eBranch Blog

September 26, 2008

Post Ike HCPL Update

Most Harris County Public Libraries are now open, with power & Internet and many are returning to regular hours, with exceptions noted below. Please see http://www.hcpl.net/popups/ike_branches.html for a full listing of current branch hours.

Anyone can come in and use a computer to apply for FEMA relief, send email, etc. People are also welcome to plug in and charge cell phones, computers and such. Our branches also have wireless Internet, so if people have a laptop, they can bring it and get Internet access. Don’t forget, we also have plenty of books, DVDs, CDs, and other materials for check out. If people just need a place with A/C to relax for awhile, we’re here for that too. Customers can also pick up free Prescription Discount Cards.

Atascocita and Jacinto City are is still without power. They are open 9 AM – 12 PM Thursday – Saturday. Customers can still come in and checkout materials. Atascocita now has power; they will be open 10 AM - 5 PM on 9/27; closed Sunday; and resume regular hours on 9/29. Kingwood Branch Library will be open 1 PM – 5 PM Sunday, September 28.

The Tomball College & Community Library building is closed at least until early October, but limited library services are being offered in the Beckendorf Conference Center.

Family Story Times are being offered in the Teaching Theater, Room E100. Story times are scheduled for Wednesday 10/1, Thursday 10/2 & Friday 10/3 at 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM each day. To get to the Teaching Theater, enter the College on Zion Road and park in the Beckendorf Conference Center Parking Lot. Library Staff will direct you to the story time. For information, call 832-559-4200. Library staff will be available to answer questions from 8 AM - 9:30 PM Monday – Thursday and 8 AM – 6 PM Friday.

The Evelyn Meador branch (Seabrook) is closed indefinitely. Customers with holds at Evelyn Meador branch can pick them up at the La Porte library.

Fines will be waived from 9/11/08 on returned materials until further notice. We do encourage anyone who is able to return their materials. Hold requests may be delayed and disrupted due to power problems; please bear with us.

Visit our Hurricane Relief page at http://www.hcpl.net/popups/hurricane_ike.html with links to resources people need.

In addition to updates on our website, we are providing updates on branch openings on the following services:
Facebook
MySpace
Twitter

September 16, 2008

Hurricane Ike: Local & Texas Information

Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

City of Houston Office of Emergency Management

City of Galveston

City of Kemah

City of LaPorte - LaPorte's webpage is currently unavailable.

City of League City

City of Nassau Bay

City of Seabrook

City of Shoreacres

City of Webster

Texas

Texas Emergency Management - Includes the Texas Prepared program which offers documents on family preparedness plans, emergency kits, documents, and special needs planning.

Texas Department of Transportation

Hurricane Ike: Power Outages

Reliant Energy Outage Information - information regarding Hurricane Ike.

CenterPoint Energy Storm Center - includes news on outage and restoration, plus safety tips.

Hurricane Ike: Insurance

- Hurricane Insurance Information Center - Insurance advice, links to insurance companies and organizations.

- Texas Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line
800-252-3439

- National Flood Insurance Program - To file a claim on your flood policy call 800-427-4661

Hurricane Ike: Coping

-Helping Children Deal with Hurricane Disasters Book List

-Children, Stress and Natural Disasters

-Coping in Unsettling Times - Advice from the National Association of School Psychologists on helping children cope in unsettling times. Includes a section on coping with natural disasters.

-Coping with Disaster - Tips for young adults

-Disaster: Mental Health Handouts - For adults, families & children, disaster workers and their families.

-Helping Children After a Disaster - From the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Behavior changes to watch for.

-Helping Children Handle Disaster Related Anxiety - Tips for pre-schoolers, school age children, and adolescents. From the National Mental Health Association.

-National Network for Child Care - Has several entries on helping children cope with disaster:

* Talking with Children When the Talk gets Tough
* After the Storm: The Psycological Effects of a Hurricane

Hurricane Ike: Animals in Need

- Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is working to rescue abandoned pets. The Animal Rescue Hotline is 713-435-2990. There is also a Lost and Found Tool available online.

- Humane Society of the United States - Rescuing animals from the affected areas. Donate online.

- United Animal Nations - Rescues animals in crisis.

- UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Support Line - Provides help for those coping with the loss of a companion animal. 800-565-1526; weekday evenings from 8:30 PM - 11:30 PM

Hurricane Ike: Get Help

- FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) - Register online or call the 24 hour hotline at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) for aid or review your claim.

- Disaster Help - Government meta site with links to federal, state, and local information.

- GovBenefits - Information on the following programs: Disaster Housing, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance, Physical Disaster Loans, and Farm Emergency Loans.

- City of Houston Ike Information

- Sales Tax Exemption Information - Texas Comptroller's Disaster Resources

September 09, 2008

Harris' Sookie Stackhouse Series Now HBO's True Blood

Charlaine Harris' popular series of books featuring Bon Temps, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse and Bill the Vampire has been turned into a new TV series called True Blood on HBO. The series premiered on Sunday, September 7, and features a very clever marketing campaign.

Dead Until Dark.
Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

For other supernatural mystery suggestions, check out our Supernatural Detectives booklist.

September 04, 2008

Library Bags by LyondellBasell

Emilia Santamaria checks out a book at the Northwest Branch Library’s Storytime,
originally uploaded by hcplebranch.

Harris County Public Library would like to thank LyondellBasell for providing book bags for library customers. Since 2006, LyondellBasell has generously supplied over 500,000 bags to help carry library materials from the library to the car, then home and back again. So, if you've used a library bag to tote an extra large load of books, to keep your DVDs dry in the rain or even to pack your reading materials with your lunch, please join us in thanking LyondellBasell for supporting Harris County Public Library!

September 03, 2008

Children's Author, Jack Gantos in Houston on September 7

Inprint is thrilled to launch the 2008/2009 Cool Brains! Inprint Readings for Young People with the award-winning and witty children’s writer, Jack Gantos. Cool Brains! brings the country’s most exciting teen and children’s authors to Houston for readings and book signings. All readings are free and open to the public.

Jack Gantos will be at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, September 7 at 3 pm. The reading will be followed by a book sale and signing, providing children with an opportunity to visit with Mr. Gantos. Jack Gantos is the author of several popular children's series including Rotten Ralph and Joey Pigza.

Back to School for Rotten Ralph
Afraid of being left alone, Rotten Ralph, the nasty red cat, follows Sarah to school and tries to prevent her from making new friends.

I Am Not Joey Pigza
Joey's father returns, calling himself Charles Heinz and apologizing for his past bad behavior, and he swears that once Joey and his mother change their names and help him fix up the old diner he has bought, their lives will change for the better.

Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade Without a Clue
When his father rejoins the Navy and moves the family to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, ten-year-old Jack becomes confused by a crush on his teacher, contradictory advice from his parents, and a very strange neighbor.

Sunday
September 7, 2008
3 pm

Zilkha Hall
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
800 Bagby

FREE

Booksale and signing follow

September 02, 2008

New Titles Catalog Lists Updated

The New Titles Cataloged in the Past 30 Days have been updated for August 2008.

The lists are in PDF file format and require the free Adobe Reader to view. We hope you enjoy the new format. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this change please use our Feedback Form.