Sutherland Shire Libraries News

Well, it's been a while coming but the new design for our website is now live. Forgive us a little boasting but we think it looks pretty good.


Everything that was there before is still there and only a few things have moved around. Some of the main navigation menu labels have changed, but hopefully we haven't caused anybody trouble in getting around the new site.

However, we know that not everybody likes change, so why did we do it?

Library members who access Overdrive Audiobook and eBook downloads via  tablet or mobile device (think iPad, iPhone, Android) will need to update their Media Console App.

Overdrive has released a new version of the Overdrive Media Console app for iOS and Android devices.  The app is available now in the respective app stores.  Returning users will be prompted to update to the latest version on next time they access the app.

What’s New 

OMC v3.0 has been completely redesigned with a focus on making the user experience more intuitive. The Next Generation of OMC features:

• A redesigned user interface with an all-new look, streamlined navigation and a one-stop reorganized menu. App functions are just a swipe and tap away.
• Users can sync bookmarks and reading progress across multiple devices using a free, opt-in registration service called OverDrive One.
• Variable speed playback for iOS - Audiobook users’ most requested feature.
• First run tutorial screens. The app now prompts first-time users to add libraries and get books. 

System Requirements: OMC v3.0 for Android users requires Android OS v4.0 (or newer). OMC for Android v2.6.5 will remain available for download. OMC for iOS requires iOS 6 (or newer).

Beginning 1 July 2013 we are introducing free Wi-Fi at Sutherland, Cronulla, Caringbah, Miranda, Engadine and Menai Libraries.

Time limits apply

Although there will be no charge to access the Internet on your own devices in the library, you will be restricted to a maximum of 4 hours per day on each device. The time limit applies to total use throughout the opening hours of the library.  You could use the entire 4 hours in a single block or you could connect to the Internet for 4 separate 1 hour periods throughout the day, for instance.

If you expect to be at the library for longer than 4 hours we recommend that you disconnect from the Wi-Fi when you are not actively using the Internet in order to maximise the Wi-Fi availability and ensure you don't reach your daily quota.


Please note: our public Wi-Fi is an unsecured network.  It is unsuitable for communicating sensitive or personal information, for example, online banking.

There is no Wi-Fi available at Bundeena or Sylvania libraries.

12 June 2012 Update

As of today we are in the process of clearing out the temporary data from the new library system. Please don't try searching the new catalogue or viewing your account details from now until we launch next Thursday, 21 June (you will probably find that it doesn't work even if you do).

Regular readers will recall that we mentioned a little while ago the library has been working behind the scenes on replacing our computer system. Well the date for the switch is now official.

All Sutherland Shire Libraries will be closed from 5pm on Friday June 15 and will re-open for normal operation on Thursday 21 June - 9am at Sutherland, 9.30am at branches. There is one exception -  Miranda Library will be closed for building works before and after the system upgrade.

New library catalogue shown on iPad

During the period that the libraries are closed we will be working to extract all the data from our existing Integrated Library System (ILS) - all the information about our collections, our borrowers, their loans, reserves, etc. (and yes, I'm sorry, fees owed). We then need to take all that data and feed it in to the new ILS and check, as best we can, that it is all correct.

What you will notice when the libraries open is that we have a brand new look to our catalogue. It is easier to use and has improved functionality. Searching is simple with a single keyword search box, just like Google. Once a search is done you can refine your results based on a range of different criteria. Many of the records in the catalogue now also provide suggestions for further reading - similar books and authors. In addition, searches are automatically expanded to include results from many of the library's research databases, improving your chance of finding information about more complex topics.

The good news is that you can try out the new catalogue right now!

Improvements to the library catalogue are on their way towards the middle of the year.


Over the past 12-18 months or so Sutherland Shire Libraries Have been working towards replacing the software that we use to manage our collection and borrower information, our Integrated Library System (ILS).

The selection phase is now complete We have selected a vendor and we are now into the implementation phase.  Over the next 3 or 4 months we will be setting up the new ILS, to be ready to change hopefully towards the end of June or start of July.

For the most part, library users will not notice any changes. We are endeavouring to make the change over as seamless as possible. Loan periods will remain the same, for instance, and the change to our system will not generally change the way we provide our service to you.

Where you will notice the change, however, is when you interact with the library through the catalogue and related online services. If you search for books or other materials online, once we've changed over you will be using a completely new online library catalogue.  We're excited about the improvements coming to the catalogue. While we know that some people find it difficult when we make changes like this, we hope that once you get used to the new interface you will agree that the changes are worthwhile.

Some of the improvements that are coming include:

• A simpler, more Google like search.
• An improved discovery experience making serendipitous discoveries more likely.
• Improved visibility and access to alternative online resources - newspaper and magazine articles, online books, etc.
• Opt-in borrower history - elect to have the library store a list of books/items you borrow.

It's still very early in the set up phase so we don't really have a working example that we can show you yet. Hopefully before we make the switch we'll be able to give you a chance to try the new catalogue out.  The software we'll be using is being widely used. You can get a feel for what it's like at these libraries:

• Skokie Public Library
• Minuteman Library Network (Arlington, MA)

One of the problems that libraries and their users perennially face is that of availability, especially when it comes to reference material - those books that are used for looking up information for assignments and the like.

You know the problem - when you come to the library for some information, only to find that all the books have been lent out.  To combat that problem libraries have traditionally restricted many of the the most useful title to their reference collections. They are always available in the library because they are not for loan but that's not always all that helpful, as you want to take them home to read.



In more recent times, however, we have been allocating more of our reference collection budget to digital books.  These are electronic versions of reference books made available online via our website to Sutherland Shire Library members.

These electronic versions contain all the same content as the original print versions but with the advantages of being available to many users at the same time.

In addition to the regular index ordinarily found in the back of the book, you can also search these books by keyword .  Indeed, you can often keyword search across all the online reference books in a collection, so you don't even need to decide which book to start with.

To give you an idea of the scope of the library's online reference collection you can see below the title list for one of our collections - the Gale Virtual Reference Library.

You can login to the Gale Virtual Reference Library and try it out! (enter your library card number)

You can see all the online reference books and encyclopedias in our collection on our website.
> Explore more Encyclopedias and Reference Books on the library website

Gale Virtual Reference Library Title List

The 100 Most Important Chemical Compounds: A Reference Guide, 2007
21st Century Communication: A Reference Handbook, 2v, 2009
21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook, 2v, 2009
21st Century Political Science: A Reference Handbook, 2v, 2011
Addiction: A Reference Encyclopedia, 2010
Air Pollution, 2011
Alternative Energy, 2010
Animal and Plant Anatomy, 11v, 2007
Animal Rights, 2011
Animal Sciences, 4v, 2002
Animal Welfare, 2011
Anxiety Disorders, 2010
Aptitude, Personality and Motivation Tests: Analyse your talents and personality and plan your career, 3rd ed., 2009
Architecture of Italy, 2008
Are Video Games Harmful?, 2011
Armstrong's Handbook of Reward Management Practice: Improving Performance Through Reward, 3rd ed., 2010
Art and Architecture of the World's Religions, 2v, 2009
Artificial Intelligence, 2011
Asperger Syndrome, 2011
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 2011
Autism, 2009
Back Roads Australia, 2010
Baseball, 2011
Basketball, 2011
Biology, 4v, 2002
Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 2nd ed., 1999
Cambridge Dictionary of Scientists, 2nd ed., 2002
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development, 2006
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine, 2nd ed., 2007
Career, aptitude and selection tests: Match your IQ, personality and abilities to your ideal career, 3rd ed., 2009
Censorship, 2010
Censorship in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, 2011
Cerebral Palsy, 2011
Chemical Elements, 2nd ed., 3v, 2010
Child Abuse, 2011
Child Labor, 2009
China Emerging: 1978-2008, 2009
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 2012
Class Conflict in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, 2011
Climate Change, 2009
The Cold War, 3v, 2011
Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing, 5th ed., 2007
Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, 27v, 2008
The Concise Encyclopedia of World War II, 2v, 2010
Cultural Identity and New Communication Technologies: Political, Ethnic and Ideological Implications, 2011
Culture and Customs of Croatia, 2011
Culture and Customs of Sweden, 2010
Culture and Customs of the Hmong, 2010
Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents, 3v, 2009
Deafness and Hearing Impairment, 2010
The Death Penalty, 2011
Discrimination, 2011
DIY Programming and Book Displays: How to Stretch Your Programming without Stretching Your Budget and Staff, 2010
Drugs, 2009
Electric Cars, 2012
The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know, 2008
Encyclopedia of Body Adornment, 2007
Encyclopedia of Depression, 2v, 2010
Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues, Rev. ed., 4v, 2011
Encyclopedia of Evolution, 2v, 2002
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, 3v, 2003
Encyclopedia of Pestilence, Pandemics, and Plagues, 2v, 2008
Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine, 4v, 2011
The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: A Political, Social, and Military History, 5v, 2007
Encyclopedia of the Solar System, 2nd ed., 2007
Endangered Species, 2012
Energy Alternatives, 2011
Environmental Encyclopedia, 4th ed., 2v, 2011
Eritrea, 2011
The Essential Guide to Workplace Mediation & Conflict Resolution: Rebuilding Working Relationships, 2008
Ethiopia, 2011
The Evolution Wars: A Guide to the Debates, 2nd ed., 2008
Family Garden, 1st American ed., 2008
Famine, 2009
Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television, 2010
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, 2011
First Encounters: Native Voices on the Coming of the Europeans, 2010
Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art, 2nd ed., 3v, 2011
Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia, 4v, 2011
Food Safety, 2012
Food-Borne Diseases, 2011
Food: In Context, 2v, 2011
Fresh Flower Arranging, 1st American ed., 2011
The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence, 2nd ed., 4v, 2011
The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, 3rd ed., 2v, 2010
The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 4th ed., 6v, 2011
Garbage and Recycling, 2011
Gay Marriage, 2010
Gender in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, 2011
Genetic Engineering, 2012
Genocide in Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, 2012
Genocide: A Reference Handbook, 2011
The Global Financial Crisis, 2010
Global Organized Crime: A Reference Handbook, 2010
Global Positioning Systems, 2011
Global Refugee Crisis: A Reference Handbook, 2nd ed., 2010
Global Warming, 2010
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Global Medieval Life and Culture, 3v, 2009
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Homes through World History, 3v, 2009
The Greenwood Library of World Folktales: Stories from the Great Collections, 4v, 2008
Grow Vegetables, 2008
The Handbook of Project Management, Rev. 2nd ed.: A Practical Guide to Effective Policies, Techniques and Processes, 2007
Hepatitis, 2010
Historical Dictionary of Australian Radio and Television, 2007
The History of Pakistan, 2008
The History of the Philippines, 2008
The History of Ukraine, 2008
History of World War I, 3v, 2002
History of World War II, 3v, 2005
Holidays Symbols and Customs, 4th ed., 2008
The Holocaust, 2011
Homosexuality, 2011
Hot Spot: Sub-Saharan Africa, 2010
How to Deal with Stress, 2nd ed., 2010
How to Motivate People, 2nd ed., 2010
How to Pass Advanced Aptitude Tests: Assess Your Potential and Analyse Your Career Options with Graduate and Managerial Level Psychometric Tests, Rev. ed., 2008
How to Pass Advanced Verbal Reasoning Tests, 2008
How to Prepare a Business Plan, 5th ed., 2008
How to Sell Yourself, 2010
How to Write a Business Plan, 3rd ed., 2010
How to Write Reports and Proposals, Rev. 2nd ed., 2010
How to Write Your Will: The complete guide to structuring your will, inheritance tax planning, probate and administering an estate, 19th ed., 2009
Human Origins 101, 2007
Human Rights, 2011
Ice Hockey, 2011
Immigration, 2009
Imprisonment, 2010
Improve your Communication Skills, Rev. 2nd ed., 2010
Indigenous Peoples, 2009
Influenza, 2011
The Innovation Handbook: How to Profit from Your Ideas, Intellectual Property, and Market Knowledge, 2nd ed., 2010
Inventors & Inventions, 4v, 2010
iPod® and MP3 Players, 2011
Lung Cancer, 2011
Lupus, 2010
Marijuana, 2012
Marriage, 2009
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation, 2v, 2010
Media Bias, 2011
Medical Ethics, 2011
Meningitis, 2010
Migraines, 2011
Modern Piracy: A Reference Handbook, 2011
Muscular Dystrophy, 2012
Nanotechnology 101, 2007
Nelson Mandela: A Biography, 2008
New Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 2010, 2v, 2010
New Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 2011, 2v, 2011
Oceans, 2011
Online Social Networks, 2010
Organise Yourself, 3rd ed., 2010
Paranormal Phenomena, 2012
The Persian Gulf War, 2011
Pop Art and the Origins of Post-Modernism, 2001
Population Growth, 2009
Preparing the perfect job application: Application forms and letters made easy, 5th ed., 2009
The Princeton Companion to Mathematics, 2008
The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, 2010
Psychometrics in Coaching: Using Psychological and Psychometric Tools for Development, 2008
Public Relations Strategy, 2nd ed., 2007
Qualitative Research: Good decision making through understanding people, cultures and markets, 2009
Race in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, 2012
Raising Parents: Attachment, Parenting and Child Safety, 2008
Readymade CV's: Winning CVs for Every Type of Job, 4th ed., 2009
Real Astronomy with Small Telescopes: Step-by-Step Activities for Discovery, 2007
Religion, 2010
Renewable Energy: Sources and Methods, 2010
Robots, 2010
The Rough Guide to Amsterdam, 10th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Andalucía, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Argentina, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Austria, 4th ed., 2008
The Rough Guide to Barcelona, 8th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Beijing, 4th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Belgium and Luxembourg, 5th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Belize, 5th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Berlin, 9th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Bolivia, 2nd ed., 2008
The Rough Guide to Boston, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Britain, 7th ed., 2008
The Rough Guide to Brussels, 4th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Buenos Aires, 2nd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to California, 10th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Cambodia, 4th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Canada, 7th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget, 2009
The Rough Guide to Chile, 4th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to China, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Copenhagen, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Corsica, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Crete, 8th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Cuba, 5th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Cyprus, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Denmark, 2nd ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Dubai, 2010
The Rough Guide to England, 9th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania, 3rd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Finland, 2010
The Rough Guide to First-Time Africa, 2nd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Florence and the best of Tuscany, 2009
The Rough Guide to Florida, 8th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to France, 12th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Genes & Cloning, 2007
The Rough Guide to Germany, 2009
The Rough Guide to Goa, 8th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Guatemala, 4th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Guitar, 2011
The Rough Guide to Hawaii, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Hungary, 7th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Iceland, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to India, 8th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Ireland, 10th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Istanbul, 2009
The Rough Guide to Italy, 10th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Japan, 5th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Jerusalem, 2nd ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Jordan, 4th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Kenya, 9th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Kerala, 2nd ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Languedoc and Roussillon, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Laos, 4th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Las Vegas, 2011
The Rough Guide to Los Angeles & Southern California, 2nd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Mallorca and Menorca, 5th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Mexico, 8th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Montenegro, 2009
The Rough Guide to Morocco, 9th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Moscow, 5th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Naples & the Amalfi Coast, 2009
The Rough Guide to Nepal, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to New England, 5th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to New Orleans, 2010
The Rough Guide to New York City, 12th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to New Zealand, 7th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Nirvana, 2009
The Rough Guide to Panama, 2010
The Rough Guide to Peru, 7th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Portugal, 13th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Prague, 8th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Provence & the Côte d'Azur, 7th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Puerto Rico, 2008
The Rough Guide to Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra, 2nd ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Rio de Janeiro, 2009
The Rough Guide to Romania, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Rome, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to San Francisco & the Bay Area, 8th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Sardinia, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Scotland, 9th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Seoul, 2011
The Rough Guide to Shakespeare, 2009
The Rough Guide to Shanghai, 2nd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Sicily, 8th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Slovenia, 3rd ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget, 2nd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget, 2nd ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Southwest USA, 5th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Spain, 13th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Sri Lanka, 3rd ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Sweden, 5th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Switzerland, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Sydney, 5th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Taiwan, 2nd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to The Cotswolds, 2011
The Rough Guide to The Czech Republic, 2009
The Rough Guide to The Dominican Republic, 4th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to The Dordogne and the Lot, 3rd ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to The Grand Canyon, 3rd ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to the Italian Lakes, 2nd ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to The Lake District, 5th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to The Netherlands, 5th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to The Universe, 2nd ed., 2008
The Rough Guide to the USA, 10th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Tokyo, 5th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Travel Survival: The Essential Field Manual, 2005
The Rough Guide to Trinidad & Tobago, 5th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Tunisia, 8th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Turkey, 7th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Tuscany & Umbria, 7th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Vancouver, 4th ed., 2010
The Rough Guide to Vienna, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Vietnam, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Wales, 6th ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Walks in London & Southeast England, 2nd ed., 2009
The Rough Guide to Washington, DC, 6th ed., 2011
The Rough Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, 2011
The Rough Guide to Yorkshire, 2011
The Rough Guide to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, 4th ed., 2011
Same-Sex Marriage: A Reference Handbook, 2010
Schizophrenia, 2011
Science and Technology in Modern European Life, 2008
Scientific Exploration and Expeditions: From the Age of Discovery to the Twenty-First Century, 2v, 2010
Seas and Waterways of the World: An Encyclopedia of History, Uses, and Issues, 2v, 2010
Slavery, 2009
Smoking, 2011
Snowboarding, 2011
Soccer, 2011
Space Exploration and Humanity: A Historical Encyclopedia, 2v, 2010
Space Research, 2011
Story Behind the Protest Song: A Reference Guide to the 50 Songs That Changed the 20th Century, 2008
Succeed at IQ Tests: Improve your Numerical, Verbal and Spatial Reasoning Skills, 2008
Successful interview skills: How to prepare, answer tough questions and get your ideal job, 5th ed., 2009
Successful Time Management, Rev. 2nd ed., 2010
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, 2012
Suicide, 2012
Swimming, 2011
Teaching with Books That Heal: Authentic Literature and Literacy Strategies to Help Children Cope with Everyday Problems, 2007
Television, 2011
Torture, 2011
Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel, 2008
The Ultimate IQ Test Book, 2007
Vaccines, 2012
Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, 10th ed., 3v, 2008
Video Games, 2011
VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever, 2012 ed., 2011
Virtual Social Identity and Consumer Behavior, 2009
The War in Iraq, 2009
War in John Knowles's A Separate Peace, 2011
War in Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, 2011
Web 2.0, 2011
Women's Issues in Alice Walker's The Color Purple, 2011
Women's Issues in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, 2012
World Folklore for Storytellers: Tales of Wonder, Wisdom, Fools, and Heroes, 2009
Yoga Wisdom & Practice, 1st American ed., 2009
Youth Culture and Net Culture: Online Social Practices, 2011

Do you find it difficult to locate what you need on council's web site? You can help improve the site and make it easier for everyone to find the information they need.

Sutherland Shire Council is asking visitors to their web site to help them sort the wide range of council information available online in the most meaningful way for visitors.

You can have your say by completing this online sorting exercise (consider it the SSC web site game!)

Ebsco has recently launched a dedicated mobile interface to their popular Ebscohost Databases. This will allow you to search and read magazine, journal and newspaper articles directly on your web enabled mobile phones (including iPhones).

The Library subscribes to thousands of magazine, journal and newspaper titles via Ebscohost databases. Years worth of free full text articles in everything from the Sydney Morning Herald to the Australian Journal of Education to Wheels Magazine are available. And you can search for articles by keyword.

Got a smartphone? Try it out now. Get started by visiting the Ebsco Mobile site and entering your Library Card number.

A change is coming to the Library's Wireless Hotspot Service. For some time now customers of Sutherland Library have been able to access the Internet using their own devices, eg. laptops and web enabled mobile phones, using our Wi-Fi hotspot.

Our current hotspot service, which has been providing free access, will be replaced in November with an improved service covering both levels of Sutherland Library. In addition, the Wi-Fi service is being extended to other locations across the Council's library network.

To take advantage of this facility customers will be able to purchase cards for wireless Internet access. There will be a choice of either a $5 card for 24 hour access or a $2 card for 2 hour access over a 1 week period.

Sutherland Shire Council is implementing this option as a low-cost alternative for library customers.

Visit our web site for more detail about the Library's Wireless Hotspot Service or pick up a brochure at any branch library.

Free Online Computer Training for Library members - Teach yourself new skills at home!

Do you need some introductory knowledge to computers? Want to brush up on your Internet searching and email skills? Are the Office 2007 applications frustratingly different to your old version? Or do you have Windows Vista? Then use our newest online database Computer Training. It covers these topics and more, and it can be done at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home!

These tutorials are interactive and based on academic testing. They have been created in small modules so they can be done in short bursts. Each module has an optional testing facility, to help you see what you’ve remembered, which is simulation-based not just multiple choice questions.

Once at the site having logged in as a library member, you will be asked to ‘Create a New Account’. This is your own personal account and so your results will only be accessible to you! You can see how many modules you have completed, with what level of accuracy.

Try it out now...


This database is Australian designed and the methods have been University tested, resulting in the following vendor's statement:

“Dynamic Learning Online’s approaches to training have been empirically tested through Australian Research Council funded research and are based on the Cognitive Load Learning principles developed by Professor John Sweller (Emeritus Professor, University of NSW) and Professor Paul Chandler (Dean of Education, University of Wollongong).

You can now play OverDrive WMA (Windows Media Audio) audiobooks from Sutherland Shire Libraries Digital Downloads on your iPod. Until now iPod owners have been limited to mp3 format audio books from our Digital Downloads collection due to rights issues, which has meant that iPod owners have missed out on many of the best sellers and most popular audio books. (Typically mp3 files have been restricted to classics and out-of-copyright titles)

That has just changed!

Nearly all OverDrive WMA Audiobooks in our download collection are now compatible with the iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPod nano, as well as Zune and thousands of other portable devices.

To access this new functionality all you have to do is upgrade OverDrive Media Console to version 3.2 on Windows PCs.

There are a few requirements for transfering WMA audiobooks to Apple devices, which you can read about in the Overdrive Help.

OverDrive Media Console's enhanced Transfer Wizard will expand the largest selection of iPod-compatible audiobook titles for libraries by making the vast majority of existing audiobook titles playable on Apple devices.

We still have a few places remaining in our final Introduction to the Internet and Email course for the term beginning on 23 June 2009.

The course is aimed at absolute beginners. You will learn how to find information on the Internet as well as how to send a receive email.

Full details can be found on our Events Calender.

If you have used Sutherland Library's Overdrive downloadable digital media, we would appreciate it if you could complete a short survey to help us to plan the future of this service.
Update 23 June: This survey is now closed.

Thank you for your time.

In this instalment of what is rapidly becoming an ongoing series of posts about the Library's web site, we want to know what things you would like to be able to do on our web site that aren't currently available?

We are very thankful for the responses to our last post about what you are using the web site for (if you haven't already, you can tell us now).

This time we would like to know if there is anything you wish you could do or find on our site that isn't already available? Basically, we want you to tell us what is wrong with our site? Just leave us a comment.

I can't guarantee that your wishlist will be granted but it will be very useful information for us as we move forward. And you never know, in our last post someone asked for information about our WiFi Hotspot. That was an easy one - I added a page about the Wi-Fi Hotspot to the site this morning.