shop winner - Emily Outland
- $10 gift cert. from Talarico's Sandwich Shop winner - Laura Keppley
- $10 gift cert. from Bause's Superdrug winners - Danielle, Minner, Karley Moser, & Emily Outland
- 8 Piano Lessons from Veronica Smith winner - Kristin Sechrist
- Special Edition copy of Eclipse by Heather Meyer winner - Heather Gahler
- 3 volumes from the series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants winner -Brittany Mulcahy
- $135 BoomChair (great for video-gamers) winner - Danielle Minner

The library and our Teen Readers thank all the contributors (many are local businesses) for these great prizes. Plans are to have this type of raffle drawing again for the 2009 Teen Summer Reading Program.

And the (Adult) Winners Are...

Summer is over and so are all the varieties of Summer Reading Programs here in Boyertown... and we have many winners to announce.

Our Adult Summer Reading Grand Prize Winner was Janice Berman. One of her entries was pulled out of the 546 entries submitted by 89 adults. Her prize? A brand new MP3 player. Now Janice can download audio books from our website and listen on her new player!

Our weekly winners in the adult category were: Sharon MacMinn; Pat Folk; Wendy Barton; Justine Schumaker; Dawn Alderfer; Frank DeMers; Janice Berman; Melissa DeStefano; Lisa Rand; and Hilda Cooney. Each won some home-baked goodies, a coupon for a free Dunkin' Donut, a coupon for a free Rita's Ice, and a Hand-beaded Thong Bookmark.

This is the second year we have invited adults to join in our Summer Reading Program with incentive prizes to get or keep them reading. Plans are to continue the Adult version again in 2009.

Donations

We are so grateful to the many people who are concerned for the library and want to help.

Normally we accept book donations just about every day, but at this time we have no place to store them. It will be a little while before we have that space where we can sort them and prepare them for use. So we are asking our friends to hold off for a while on book donations.

People have also correctly heard we will need to replace many of our baby board books and all the Read-Along sets (cassette or cd with a book in a bag) that were on the shelves at the time of the fire due to water damage. Some tell us they have children's books they can donate.

While we are grateful for this thought, at this present time we are faced with a more pressing problem... we have a very small area where we are shelving our young children's collection. That includes the board books and read-alongs that were checked out at the time and are now back.

As soon as the section of the children's wing which sustained the most damage is reopened we will be able to accept these wonderful book donations.

We will be needing monetary donations to help pay for replacing many items that are not books. Items such as carpeting and furniture. Please consider dropping off a cash or check contribution for the Library Fire Recovery Fund at any branch of National Penn Bank or at the library itself.

We appreciate the kindness of all our friends. Everyone has been so thoughtful and understanding.

Library Life Goes On

Yesterday was the first day we opened our doors since the fire in Loah's apartment above the Children's Wing.

For years people have waited outside our door - anxious to get in and pick up that book they ordered from another library; impatient to get on a computer and check their email; looking forward to getting the next book in the series they are reading; or even to volunteer their time to put away all the returned library books.

Thursday morning seemed no different than any other Thursday morning... at first glance.

Exceptions:
putting up signs on many of the windows saying in large letters that "Yes - we're OPEN";
the new donation jar at the front table for the Fire Recovery Fund;
me staying at the front door all day greeting people and handing out information about changes to our children's programming;
extra volunteers and library staff scheduled to deal with the expected large volume of visitors;
the new temporary location for the board books, picture books and beginning reader books;
and the curtained off section of the children's wing where those young children's books would normally have been shelved.

Still, there were many normal aspects to the day as well:
library friends coming in to pick up their books;
smiling faces and hugs from friends;
children thrilled to come in and get a book or a movie;
the internet access going down once again for all the libraries in the county;
internet access returning later in the day;
checking books in and checking books out...

These things can all happen any day and often happen every day.

We are thankful for these normal things.

It reminds us that no matter how hard or stressful, how terrible or tragic things can be...
life continues.

And there are so many wonderful things to think about.
Among those wonderful things are many memories of Loah to cherish.

Life goes on.
The Boyertown Community Library continues.

Fire Recovery Fund

Beginning Thursday, August 14 friends (families, individuals and businesses) are invited to contribute to the Boyertown Community Library Fire Recovery Fund by sending or dropping off checks or cash at the library or any National Penn Bank.

Also, on Saturday, August 16 in conjunction with the Building a Better Boyertown (BBB) 3rd Saturdays event... Dog Days of August... there will be a special Hot Dog sale sponsored by the BBB to benefit the Boyertown Community Library Fire Recovery Fund.

Be sure to bring your children to the library for a special edition of its Saturday Story Corner at 11:30 AM. This Saturday August 16 for the Dog Days of August, the storytime will be held outside the children's library with a special visitor... Blackie (a labrador retriever mix). Children are invited to come hear Doggy Stories and meet Blackie the special pet of Children's Program Coordinator Jeanine.

The library will have a Fire Recovery Fund contribution basket right there with the storytime.

Thanks to all the community businesses who are participating in and sponsoring this special edition of Boyertown's 3rd Saturday.