Administration
Why Is the Library Special to Our Community?
What makes the Troy Library special to you? Tell Woman's Day magazine and the American Library Association and you might win the Why Libraries Are Special contest.
What makes a library a special place? How does it enrich the lives of you and your neighbors? How is the Troy Public Library important to our community?
Up to four women's stories will be featured in an upcoming issue of Woman's Day and/or on womansday.com. Entries (up to 700 words) will be judged equally on originality, clarity of ideas, and grace of expression. The subject matter must be true, and the essay must be your own original work, have never been published before, nor won any other award. Include your name, address, daytime phone number and email address, and submit your entry no later than 12 noon ET on May 9, to womansday@ala.org. Only one entry per person. This contest is open only to women who live in the United States. Click here for complete rules.
If you would like to copy us on your essay, we would love to see what makes the Troy Public Library important to you, your family, and your community. We will post the essays we receive, with your permission, in the Cup and Chaucer Cafe, and on our website. Please send your entry to Lynne Lambert.
(Photo: Lester Public Library)
Information on February 23 Special Election
On Tuesday, February 23, Troy residents will be asked to vote on whether or not the City Council can levy an additional millage of up to 1.9 mills against all taxable property in the City for a five-year period, 2010 through 2014. The millage would be used for general operating purposes, including public safety and quality of life purposes.
The City has an informational brochure about the election that will be mailed to all registered voters in Troy. Click to read the brochure. Addtional frequently asked questions are available by clicking here.
Accessing MeLCat Through the Troy Library Catalog
Accessing the Michigan eLibrary Catalog (MeLCat) - the system that allows you to request books from nearly every library across Michigan - can now be done directly through the Troy Library's Public Access Catalog (PAC). Library patrons can now place requests for MeLCat items, track their due dates, and renew them directly in our PAC as you would any Troy Library item.
MeLCat is not a traditional hold system, but a statewide request system. Instead of placing a hold on an item that is currently checked out, you can request an item currently available in any one the 375 participating Michigan libraries. Few titles are not immediately available. This system complements Troy's catalog and offers access to unusual and rare titles. Troy patrons can also request audio-visual materials.
A few things to keep in mind when doing a MeLCat search:
- Always check the Troy Library's PAC first to see if we own the item, and if it is available or has a short hold list. You will receive the item faster by placing the item on hold from Troy.
- If you cannot find what you are looking for, then choose MeLCat in the dropdown menu on the search screen. Remember to turn your search database back to Troy Public Library after you're done searching MeLCat.
- Use the Phrase search option when searching MeLCat.
- When using the Phrase searching option, use the Search by dropdown for either Title or Author to get the best results. Searching by other options, such as Subject, Genre, and Publisher will not produce the best results.
We are excited about this improvement to the library's service, and continue to look for ways to make searching more user-friendly. Your comments are welcome and your patience during the transition is appreciated!
Troy Public Library 2008-09 Annual Report
The fiscal year that began July 1, 2008 and ended June 30, 2009, was not an easy one for residents of Southeast Michigan.
Despite these challenging economic times, the Troy Public Library reduced costs, expanded services and collections, and met the increasing needs of Troy residents who turned to the Library for help, information, or recreation during the economic downturn.
Read the entire Annual Report here.