KCPL

The Covington branch has a makerspace? Why, yes they do! The Covington branch of the Kenton County Public Library makerspace currently consists of the following equipment that is available for the public to use. A 2.25” Button Maker A light box for taking quality photographs of your small but valuable possessions (either for insurance purposes or perhaps to list and sell them on an auction site such as eBay) A laminator that will handle business card sized paper up to standard 8.5x11 paper A large format printer. The printer can handle print jobs from 17 inches wide up to 24 inches wide. Its rolls of paper can be used for long, banner-like jobs as well (indoor only, sorry!) A high-quality photo printer for family photos, individual photos or even larger individual photos (up to 8x10) A 58-inch cutter (for trimming those poster prints you make with our large format printer) An assortment of office related items from 3-hole punches to paper cutters to a heavy-duty stapler A Cameo Silhouette paper and vinyl cutter for making fancy designs and imprints A heat press to make yourself or you family a fun design on a t-shirt, bag or even a baby onesie! A sewing machine for minor repairs or major projects. All these items are available to use by patrons, though some may require training by staff for best outcome. We have helped many patrons with advice on how to craft some interesting items and some patrons have become regular users of the above equipment. The Cameo Silhouette has been used to make paper crafts for parties, vinyl stickies to personalize water bottles as well as heat transfer images for clothing and bags. The heat press has [...]

Nothing makes me happier than a patron coming up to the desk, excited over a new book they discovered. Except, of course, when they come back and tell me how much they loved it! A love of books is a must for working at a library, and it then feeds into a new obsession: readers’ advisory. Readers’ advisory is basically getting the right fiction or nonfiction book into a reader’s hands (or onto their e-reader). This can happen over time, with your librarian seeing what you check out and making recommendations occasionally based on that, or it could be a request from you at that time for them to find items based on your current wants and needs. As a reader myself, I use readers’ advisory every day, whether I’m at work or not. Loving a book, then scouring to find out what others recommend reading next until the author writes another. Or (le gasp!) maybe the author no longer writes due to ending a series or retiring for various reasons. Even the most voracious reader, however, doesn’t always have time or energy to go to the library, or maybe wants to be able to find books with ease. In that case, what’s needed is a simple lesson in readers’ advisory! You start with a simple series of questions, trying to figure out what would satisfy that book tooth. (There’s such a thing as a sweet tooth, shouldn’t there be one for people who yearn for books?) 1) Mood This is the most important question. Do you want something by a tried and true author, or are you wanting to dip your toes into a new genre? Do you want something scary, romantic, hopeful, sad? [...]

Did you know that there are many ways to give to the Kenton County Public Library Foundation? You can support the Library Foundation through Kroger Community Rewards, Amazon Smile, shop for a cause at boonsupply.com and via the general donation page. You can also sponsor a book, brick or wall tile in honor of someone (makes a great gift option for those who love the Library!).   General giving: If you would like to make a donation to the Library Foundation, please click here to use a credit card. If you would like to send a check, please make it payable to the Kenton County Public Library Foundation and either drop off at any Library location (Covington, Erlanger or Durr in Independence) or mail to 3095 Hulbert Dr., Erlanger, KY 41018. Please fill out the this document when donating with either cash or check (link to order form online).   Say Cheese…Amazon Smile  When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates to your favorite charitable organization. If you shop at amazon, you can select the Kenton County Public Library Foundation as a recipient to a percentage of your purchase price. Learn more at, smile.amazon.com.   Honoring One Through a Book Know a reader? Honor their life, legacy or love of books by putting a book plate in a book of their liking. For a $25 donation, Library staff will work with you to identify the perfect book which will be marked with a special nameplate on the inside cover. Click here to complete online with credit card. If you prefer to pay with cash or check, please download this form and either mail to the library or bring it with you on your next visit.   Support [...]

Staff of the Kenton County Public Library get a lot of "I didn't know the library had that!" when responding to questions. In celebration of National Library Week, the following is a list of the top 10 little known library services:   1. Free Meeting Spaces Whether you have a need to gather 400 or four people, the Library has a meeting space for you. Spaces are free to reserve, and many have A/V capability. The use of meeting space is provided free of charge to individuals and groups for civic, educational, and philanthropic purposes. To learn more or reserve a space, go to kentonlibrary.org/aboutus/meeting-room-policy   2. Tool Lending In partnership with the Center for Great Neighborhoods, the Library offers Empower Tools. Anyone with a Kenton County Public Library card will be able to borrow tools for up to a week. Items available will include everything from a moisture meter or a pressure washer, to an electrician’s kit and a hand cultivator. Tool lending is free, but there will be a $5 late fee for every day a tool is past due. For a list of tools, visit, kentonlibrary.org/tools. Empower Tools operates from a storefront located at 305 Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011.       3. Notary Services Notary service is free and available at all locations. Please call to confirm availability (859) 962-4000. The Covington Branch requires an appointment for notary services. For more information including ID requirements, see kentonlibrary.org/notary-services.   4. Free Scanning Services Digitize and preserve your family photographs, documents, films and slides in the Local History and Genealogy Department at the Covington Branch. To arrange a one-on-one photograph scanning appointment call (859) 962-4070.   All branches offer a public scanning [...]

For the first time in more than a decade, the Kenton County Public Library is offering amnesty of fines during April. In celebration of National Library Week and Children’s Book Week, if you have fines on your library card account, visit the Kenton County Public Library and speak to a staff member in April and those fines will be removed. This does not include lost or damaged items. This offer is good April 1-April 30, 2019. National Library Week , April 7- 13, 2019, is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support. From free access to books and online resources for families to library business centers that help support entrepreneurship and retraining, libraries offer opportunity to all. Additionally, the Library will observe Children’s Book Week from April 29 to May 5, one of the longest-running national celebrations of books for young people and the joy of reading.   “Libraries are evolving and changing daily,” said Dave Schroeder, Executive Director. “Many people are still of the mindset that it’s a quiet place full of books. While the library still has books, it also offers an array of programs and events for all ages, maker spaces, professional workshops for job seekers, and is an office to those who can work or study remotely.”   “We wanted to remove any barriers that were prohibiting people from using their library,” stated Schroeder. There are over 157,000 people with a Kenton County Public Library card. Of this, there are 34,864 borrowers with fines greater than $10, which is the limit that prevents them from being able to check items out.” “April is a great time for spring cleaning. We [...]

I'm a huge Queen fan and I love the movie Bohemian Rhapsody so no surprise that I was thrilled when Rami Malek won best actor. Never seeing Mr. Robot, I was not familiar with Malek's work. I almost didn't see the movie, worried it wouldn't be a proper tribute to Freddie Mercury, who I believe no one can replace. But my husband and three of our children wanted to see it so we headed to the theater. I literally forgot at times that I wasn't really watching Freddie. They couldn't have picked a better actor than Malek to portray Freddie Mercury. I  loved Malek's acceptance speech. He seemed truly sincere and appreciative. I have to say I was also excited to see that he and Lucy Boynton are dating in real life. Even though the movie is still in theaters, you can already check it out from the library. Of course there is a wait but hopefully it won't be too long since we have 39 copies. The original soundtrack on CD is also available for checkout. You can also stream the soundtrack through Hoopla with your library card number. Bohemian Rhapsody and Black Panther seemed to be the big winners of the night. Black Panther won for music (original score), costume design and production design. In addition to best leading actor, Bohemian also won for film editing, sound editing and sound mixing. I was surprised that A Star is Born didn't win more than original song (Shallow). I'll be honest, I haven't seen a lot of the other movies that were nominated so I can't speak to the actors in them or the films. I was really hoping Bohemian Rhapsody would win best picture [...]