Centennial Celebration: One Hundred Ways to Use Your Library
Posted By: Dana OConnell
Date Posted: 12/29/2020
Discover new ways to use the library as we continue Deschutes Public Library’s centennial celebration by sharing 100+ ideas to get the most out of your library card. Follow along each week as we spotlight unconventional ideas and creative ways you may not have thought of to use your library. Watch the list grow each week as we highlight resources, services, events, contests, programs and more available for kids, teens and adults in Deschutes County.
Week 1: October 7, 2020
- Start reading with friends by reserving a Book Club Kit with over 270 titles available
- Watch A Novel Idea author presentations online dating back to 2005
- Pick up a voter registration form (you have until October 13 to register in Oregon)
- Go on amazing adventures in science, nature, cultures and space with National Geographics Kids
- Teen writers: submit your work by October 9 for a chance to get published in the Undefined Teen Magazine
- Discover new music releases through Hoopla
- Decorate a pumpkin for our fourth annual contest for a chance to win great prizes
Week 2: October 14, 2020
- Browse international cookbooks and try something exotic for dinner
- Register for a free 30-minute consultation with local lawyers (Spanish interpretation available)
- Suggest a purchase to help expand your Library’s collection
- Pick up an “I <3 My Library” sticker at any branch and stick it to a notebook
- Borrow a new graphic novel from your library to spark a conversation
- Take a fall foliage StoryWalk® with the family at any of our six library locations
- Check out a Curriculum Crate for at-home activities and student group learning pods
- Download the Libby app for simultaneous audiobooks and e-books
Week 3: October 21, 2020
- Cast your vote to help decide the winner of the fourth annual pumpkin decorating contest
- Read the latest comic books through Hoopla (fun for any age)
- Help your child apply for their very own library card online
- Jump-start your job search online with a wealth of resources available from your library
- Feeling nostalgic? Browse physical CDs from your library (we have books on CD too)
- Research your genealogy with Ancestry library edition and other amazing resources
- Hear from award-winning illustrator Zeke Peña during a live Zoom event (Oct 22 at 1:00pm)
- Watch scary (or not so scary) movies with Kanopy streaming services
Week 4: October 27, 2020
- Turn off the lights and listen to scary stories
- Learn to publish and sell an e-book using Gale Courses
- Need to send a fax? We can help with that
- Drop off your ballot near one of our three library locations (Redmond, Sunriver, and La Pine)
- Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter for online events, programs, and news
- Host a family game night by checking out a board game
- Use the Book-a-Librarian service to get help with research and technical questions
Week 5: November 4, 2020
- Make a date with our events guide for great programs and online offerings
- Want more story time? Check out our YouTube playlist or TumbleBooks
- Go green by taking your reusable library tote to the grocery store (pick one up at any library location)
- Register for a free 30-minute consultation with local lawyers
- Become a library superstar and tag a photo of us on Facebook or Instagram
- Pick up dot journaling and get organized using Lynda.com for free courses
- Author! Author! is taking on a new online format. Grab your tickets today
- Pick up a weekly Grab-n-Go activity kit for children
Week 6: November 11, 2020
- Figure out which new appliance will be best for you with our Consumer Tools
- Download the DPL mobile app for books (and your library card) on the go. Find it in the app store
- Snag a library bookmark from any library branch to save your page
- Parlez-vous Français? Start a conversation group with friends by working through Mango Languages
- Have a movie marathon weekend by checking out physical DVDs
- We have some of the fastest WiFi in Deschutes County. Come in and test out the connection
- Do you love young adult novels? We have new e-books for teens through Overdrive/Libby
Week 7: November 18, 2020
- My Reads: tell us what you enjoy reading and we’ll send you a list of suggested books
- Brush up on your U.S. Citizenship knowledge with this take-home toolkit
- All about dinosaurs! Find books for kids and adults
- Improve your writing skills by attending a Write Here workshop
- Set up text notification for your library holds and due dates
- See the library’s vision process and conceptual design for a new Central Library
- Use our copier for free at all library branches
- Suggest a topic or presenter for an upcoming library program
Week 8: November 25, 2020
- Check out The New Yorker (or Rolling Stone, or Good Housekeeping, or National Geographic) via RBDigital
- Ready, set, bake! Make something yummy for the holidays with our staff-created list
- Learn (or relearn) the hustle with our online programs and video tutorials
- Meet new friends and read new books when you join a virtual Library Book Club
- Printer on the fritz? Try mobile printing for free at any location
- Go on the Festival of Trees tour (virtual or in-person) featuring our Redmond Library location
- Watch thousands of award-winning arts & crafts classes with your free Creativebug account
- Put together your own list of favorite books or movies to share in our online catalog
Week 9: December 2, 2020
- Multitask by listening to a Libby audiobook while doing a workout from a Hoopla fitness book
- Download the DPL mobile app for books (and your library card) on the go
- Help out that friend stuck at home due to illness or injury, and tell them about Homeword Bound
- Discover a new hobby by checking out special interest books at your library
- Got opinions? Share your ratings and reviews through our dynamic online catalog
- Make a recipe (or two) inspired by our ANI Unveiled event and join us for the big reveal on Dec 5
- Get help filing your taxes and find tax information for Central Oregon using our website
Week 10: December 9, 2020
- Record your own read aloud story times and songs from home
- Revamp your resume using career and employment resources found online
- Our Tech Services stays busy ordering new books. See what’s headed to your library
- *Let it snow* indoors; Make indoor snow with a family STEAM activity kit
- Search Historic Oregon Newspapers dating back to 1846
- Adulting is hard. Let’s Adult together by checking out this book list
- Reserve a copy of Front Desk or The Other Americans and “Read Together”
- Discover new books, games, activities, and drawings for kids by attending Graphic Novel Book Buzz
Week 11: December 16, 2020
- Author! Author! kicks off in just one month; Buy your series tickets today
- Top Literary Fiction of 2020? You betcha! See the list here
- Write On! Swag Bags for Teen Writers are here. Pick one up this week only
- Satisfy your inner child with coloring books through RBDigital
- It's never too early to think spring. Brush up on gardening and horticulture with Gale Courses
- Show a little act of kindness at the library with a smile, saying "thank you", or a note of gratitude
- Get access to The Oregon Encyclopedia and travel back in time
Week 12: December 23, 2020
- Experience the newest way to pick up library materials: Curbside service is here
- Introduce Scholastic Teachables to your kids to enhance reading, math, social studies, and writing
- Pick up a library tote to bedazzle, decorate, draw on, or use it to wrap a gift!
- Speaking of gifts, check out our annual Staff Recommended Book List
- Consult DIY resources like Chilton Auto Repair Manuals to fix your own car
- Stream Christmas music using Hoopla; it’s free with your library card
- ¿Usted habla español? Busca recursos en nuestra página de Servicios Latinos
- Central Oregon 15 Minute Histories make great lesson plans for students and adults
Week 13: December 30, 2020
- Put a hold on award-winning books, movies, and TV
- Shop Amazon Smile and designate Deschutes Public Library Foundation Inc. as your charity of choice
- Ring in 2021 by learning about Mexican New Year’s Traditions and Rituals with an online program
- Try Kanopy Kids for streaming enriching films and TV series
- Take home a brand new Story Time kit for the little ones at home
- Fax or scan for free at any library location
- Our librarians are here for your questions; try the Ask a Librarian service online
- Find nonprofit resources and workshops available through our website
- Want the Centennial celebration in review? Take a look back at the past 100 years
About Deschutes Public Library’s Century of Service
In 1916, voters established Deschutes County in a break from Crook County and Prineville to better control their own destinies. Among the accomplishments of the young county was the foundation of the Deschutes County Library system in January 1920, with 3,488 books in circulation and 1,252 cardholders by the end of that first year. The Central Oregon community grew by leaps and bounds in the 100 years since, and so have we. Now, with hundreds of thousands of items in circulation and nearly 90,000 library card holders, we reach people where they are, whether it’s in one of our six locations, online or through community outreach.