NORTH WEBSTER - The North Webster Community Public Library will initiate a new system, Evergreen Indiana, at the end of this month.Evergreen Indiana is a partnership among Indiana libraries designed to increase services while decreasing costs. By the end of this year, 34 libraries will have joined the program. As the library's operation costs increase and budgets look to possibly decrease, Evergreen Indiana will decrease costs and improve service to patrons.
Evergreen is a shared catalog system which started in Georgia in 2006. It has consistently outperformed expectations and resulted in acclaim and praise from users worldwide. The NWCPL will go live with Evergreen Jan. 27. Many changes will result from its implementation, and patrons will benefit in many ways.
Since this is a partnership of libraries, patrons will have a greater number of items from which to choose. Patrons will be allowed to check out a total of 100 items at a time. As part of this total, a patron may check out 10 DVDs and 10 VHS tapes. Books, books on tape or CD, and music CDs may be checked out for 21 days. DVDs, VHS tapes and magazines may be checked out for seven days. Fines also will change as a result of the state guidelines. There will be a one-day grace period beyond the date that each item is due. Fines will begin to accrue on the second day at the rate of 25 cents a day per item. A patron's e-mail will be used to send overdue notices and reminders. Those patrons who do not have e-mail will be mailed overdue notices.
There will be many updates to the existing program. All patrons will receive new library cards, and their contact information will need to be updated. All items in the library will be rebarcoded as well. NWCPL will have brochures in the library explaining all of the Evergreen Indiana program.
The library will be closed Jan. 23, 24 and 26. The library will reopen Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. to initiate the new program.
