Winter Library Activities

Check out what’s available in January and what is coming at NTL:

For Pre-K - Lower Elementary: Martin Luther King Jr. and Winter coloring and activity mini-books. Available in the entryway. Feel free to pick one up when you stop by with or without an appointment. Please take one per child.

Storytime in a Bag: Reserve a bag today! Pick-up with a curbside appointment or when you stop in for a 20-minute appointment. Includes two themed books, paper craft, and coloring sheet. Monster, Mermaid, Unicorn, and Castle themes available. The staff will customize the bag based on number of children, so please let us know how many crafts/coloring sheets you need.

(completed) Families and Adult Crafters: Block snowmen craft bags. Includes blocks, white paint, glitter, paintbrush and instructions. There are ,enough supplies for 4-5 snowmen per bag. Available in the entryway. Feel free to pick one up when you stop by with or without an appointment. Please take one per child.

Winter Reading Drawing: One entry per adult book/audiobook read. Can be digital or print. Use our Google Form at: https://forms.gle/soS84cDoveYVRmah8 or fill out a paper slip when you come in for a 20-minute appointment. The more you read, the more entries you acquire! Drawings will be for $20 to a local business. Drawings will be held 1-29, 2-12, 2-26, 3-12, 3-26. All entries will accumulate, if you entered the 1-29 drawing and didn’t win, that entry will carry over to the following drawings!

Non-Resident Fees Beginning January 2021

Nottawa Township Library serves Nottawa Township through a voter approved millage lasting through 2029. Lockport and Florence Townships contract with the library to provide library service to their residents; they cover the cost of resident’s library service. These townships are considered residents.

Non-residents, those living outside the service area, will be charged for library services beginning in 2021.

A fee of $50.00 will be charged annually to non-residents for use of Nottawa Township Library materials.

A fee of $120.00 will be charged annually to non-residents for use of the Nottawa Township Library collection, Interlibrary Loan, and all digital collections such as Hoopla, OverDrive, and Ancestry.

If you are a non-resident and choose to return to your home library, the library staff will assist you in finding where you have library service using your address and the county GIS.

St. Joseph County Library Service Areas:

Sherman, Sturgis & Fawn River Townships: Sturgis District Library

Colon & Leonidas: Colon Township Library

Mendon: Mendon Township Library

Burr Oak: Burr Oak Township Library

Park: Mendon Twp. Library

Constantine: Constantine Township Library

Fabius: Three Rivers Public Library

Tech Update Coming November 2020

After nearly 30 years with the school library system, Follet, the library’s Integrated Library System (ILS) will be transitioning to the public library system, Biblionix Apollo. What does this transition mean for the patron?

  • Streamlined digital services (hoopla and OverDrive)

  • Better remote account connectivity and management

  • Integration between Michigan e Library Interlibrary Loan and local patron accounts

  • Auto texting and emailing of hold and overdue notices

  • Two-way texting with library staff

  • Self-checkout availability (coming Jan 2021)

  • Online fee and fine payment (coming Jan 2021)

We’re excited to offer you the upgrades which are included with the Apollo system. To check it out click HERE!

Transferring 30 years of data may not go seamlessly although we’ve been working with Apollo on the data transfer trying to work out all the hiccups. If you encounter problems with your hoopla digital or OverDrive or MeLCat account:

  • All patrons previously logged in with a patron account number which isn’t accurate with the current system. The new Apollo system will require a P rather than the previous NTL before your patron number.

  • Your account at Nottawa Township Library may be expired.

  • You may have fines blocking the authentication process between Apollo and the digital services. These fines may be due to COVID 19 quarantine of materials or glitches between the previous system and the transfer to the new system. Staff may simply have to ‘clean up’ your account.

Troubleshooting:

  • Try logging into your account with P before your patron number rather than NTL.

  • Try logging in here to —> your new Apollo account <— with your account number beginning with P and the phone number we have on file for you (no dashes).

  • Please call us at 467-6289 during open hours: M-W-F 9:00 am - noon and 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm, T-TH 10:00 am - noon and 1:00 pm -5:30 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.

  • Email us at: ntllibarycirculation@gmail.com

  • Text us at: (269) 206-8262

Sponsor a Picture Book for Kindergarten Classrooms!

In children’s literature, every reader needs 'window stories' and 'mirror stories'. "Mirrors to be able to see themselves, and windows to be able to see the lives of other people who maybe don’t look like [them]. Those stories are key to developing empathy." --Michelle Martin, Professor University of Washington Children and Youth Services.

Picture an empty classroom without all of the heart and creativity teachers bring to the space. A 2019 article stated the national average a K-12 teacher spends on their classroom in 2018 was $459. Now imagine going back to school in 2020...

You can support our teachers and students and put more 'mirror and window' books in our local classrooms by donating to cover a picture book at a reduced cost. Books can be sponsored at a 45% discount on the cover price and will be delivered to the local Kindergarten teachers. Contact the Library Director at: carrie.brueck@monroe.lib.mi.us or via Facebook Messenger if you would like to sponsor a book!

https://www.epi.org/bl…/teachers-are-buying-school-supplies/

August 4, 2020 Library Millage Renewal Request

On August 4, 2020 the Nottawa Township Library Millage Renewal will be on the ballot for Nottawa Township voters. The wording of the millage request is as follows:

“Shall the expired previously voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution in Nottawa Township of 1.6531 mill ($1.6531 per $1,000 of taxable value), reduced to 1.6179 mill per ($1.6179 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed at up to 1.6351 mill ($1.6531 per $1,000 of taxable value) and levied for ten years, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 inclusive, for the purpose of providing funding for the township library in Nottawa Township, raising an estimated $210,861.44 the first year the millage is levied.

 [  ] Yes             [  ] No”

If you have questions regarding the Library’s Millage Renewal Request, please contact the Library Director at carrie.brueck@monroe.lib.mi.us.