A large crowd attended the DPL program in March.
Linda Bono
Would it surprise you to learn that, according to the American Library Association (ALA), there are more public libraries than Starbucks in the U.S.? A McDonald’s comparison yields the same result—there are more public libraries! That data seems to underscore the fact that public libraries have successfully adapted to changing times and remain relevant in the digital age. If you don’t already have a Denton Public Library (DPL) card, you probably want to get one!
Our Robson community is fortunate that three Denton Public Library branches are located near us. All three branches are within 10 miles of Robson Ranch, with the South Branch on Teasley Lane being only 7.6 miles away. Additionally, on occasion, the Robson Ranch Library is able to partner with the Denton Public Library to bring some DPL benefits directly to Robson Ranch, as we did in March and April.
On March 18 DPL librarians visited the Robson Library to sign up residents for DPL cards, to renew expired library cards, and to answer questions about using e-readers and downloading electronic books, audiobooks, movies, music, and magazines from the Denton Public Library (using digital services like CloudLibrary and Hoopla). The visit was a boon for residents who find it difficult to get to one of the DPL branches. Fifty-one residents stopped in at the Robson Library to obtain help from the DPL librarians that day.
On April 5 DPL librarians paid us another visit. Laura Douglas, assistant manager of the Emily Fowler Central Library and head of special collections, presented an informative program on some of the many DPL resources available to library card holders. She focused mostly on DPL resources for genealogical research and explained the self-service lab at the Emily Fowler Central Library. The Legacy Lab offers devices for scanning photos, slides, negatives, and documents to create digital files and retouch them using Adobe Photoshop. Home videos from VHS, 8mm film, and Super 8mm film can also be converted to digital format at the Legacy Lab. She pointed out that the special collections staff is available for personalized, one-on-one assistance to help with genealogical research.
You might want to check out the DPL website (library.cityofdenton.com) to delve into some of their resources. You’ll find a wealth of materials worth investigating there. One of the interesting benefits I learned about at the April 5 presentation is the easy access to the Denton Record-Chronicle available to all DPL library card holders. From the comfort of home, library card holders can use their DPL library cards to access the DRC through the DPL website on their personal computers and devices. (Although the DRC publishes print editions only twice a week, there is a daily digital newspaper.)
Former First Lady Laura Bush hit the nail on the head when she said, “I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card.”