I admit it, I have a very short attention span when it comes to fiction. That’s why short story collections ( like Miranda July’s No One Belongs Here More than You: Stories ) and graphic novels (like Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic) are good for me. I think the last novel that I got through in one continuous reading was Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Now I’m reading Junot Diaz’ The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and I think I’m actually gonna get through this one. Maybe it’s because it’s told from different points of view…maybe it’s because of Diaz’ awesome style of writing that combines street and literary language…maybe it’s because the title character’s last name rhymes with my own, and Oscar would have been my middle name if I were a boy.

Let’s take a look back over the years at some of the hardware and software I worked with at Mid-Manhattan Library.
Middle to late 1980s
IBM PC, XT and AT models with 128 -256 KB memory; 1 or 2 floppy 360K disk drives;
12″ monochrome green monitor; keyboard; 10-20 MB hard drive (optional);
DOS 3.0-4.0; $2,500 or more.
Those computers were heavy and the monitors generated enough heat to warm an office. The keyboards were solid with function keys grouped on the left side. They were easier to reach and to use than at the top of the keyboard.
User manuals came in small ring binders, packed with useful information on formatting floppy disks, etc.
HP LaserJet 2 ($2,700.); Epson dot-matrix($300.); HP ThinkJet ($225.) printers.
The LaserJet really sounded like a jet with a fantastic output of 1 page a minute.
The Epson dot-matrix printers sounded like dentist’s drills and woke up staff in the morning. Quieter HP Thinkjet (ink-jet) printers replaced these alarm clocks.
Infotrac used 12” laserdiscs to distribute data to computers through dedicated wiring.
Later on, they used regular CD-ROM drives which broke down frequently. I remember using unwound paperclips to eject broken CD-ROM caddies.
DOS 3.0; DBASE III for databases; Professional Write for word processing;
Professional File file creator; Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets (a tough program to learn).
I miss DOS though - it was simple and straightforward. I could write and edit small programs that controlled the computer. If there were hard drive problems, the FORMAT command wiped them away. Of course that erased all the driver commands to control the printer so I couldn’t print my reports. I learned to be more selective after that.
1989: my first computer virus message: “Your Computer is Stoned. Legalize Marijuana!”
There was also an unnamed virus that decreased memory each time the computer rebooted. Couldn’t figure out how it did that.
Computer manufacturers had live people (no voicemail!) at their tech support centers. They solved problems within a half-hour and even called you back later to see if the solution held up.
Library staff performed DIALOG searches for the public, free of charge. After a short reference interview, one scanned the DIALOG reference book for the appropriate database that could answer the question. No Googling here – you had to know your AND, OR, and NOT.
Early to mid 1990s
ZEOS 386, Gateway 2000 486;512 MB to 1 GB RAM; 40 to 80 MB hard drives;
DOS 5 and above; 3 ½” diskette drives; color monitors with grainy graphics; WordPerfect 5.0 and 6.0 (DOS version) HP LaserJets 3,4, 5 and 6. Prices drop for computer equipment prices drop and they become commodities rather than oddities.
Before the Internet hit, we bought several computers and Pioneer CD-ROM changers to provide the public with access to six CD-ROM databases from one computer. They worked well and the Library got their money’s worth out of them.
Windows 95 debuts at MML and I’m not thrilled with it. I can still use DOS.
WordPerfect chugs along in a few staff computers but MS-Word becomes the Library’s word processing standard. Does anyone remember (and miss) using WordPerfect’s Reveal Codes feature for text formatting?
The Library installs networked Internet computers for the public on all floors with Netscape Navigator as a web browser. Each computer has its own printer and paper mill.
Staff computer networks take shape slowly. Lotus cc:Mail replaces telephone conversations to some extent. We still use typewriters for typing labels.
The MML On-Line Office gets more calls about computer breakdowns. Viruses, hackers and spam – oh my!
Late 1990s to mid 2000s
Micron and Dell computers. Average cost is $1,000 apiece. Zip disks are supposed to be the next big thing in storing data but they cost too much to be useful systemwide.
No more manuals or free tech support. Help is available online – if the computer works.
Free Click–on computer classes for the public begin. Students use laptops to access the Internet through wireless local area connections. One of “Murphy’s Laws on Technology” seems apt: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
The Internet has really exploded and more viruses show up. Aren’t software upgrades supposed to be less restrictive?
Somehow, working with computers isn’t as fun as it used to be.

A friend of mine who is a waitress shared an observation with me.  We’ve all heard the stereotype of the ugly American traveling abroad: loud, rude and uncultured.  Lately, however, these words more fittingly describe the European tourists who have recently been visiting her well-known West Village restaurant.  I’ve also noticed many European tourists in Midtown, and they can most often be found on the sidewalk in front of the Main Library carrying multiple shopping bags and taking pictures of each other.
European tourists are supposed to be cultured, elegant and polite.  What happened?  My friend attributes this change to the fall of the formerly mighty dollar.  In the past, the average American who was good with her money could afford to go abroad and gaze at the Eiffel Tower, raise a pint of Guinness or ski the Swiss Alps.  Now we can’t afford to go away, but Europeans have been crossing the Atlantic in droves. 
With so many foreign travelers in New York, some of them are bound to be rude.  And maybe being a good tourist takes some practice, which many of the recent tourists seem to lack.  My friend and I are happy that the more people around the world are able to come to New York and see it first-hand.  But we would also like it if they realized that it’s impolite not to tip in a restaurant, and that we need our precious little sidewalk space for getting around.

New Yorkers know that waiting in line is a fact of life. But there are ways that you can make your visits to the library faster and smoother.
Entering the building. First of all, open your bag as soon as you walk through one of the three doors on 5th Avenue.  All bags must be checked by the security guard. Bags, suitcases and cellos larger than a airplane carry-on are not allowed into the library. Click here to see our bag check policy.
Asking questions. The Courtesy Desk at the entrance can give you basic information and directions for the building. If you have questions about books or materials, however, you must go to one of the Information/Reference Desks. You can save time by going directly to the Information desk for your specific subject. Questions about your account, due dates and renewals should be directed to the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor. Questions about your library card, PIN number and address changes can be asked at the Registration Desk on the 1st floor. Student employees can only direct you to Dewey decimal areas.  Go to the Information Desk to inquire about the availability of books.
Finding your book on the shelf. Each floor is laid out into various collections. You can check out books and other materials at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor or on the 3rd floor in the Picture Collection.  There are also 3 self check-out machines for books (no videos or CDs) on the 1st floor, and one in the Reserves Room next to the 1st floor Info Desk.
Leaving. Have your items that you have checked out ready to inspect as you leave the building.  Each library item must be accompanied by a receipt.  The circulation desk can offer a new one if you’ve lost yours.  Also open your bag so that it can be inspected upon leaving.  We don’t like looking in your bags, but hey, it’s New York.

My cousin sent me an e-mail asking for my help with a computer problem.  Since I was at work and couldn’t make a house call to New Jersey, here’s how it went after several messages and some editing:
ME: Well, long distance diagnosis is tricky, what’s wrong? 
HIM:  When I boot up my laptop, chkdsk [Checkdisk] gets stuck in a loop and I can’t get out of it unless I turn the laptop off. I can’t even run in safe mode as it freezes. Also, how do I turn off chkdsk from start-up?
 
ME: Chkdsk scans the files on the hard drive for errors and when it finds them, it tries to fix them. I need more info. What’s your laptop brand and how long have you had it?
HIM: Let’s see, Dell Inspiron 6000, had it for 1-1/2 yrs.
M: What Windows version is running and what’s the service pack number?
H:  Windows XP with Service Pack 2
M: Does chkdsk usually start on boot up and was everything running OK before the problem?
H: Yes.
M: When did chkdsk start looping?
H: Just recently after I got a blue screen with chkdsk message telling me to dump files.
M: Did you add, remove or change any software or hardware?
H: Don’t believe so. My son has been using it and he might have downloaded music or something. I don’t like it when he uses aim [AOL Instant Messenger]. Seems like the problem actually started when he was using the machine. There’s also a message about corrupt code 176 in file 10732 or 0732 file. It’s hard to read while it’s endlessly scrolling.
M: AHA! Viruses may hide in AIM, spam email and downloaded programs and files. These are common ways of transmission. Make sure your security software (anti-virus, anti-spam ,anti-spyware, firewall) has the latest updates. Try running the security software from the CD to see if it catches anything.
On the hardware end, your hard drive may be failing if you hear clicking, the motor speeds up, then slows down, etc. This is serious and needs immediate attention.
 
H: If all else fails, I guess I’ll wipe drive and reinstall Windows XP.
M: Make sure you have backups of your files [and programs] before you do that.
You might want to check out this company  www.computeroverhauls.com  A few people told me they did a good job in getting rid of the junk programs and speeding up their PCs. You can bring it in to them or go for the remote tune-up. Let me know how it turns out. Good luck. 
I forgot to ask if he wrote down the Blue Screen message(s)? Sometimes there is a clue there. I searched the Internet for that corrupt code file but didn’t find anything.
Well, I gave it my best shot. I haven’t gotten an answer so I assume things are back to normal.
Wait a minute. If his laptop wasn’t working, how did he send me those e-mails? 

After a hard day dealing with balky printers, stubborn viruses etc., Murphy’s Laws on Technology are a source of comfort. Here a few gems, along with my observations:
“New systems generate new problems.”
Installing any new hardware or software really scares me.
“Any part when dropped will roll into the least accessible corner.”
Some favorite hiding places are under a desk or between a pair of file cabinets.
Dark carpeting turns a simple retrieval into an expedition.
I’ll be wearing a white shirt that day. The shirt will be covered with laser toner cartridge dust and lines from the pen I tucked into the pocket. No, I don’t use a pocket protector.
“The attention span of a computer is only as long as its electrical cord.”
Oops, I hope that staff member saved their data to a flash drive.
“If it’s not in the computer, it does not exist.”
Sometimes the answer is in a book.
“When all else fails, read the instructions.”
I forget to do this. There, I admitted it.
“A meeting is an event in which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost.”
Enough said.
“All’s well that ends.”
END

Q. What do Mid-Manhattan Library and Madison Square Garden have in common?
A. It’s not always obvious where you need to go.
Finding a book can be like finding your seat at Madison Square Garden. First you need to be sure that you’re supposed to be at Madison Square Garden. Maybe your show is at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, or maybe you’re supposed to go to the Beacon Theatre? Then you need to know what section you’re in. You go to that section and then you finally find your row and your seat. Finding your seat at the Knicks game or Ozzy concert might be confusing the first few times, but after you do it a few times, you’ll have a basic idea of where to go. The library is the same way.

So how do you find a book?
1. Go to nypl.org. You can search the library’s catalogs from the homepage. Note that we have two catalogs: LEO for books you can borrow and CATYNP for books for in-library use only.
2. In the space under Circulating (LEO), type in your keywords. Keywords are words in the title, author and subject fields of our catalog entries. With a keyword search, the order of the words does not matter. Also remember that your results will necessarily include every word you type into that space (so if you are not getting any results, use fewer search terms and check your spelling). Click on Go.
3. You will get a list of results. Note that your results will include all matching books, videos or music in all branches. To narrow down to a specific format or location, you will need to do an Expanded Search.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: Ignore the numbers next to “Reservable Copies” and “Number of Holds.” This data is not very meaningful.
4. Click on the title of the book you are interested in finding, then scroll to the bottom of that page to see what location has the book, whether you can bring it home (if it says Reference under “Item,” you can’t) and whether it’s supposed to be on the shelves (see this blog entry to learn more about item status). If you book is at a large branch such as Mid-Manhattan, you will also need to note what floor and what collection has your book. The Dewey number alone will not tell you where to go. Read a previous entry to understand Dewey Decimal numbers.

The following text and list was originally published earlier this year in a brochure produced by Reference & Advisory Services department head Wol Sue Lee for the New York Library Association.
The history of the Korean movie industry from the silent screen to the present box-office blockbusters has been shaped by changing historical and cultural forces. Many films were destroyed because of political situations, WWII, and the Korean War. During the ‘50s and ‘60s movie theaters began to exist. As a result, young Korean actors and actresses became very popular, appearing in films ranging from crime, suspense and Korean War movies to melodramas. Then in the ‘70s there was a worldwide decline in the movie industry due to the influx of television.
The ’80s brought a democratic presidential election to Korea and the inclusion of three Korean films at Toronto’s Festival of Festivals. Even though the first Korean film to receive recognition in a foreign film festival is a 1978 film, Shijibganeun nal (The Wedding Day), Korean films had been virtually unknown in the West until 1986, when Gilsoddeum, directed by Kwon-taek Im, was entered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival. At the 1988 Montréal World Film Festival, an actress in Adada won the award for Best Actress. In the ‘70s and ‘80s more Hollywood movies were allowed to come into Korea. In order to prevent the total collapse of the Korean movie industry, a screen quota system was set up which forced Korean theaters to play only Korean films 146 days out of the year. In 1996, a new generation of directors led a renaissance in the Korean film industry. In addition, the ‘80s and ‘90s witnessed the transformation of historical and small theaters into modern multiplex theaters. Major film festivals, such as the Busan International Film Festival (BIIF), the Jeonju International Film Festival and PiFan, the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, were hosted in South Korea. A big moment occurred in 1990, when the Pesaro International Film Festival of New Cinema in Italy mounted a retrospective of Korean cinema. This, in turn was followed by more comprehensive representation of Korean films at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris in 1993-1994.
After the ‘90s Korean films improved drastically in terms of quality, and there were many box-office hits. 2001 marked a new height in terms of smash hits. Some of the recent successful blockbusters that are not listed in this bibliography, include: Chingu (Friend), Chunhyang, Yeopgijeogin geunyeo (My Sassy Girl), Oasis, and Bin-jip (3-Iron). The biggest Korean film of 2006 was a monster film, Gwoemul (The Host), which broke every record in the book.
The presence of so many blockbuster films has not meant a lessening of more artistic works. Some critics thought that Korean cinema had “gone commercial,” however, they were pleasantly surprised by the high quality films produced, such as Friend; Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and…Spring; and Jibeuro; to name a few. Korean cinema’s rapidly expanding talent base gives hope that the industry will continue to prosper in the future.
10 Award Winning Korean Films (in no particular order)

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo… bom (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring). 2003, color,103 min. Directed and starred by Ki-duk Kim.
This small floating Buddhist monastery is set on a beautiful, serene landscape. The film has five segments, with each season representing a stage in a man’s life – Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring. From an old monk, a child learns the nature of sorrow. In the heat and lushness of summer the monk, now a young man, experiences desire. With winter he atones for his past actions, and with spring, a new cycle begins. The seasons symbolize the human spirit, moving from innocence, through love and evil, to enlightenment and finally rebirth. (Winner of 10 awards, including: Audience Award, San Sebastian International Film Festival 2003, Spain; 2003 Award, Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland;Grand Bell Award 2004, South Korea; Silver Condor Award 2005, Argentinian Film Critics Association; 2005 Chlotrudis Award, Massachussetts Society for Independent Film.)
Gwoemul (The Host). 2006, color, 120 min. Directed by Joon-ho Pong.
Kang Du, who runs a small snack stand near the Han River, has a dysfunctional family. His brother is a foul-talking, Molotov-cocktail-throwing, unemployed college graduate, and his sister is a professional archer with self-esteem issues. His family’s only hope is his daughter Hyun Seo. Life seems to be relatively normal until a giant monster living in the polluted river snatches his daughter. The family is determined to do anything to rescue her. (Winner of 14 awards, including: Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award 2006, Taiwan; Blue Dragon Award 2006, South Korea; Orient Ex-press Award 2006, Catalonian International Film Festival; Interna-tional Fantasy Film Award 2007, Fantasporto, Portugal.)
Jibeuro (The Way Home). 2002, color, 87 min. Directed by Jeong-hyang Yi.
A spoiled city boy is forced to live with his grandmother, who is deaf, illiterate, and old-fashioned and lives alone in a remote farming village. Despite his unhappiness in an unfamiliar environment, he slowly accepts her simple but hard way of existence, making friends with other country boys, and in the end develops affection towards his devoted grandmother. (Winner of 7 awards, including: Grand Bell Award 2002, South Korea; Baek Sang Film 2003, South Korea; Bronze Castle, Castellinaria International Festival of Young Cinema, Switzerland, 2003.)
Milyang (Secret Sunshine). 2007, color, 142 min. Directed by Chang-dong Lee.
The title,”Milyang,” where the action is set, means “a place with good sunshine,” but it can also mean secret sunshine. After her husband is killed by a bus, Shin-ae relocates with her son to Milyang, the town where her deceased husband was born. She tries to cope with her new environment and teaches piano lessons. She finds the place comfortable, people welcome them, her son likes his new school, and she meets a man who is dedicated to her. Then tragedy strikes her once more. Her only son is kidnapped and killed. Initially traumatized with pain and suffering, she goes to prison to forgive the man who killed her son, but is confused and angry to see him at peace with his newfound religion. In the end, she deals with the nature of suffering and finds hope again. (Best Actress Award 2007, Cannes Film Festival.)
Oldboy. 2003; 2005, color, 120 min. Directed by Chan-wook Park.
Dae-su Oh is kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years in a private cell. He tries endlessly to escape, but in vain. Dae-su has no idea why he is in this desperate situation and who is keeping him there. When he is released one day, his only desires are to find out why he was imprisoned, and kill the one responsible in the slowest, most painful way possible. (Winner of 17 awards, including: 2004 British Independent Film Award; 2004 Audience Award, Bergen International Film Festival, Norway; Grand Prix of the Jury 2004, Cannes Film Festival; 2004 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award, Japan; Golden Kinnaree Award 2005, Bangkok International Film Festival; Critics Choice Award 2006, Austin Film Critics Association, Texas.)
Shiri (Swiri). 1999, color, 125 min. Directed by Je-gyu Kang.
Who is killing a slew of South Korean intelligent agents and who are the phantom terrorists trying to steal the powerful new explosive CTX? South Korean agents Ryu and Lee try to get to the bottom of this North Korean infiltration, but they suspect each other of being a double agent because of a security leak. They must find the source of the leak and the target of the North Koreans before it is too late. (Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award 1999, Thailand; Grand Bell Award 1999, South Korea.)
Silmido. 2003, color, 136 min. Directed by Woo-suk Kang.
Based on a true story. In 1968 a group of thirty-one North Korean commandos tried to infiltrate South Korea to assassinate President Park Chung-hee, but failed. This incursion prompted the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) to pay back the favor by recruiting thirty-one death row convicts, whose main purpose was the assassination of North Korean president Kim Il-Sung. In 1969 the political climate between the two Koreas changed dramatically, which prompted KCIA to abort this top secret mission and make the recruits virtual prisoners in Silmido, a remote island. The film concludes in 1971, with the recruits revolting, killing the training officers, and trying to escape…Only four survived the ordeals but were later executed. (Winner of 7 awards, including: Blue Dragon Award 2004, South Korea; Grand Bell Award 2004, South Korea.)
Sopyonje (Seopyeonje). 1993; 2006, color, 113 min. Directed by Kwon-taek Im.
Youbong is a master of pansori, a type of Korean folk music. He travels the countryside with two adopted children, searching for his soul mate with whom he grew up. They were raised by a pansori master, but when he ran away to explore the exciting city life, the girl stayed behind and lost her sight and wandered around the land singing pansori. (Blue Dragon Award 1993, South Korea; Grand Bell Award 1993, South Korea; Golden Goblet 1993, Shanghai International Film Festival.)
Taegukgi hwinalrimeyo (Tae Guk Gi : The Brotherhood of War). 2004, color, 120 min. Directed by Je-gyu Kang.
Two brothers, Jin-tae Lee, a shoeshine boy hoping to become a shoemaker, and Jin-seok Lee, a bookish high school student, are caught in the Korean War (1950-53). Living with their ailing mother and Jin-tae’s fiancée, they are poor and struggling but remarkably happy. Then both brothers are drafted into the army; the older brother volunteers for a dangerous mission in order to save his younger brother. (Winner of 9 awards, including: Blue Dragon Award 2004, South Korea; Grand Bell Award 2004, South Korea; 2004 Political Film Society Award, U.S.A.; Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award 2005, Malaysia.)
Wang-ui namja (The King and the Clown). 2005; 2006, color, 119 min. Directed by Jun-ik Lee.
Two street clowns perform a political satire mocking King Yon San, an evil, cruel dictator who is hated by his people. They are hauled into the palace and given a tall order - - make the king smile or else. They are invited to stay on and perform for the king. It turns out that the king is smitten with the younger clown, and the plot thickens. (Baek Sang Film Award 2006, South Korea; this film was selected as the official Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Award at the 79th Academy Awards, U.S.A.)

One of the confusing things about libraries is our use of the Dewey Decimal System. It doesn’t help matters that some books, namely fiction and biographies, are actually arranged alphabetically. That means that when you are looking for nonfiction, you must use the online catalog to find where a book is shelved. However, when you are looking for fiction or biographies, you can find books shelved under the last name of the author (for fiction and graphic novels) and by the last name of the subject (for biographies, autobiographies, memoirs and letters). And since the New York Public Library has nearly 90 branches, some with multiple floors and multiple collections, you also need to take note of which branches and collections have your book before you know where to go. Never fear! Read this blog entry, watch this video or talk to a librarian if you need help.
What exactly is a Dewey decimal number? It is a numerical code that consists of three digits, followed by a decimal, then usually zero to four digits following the decimal. For example, 759.13 is the Dewey decimal number for American painters.
Do these numbers mean anything? Yes! The first three digits indicate the category under which the book is classified. For example, the 500s are for natural sciences, the 700s are for the arts and the 800s are for literature. Numbers within these ranges refer to more specific subjects. (759 is the number for painters). And then the numbers after the decimal make it even more specific (13 is the code for the United States). After the number, you will find a letter or a word. Sometimes there can be hundreds of books with the same Dewey decimal number, so we add a letter, usually the first letter of the author’s last name, to help you find your book more quickly.
Why group things by number? Can’t you just arrange books by title or author? Of course we can, but that would mean that you would need to tell us the title or author of the book you are looking for before we can tell you where to find it. With the Dewey decimal system, you can look for books by subject: say you are looking for books on diabetes. If you go to Barnes and Noble and ask for books on diabetes, they’ll just tell you to go to the Health section. With the Dewey Decimal System, we can tell you exactly where to go.
Of course there are caveats : the system was invented over 100 years ago, and although it is continually being modified, it can never meet the rapid pace of knowledge and civilization. Because of the specific nature of the system, sometimes you will need to go to more than one section to find everything that you can on a subject. Finally, looking for numerical labels on the shelf is not easy on the eyes.
Overall, though, the system works great. The system is flexible and generally easy to understand. People are always finding books that they never knew existed. And that’s the magic of the Dewey Decimal System.

If you’ve ever searched the LEO catalog, the New York Public Library branch libraries’ online catalog, you’ve probably noticed books and other items listed with a status of “Trace”, “Missing” or something more mysterious.What do exactly do these terms mean?
Trace means that the last time that someone looked for an item, it wasn’t on the shelf. Most of the time, however, the item shows up within a few days…or it was there all along. So look for the item where it’s supposed to be. You’ll probably find it!
Missing items were listed as “Trace” for several months. These items are less likely to be on the shelf. These items are either badly mis-shelved or they went home with an unscrupulous soul.
Checked In books are supposed to be on the shelves. If you look on the shelf and you don’t find it, it’s probably just mis-shelved. Ask one of our librarians to place a hold on the item for you. It will probably turn up, although we can’t say exactly when.
A date (such as 13 Dec 2007) indicates when an item that has been borrowed is due. If you place a hold on a checked-out item, the person who has it out cannot renew it beyond the due date. (However, we cannot predict exactly when the item will be returned.)
Being Held / Transit Hold mean that the item is waiting for a library borrower to pick up her reserve item / is en route to the pick-up branch location.
Lost items are checked-out items that borrowers say have been lost. These items are usually not recovered. If you would like us to order additional copies of a title, please speak to a librarian in the collection or branch that originally owned the item.
Claimed returned are items that borrowers believe that they have returned, but the library has no record of the transaction. Borrowers have several months to wait for the item to turn up before the item is changed to Lost.
In Transit items are ones that have been returned to branches other than their home branch. The item should be back in about a week.
Shelving Cart means that the item was recently returned to its home branch or it is a new item that was just processed. These items are usually not accessible, but sometimes our handling happens faster than expected and the item may be at its shelf location.
On Order means that the item has been ordered and we are waiting to receive it from our distributor. This takes anywhere from a few weeks to several months, with 1-2 months being the average delivery time frame.
Coming Soon means that the item has been received by the library but it has to be processed. The item will most likely be on the shelf within 1 month.
Please speak to a librarian if you have any questions.

Those of you who visited Bryant Park last winter probably remember being treated to an unexpected bit of comedy: watching people fall on their bums while attempting to ice skate at the Pond at Bryant Park. Well, it’s back again this year, and you can still skate for free (skate rentals cost $10, locker locks are $10).
The rink is scheduled to open tonight and will be open until mid-January 2008. Hours are Sunday - Thursday 8am - 10pm and Friday & Saturday 8am - midnight.
I didn’t get a chance to skate last year, but I hope to buy a used pair this year and get on ice skates for the first time in over fifteen years. That should be interesting.
In addition to skating, Bryant Park will also have a restaurant called Celsius and a bevy of holiday shops. I didn’t get to try the restaurant last winter, but it looked nice — kind of like an apres-ski resort restaurant — but I did go to some of the shops. I remember that I wanted to buy these weird, squishy hand-warmer things that were activated by snapping the metal coin inside, but they seemed too high maintenance (I think you had to boil the thing between uses). I also remember being amazed that the Sabon soap shop had its own sink inside its booth. Overall, Bryant Park wasn’t a bad place to kill some time during a lunch break.
Did anyone get to try the restaurant Celsius last year? How was it? What does everyone think about the shops and the ice skating rink taking over the park in the winter?