Eclipse Party

Monday, April 8th at 1:30pm

Join us at the library for a celestial celebration the whole family will enjoy! Solar Eclipse Viewing: Safely observe the celestial spectacle through specially provided viewing glasses.

Educational Activities: Engage in hands-on, interactive activities that explore the science behind solar eclipses, perfect for curious minds of all ages.

Crafts: Let your artistic side shine as we offer eclipse-themed arts and crafts, ensuring everyone can express their excitement in a fun and imaginative way.

Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Enjoy the event in a relaxed and welcoming environment, fostering a sense of community as we marvel at the wonders of the universe together.

The Eclipse and the Spring Sky

Monday, April 1 at 6:30 PM

Get ready for the upcoming Solar Eclipse and spring stargazing!  Learn how to safely view the upcoming Solar Eclipse and explore the sky this spring observing events and objects from within our atmosphere to beyond our galaxy. Learn what can be seen and how to locate them with your eyes, binoculars, and the library telescope. Open to adults, teens, and upper-elementary children (or younger ones with a passion for astronomy) with their families. Every attendee will receive a pair of eclipse glasses to view the eclipse on April 8th.

Speakers:
Jim Mazur and Laurie Averill are long-term members of the Astronomical Society of New Haven and guide people in observing and understanding astronomical events and objects. Jim is a life-long amateur astronomer.  Laurie also volunteers as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Click here to register

Navigating Hearing Loss

Thursday, March 28 at 6 PM

Join Dr. Jennifer Micacci, Audiologist and owner of Best Life Hearing Center, for a program about navigating hearing loss. Dr. Micacci will discuss when to get your hearing checked (signs of hearing loss), how to know if it’s just wax, and what to do if you are diagnosed with hearing loss (available treatments).

Perfect for those interested in their own possible hearing loss or hearing loss in loved ones.

Click here to register

Book A Study Room

As part of the Library Renewal Project, the Library has added two study rooms for 1-4 people for the purpose of quiet study and discussion.

Please note that the rooms are not soundproof — please keep conversation to a low volume. Noise-reducing headphones may be borrowed at the circulation desk.

  1. Patrons must be 12 years old or older to reserve a study room.
  2. Groups or individuals may reserve a study room for a maximum of 2 hours per day.
  3. Reservations are limited to one per day, per group and may be reserved up to one week in advance.
  4. If it has not been reserved, patrons may remain in a room beyond their scheduled time, but must vacate it when a new patron signs in.
  5. Please check in at the circulation desk.
  6. The library is not responsible for equipment, supplies, materials or any other items owned by an individual or group used in the study rooms. Personal items may not be stored in the study rooms.

Submitting a reservation indicates acceptance of the Library’s Room Reservation Policies.

In addition to the study rooms, the Study Zone also includes a “laptop bar” and comfortable seating with device charging and flip up tablet desks. Just plug your device in and get to work. This area is past the circulation desk, where DVDs were previously.

Wi-Fi Hotspots

In order to expand Internet access to Durham residents, the Library has established a Wi-Fi hotspot lending program. The hotspots are provided by T-Mobile and funded by a gift from Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare and PALS: The Friends of the Durham Public Library.

No internet at home? Borrow ours for: school projects and papers, job searching online, and connecting your tablet or laptop.

On a long car trip? Have the kids in the backseat streaming movies, music or other online content.

On Vacation? Road trip, camping, or grandmas house with no internet? Bring it with you!

Loans and Holds

Hotspots are available to Durham Public Library card holders ages 18 and up with fines of less than $10.00. Patrons must present their valid Durham Public Library card at the time of checkout.

Checkouts are limited to one hotspot per household at any given time. Hotspots may be checked out for one week and cannot be renewed.

Hotspots may be reserved by placing a hold online or by calling the library. Devices will be held for two days. If the device is not picked up by the end of the second day, the hold will be cancelled and the device will move to the next person in line.

At the time of checkout, patrons must sign a Hotspot Use Agreement, acknowledging the Library’s Hotspot Use Policy.

The Library reserves the right to refuse lending to patrons who abuse equipment or who repeatedly return Hotspots late.

Hotspots must be picked up and returned at the Durham Public Library circulation desk. Hotspots must never be returned to another library or placed in the book drops.

Hotspot Use

Patrons are responsible for the proper care and use of the Wi-Fi hotspot. We recommend that patrons have a basic working knowledge of the device on checkout. If you encounter any technical problems, contact Library Director Christine Michaud at cmichaud@durhamlibrary.org or 860-349-9544, ext. 5.

The Library is not responsible for any liability, damages, or expense resulting from use or misuse of the hotspot and its connection to other electronic devices, or data loss resulting from use of the Hotspot. Any use of the device for illegal purposes, unauthorized copying of copyright-protected material in any format, or transmission of threatening, harassing, defamatory or obscene materials is strictly prohibited.

Wi-Fi service will be turned off if the hotspot is more than two days overdue, rendering the device unusable.

Loss or Damage

Overdue fines of $5 per day, to a maximum of $20, will be charged for late hotspots.

Hotspots that are two weeks or more overdue are considered lost. Patrons will be charged a $100.00 replacement fee if the hotspot is lost or damaged.

Patrons will be charged a replacement fee not to exceed $20 if a charging block or case is lost or damaged.

Looking for a Quiet Place to Read?

Try our Periodical Reading Room!

The the original library room has now been set up for silent reading or working. Comfortable chairs invite you to sit down and spend some quiet time with a book, or with the newspapers and magazines which are now located in this space.

Absolutely no conversation or phone calls allowed in this space.

New at the Library

Coffee is now available for purchase. Keurig pods may be purchased for $1.25 each. Enjoy our cozy reading areas. (Lids must be used in the Library.)

Keurig machine provided by PALS: Friends of the Durham Public Library.

New Service! Online Language Learning

110+ Languages Are At Your Fingertips: Transparent Language Online Now Available

Planning a trip to Italy to celebrate your anniversary? Collaborating with your Chinese counterparts in your company’s Beijing branch? Just want to brush up that language you studied for four years in school, but somehow can’t seem to remember at all? We’ve got you covered.

We are excited to announce that we now offer Transparent Language Online free to all Durham Public Library card holders. Whether you’re starting at the very beginning with a new alphabet or you’re an intermediate learner looking to enhance your vocabulary and grammar knowledge, Transparent Language Online can help. Available for learning 110+ languages, plus English (ESL) materials for native speakers of 30+ languages, the program has something for everyone. This resource is funded by PALS: The Friends of the Durham Public Library.

Click Here to Get Started

Worried that you won’t be able to learn on your own? A customizable Learning Path allows you to choose what you want to learn, while an integrated analytics system tracks your progress, periodically prompting you to review material that you haven’t seen in a while. It’s like having a built-in teacher there to keep you on track toward your language-learning goals.

Best of all, Transparent Language Online works on any Internet-connected device, so you can learn from your laptop, phone, or tablet.

Transparent Language Online is available FREE to all Durham Public Library cardholders. Sign up today at Transparent Language Online or download the app to your mobile device and set up you account with your Durham Public Library card.

Feel free to contact us with any questions at dpl@durhamlibrary.org.