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News from the Library
Freegal Music Service now available !
The library's agreement with Freegal allows every Acton resident who is a registered library patron to download and keep three songs per week in MP3 format. Users may download songs directly to a computer or use the free mobile app available in the Apple® App Store and Google Play® store. For more information please see the Freegal FAQ. posted June 17, 2013
Historical Town Annual Reports online
Local historians and genealogists will be interested to learn that the Annual Reports for the Town of Acton for the years 1862 through 1974 have been digitized and are available online. Assessors’ lists for the years 1850, 1872, 1875, 1890, 1910 and 1926 are also available. The collection can be found at: http://www.archive.org/details/actonmemoriallibrary Researchers can read the materials online using the Internet Archive book viewer, or download the digital books in a variety of formats, including PDF, DAISY, ePUB, and Kindle. When reading a book online, the entire book content can be searched using the search box located located in the upper right of the browser window. Alternatively, the full text of the entire Acton Memorial Library digital collection can be searched at once by using the Open Library's "search inside" feature, which can be found at: http://openlibrary.org/search/inside. Because you will be searching the entire Internet Archive when using this feature, be sure to include the word "Acton" in your keyword search. These materials were digitized by the Internet Archive and by the Boston Public Library with federal LSTA funds administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. For questions, please call the Acton Memorial Library Reference Desk at 978-929-6543, or email us at reference@acton-ma.gov. Posted June 3, 2013 Acton Town Records Transcribed and Online Transcriptions of Acton's earliest Town Records, from founding in 1735 through 1829 are now available on the library website in PDF format. These are primarily Town Meeting, Selectmen and financial records kept by the town clerks and treasurers. Records for the Civil War years are also available in a separate file. Work on the transcriptions began in 2003 when volunteer Paulina Knibbe transcribed the earliest records that had been digitized with a federal LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant. Ten years later volunteer Irene Cavanagh completed transcribing an additional 1,200 pages of the handwritten records. The PDFs, which are fully searchable, are available on the library website at: www.actonmemoriallibrary.org/EarlyTownRecords/ The library is seeking additional volunteers to continue work on the transcriptions. If interested contact Susan Paju at spaju@acton-ma.gov.
Posted June 3, 2013 The library now subscribes to Safari Books Online, a custom collection of technology related Ebooks. The library's subscription includes the "Basic Programming Library" and the "Consumer Technology Library." Popular titles from publishers such as Que, John Wiley, Addison-Wesley, Peachpit Press, O'Reilly Media and Microsoft Press are represented. The library's subscription allows remote use for Acton residents. To access, please visit the library Databases page. Posted April 16, 2013 The 600+ foreign films in the library's DVD collection have been reorganized into one easy-to-browse area. Prior to the reorganization, DVDs were shelved by title, making it difficult for film viewers to find all films with dialogue in a specific language. The library's largest collections of foreign films are in Chinese and in Hindi, but a dozen other languages are also represented. (Chinese VCDs without English subtitles will continue to be shelved with the Chinese books). Posted April 9, 2013
ChiltonLibrary provides exclusive photographs, diagnostics, step-by-step repair procedures, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) maintenance schedules, wiring diagrams, recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) for automobiles and light trucks in one easy-to-use website. To log-in, visit our Database page.
Posted March 23, 2013
Overdrive app for Kindle Fire
Kindle Fire OverDrive Media Console for Android is now available to Kindle Fire users in the Amazon App Store for Android! This is the recommended method, as you will have access to more E-book titles as well as MP3 audiobooks. Download library Ebooks and audiobooks: Printable instructions for the Kindle Fire Posted February 6, 2013
Download E-books directly to your Nook !
Posted October 15, 2012
New Kobo Vox tablet available for borrowing !
Posted July 31, 2012
New Graphic Novel collection for adult readers!
Since the publication of the Pulitzer Prize Winning "Maus" by Art Speigelman in 1986, the graphic novel artform has grown in popularity among adults and among mainstream authors. Diana Gabaldon, Laurell K. Hamilton, and George R.R. Martin have all published graphic novel versions of their books. The Library's Graphic Novel collection encompasses multiple fiction genres such as science fiction, horror, and fantasy, as well as non-fiction themes including biography, memoir, and history. The collection can be found on the upper level of the library, next to the Paperback collection.
Posted June 28, 2012 Receive your library alerts by text message
For more details, or to sign-up, log-in to "My Account" (https://library.minlib.net/patroninfo) and click on "Modify Personal Information." To unsubscribe, simply "Opt Out." Your cell phone carrier's usual service rates will apply. Posted June 15, 2012 The Fitzgerald Piano The Fitzgerald piano was given to Acton in 1926 for its new high school by John Fitzgerald and his wife Mary Josephine in memory of her parents, Michael and Mary Ann Hannon, who had lived in South Acton for many years. John Fitzgerald (“Honey Fitz”) was a Congressman and mayor of Boston; he and his wife were the parents of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of President John F. Kennedy. After Acton High School closed in 1955 with the opening of Acton Boxborough Regional High School, the piano was moved to several locations and eventually fell into disrepair. It was restored using Community Preservation Act funds and moved to Acton Memorial Library in spring 2009. Posted May 31, 2012
Mobile version of the Minuteman Catalog! When users of smartphones and other mobile devices point their browser to http://library.minlib.net/ they will be redirected to the slimmed down mobile version of the Minuteman Catalog. To view the mobile interface on any PC or device, visit: http://m.library.minlib.net/The mobile interface:
Posted February 19, 2012
Join our E-Mail list The Acton Memorial Library is offering a new service which allows users to sign up for email notices of library news and both adult and children’s programs. To enroll, go to the library’s home page, click ‘Join Our Mailing List’ on the right of the screen, and follow the instructions. People may choose any or all of the three categories of Library News, Adult Programs, and Children’s Programs and whether to receive the notices in HTML or text format. Those who sign up may change their selections or remove their name from the email list at any time. Posted February 19, 2012
Overdrive eBooks now available for Kindle
Posted September 22, 2011
The Acton Memorial Library now offers patrons access to Consumer Reports Health.org, an online resource for information on healthy living. Produced by the non-profit Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, the online site offers health related news, information on health conditions and treatments (including alternative therapies), and ratings of health care products, prescription drugs, hospitals, and health insurance plans (including Medicare Advantage plans). The library also subscribes to the sister site, ConsumerReports.org, which reports on the quality and value of a broad range of consumer products, including appliances, automobiles and electronic equipment. Acton residents may log-in from home by visiting the library’s website at www.actonmemoriallibrary.org and clicking on “Databases.” Non-residents may use these and other subscription databases at the library. For more information call the Reference Desk at 978-929-6543. Posted July 29, 2011 New test prep service
Testing and Education Reference Center. Library and home access. Home access is limited to Acton residents.|
Posted July 7, 2011 Wii games
Posted May 17, 2011 New items listed monthly
New eBooks and eAudiobooks
Hoovers database now available
Posted February 7, 2011
Posted December 10, 2010 New print magazine subscriptions The Library has added several new print magazine subscriptions:
For a complete list of print magazine subscriptions, click HERE. Posted August 24, 2010
Posted September 9, 2010 Value Line Research Center online
The Library also subscribes to Morningstar Investment Research Center. For more information call the Reference Desk at 978-929-6543. Posted September 3, 2010 Library offers self check-out The Library is now offering self check-out at the circulation desk in the lobby. People must have their library card with them to use the self check-out station. Self check-out is fast and easy; the item barcode that must be scanned is on the front cover or just inside the cover of the item. In addition to checking materials out, users can renew items and pay fines. The only Memorial Library items that cannot be checked out at the self checkout station are Rock CDs and Rentals. Staff will be glad to help new users at the workstation, which is at the right end of the circulation desk. Posted May 8, 2010 Massachusetts Vital Records
Genealogists: Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910 with full images, is now available through the American Ancestors service. Please log-in from our Databases page on the menu at left, and while you're there, check out our other database offerings. (Access is limited to library computers). Posted May 5, 2010 Library adds Pawtucket Red Sox Pass
With the pass, admission is a flat fee of $18 for a group of up to 6 people in general admission seating, guaranteed on a first-come, first-serve basis, to the blue seats in the stadium bowl, the grass berm in left field, or the center field bleachers. The pass must be presented to the PawSox box office on the day/night of the game to receive the discount offer. The pass may be reserved online through the library’s website, www.actonmemoriallibrary.org, by clicking on Museum Passes, or by phoning or visiting the library. The pass can be picked up at the Circulation Desk after 11 a.m. the day prior to use. Weekend Passes may be picked up the Friday prior to use. You must have a valid library card with you to reserve or checkout a museum pass. If plans change and you need to cancel your reservation, you can do it online or by calling the library at 978-929-6655. The library has seventeen other passes provided by the Friends or other local organizations.
Full text of The Beacon (Aug. 2005 - present) is now available via the library's subscription to Newsbank. Acton residents, visit the Databases page, or log in HERE.
Language learning with Mango Basic
Morningstar Investment Center update
Monitor your electricity usage 
The library now has three Kill A Watt electricity usage monitors available for loan to Acton residents. The meters plug into a wall socket, and an appliance then plugs into the Kill A Watt. The device assesses how efficiently appliances work by displaying the power consumption by the kilowatt-hour. Users can also program in their local utility rate and the device will display projected costs by hour, day, week, month, or year. The Kill A Watt meters can be reserved by Acton residents, and can be checked out for one week. To reserve a Kill A Watt, click HERE to enter the Minuteman Catalog, and then click on the dark blue "Request" button. Please call the Reference Desk at 978-929-6655, option 3, for assistance or more information.
Search the Minuteman Catalog with Chinese scripts
Thanks to a generous grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Chinese speakers are now able to search the Minuteman Library Network catalog for Chinese language materials by inputting Chinese scripts. Search results also display in Chinese. Prior to the grant implementation, the 23,000 Chinese titles in the Minuteman Catalog could be found only with transliterated/ roman characters. All public computers at the Acton Memorial Library have been set up to allow Chinese input using the library’s standard keyboards. For an online demonstration, please click HERE.
NewspaperArchive available to home users
Through the support of the Acton Memorial Library Foundation, the library has added a collection of "Playaway" audiobooks to the circulating collection. Playaways are unabridged digital audiobooks that are preloaded in a player that is about the size of a deck of cards. They are highly portable for people who want to listen to a good book without the bulk of a disc player. The collection includes classics, mysteries, bestsellers and non-fiction. Playaways are shelved on the second floor of the library near the Books on CD and circulate for three weeks. More titles will be added to the collection in coming months. Borrowers will need to supply one AAA battery and headphones. These items can be purchased at the circulation desk for $1 each.
New museum pass
Consumer Reports available online to home users
The library now subscribes to the ConsumerReports.org website, with unlimited in-library and home access for Acton residents! ConsumerReports.org is the sister product of the Consumer Reports print magazine--both are published by the independent nonprofit Consumers Union, one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. ConsumerReports.org provides ratings and recommendations on cars, appliances, electronics, and thousands of other products under the categories of Home and Garden, Babies and Kids, Money, and Food. To log in, use the "Databases" link on the main menu to your left, or click HERE.
Morningstar Investment Research Center online 
Acton residents can now access comprehensive up-to-date financial information on stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds through Morningstar Investment Research Center. Included is financial data on 7,000+ stocks, 23,000+ mutual funds and 600+ exchange-traded funds. The service includes up-to-date and historical financial information, analysts reports, stock and fund recommendations, a stock and fund screening tool, a portfolio analysis tool, industry information, and various investor learning tools. New users can learn more about this very rich resource by logging in and clicking on the "Help and Education" tab. Log in HERE or on the library's Databases page.
Ratings of local service companies
Acton's early town records on the web!
Olschewski painting donated to library
Due date reminder notices delivered via e-mail Patrons with e-mail addresses in their user accounts automatically receive due date reminder notices by e-mail for items checked out on their accounts. This service was implemented after a survey revealed that 90% of the respondents wanted to receive such reminders. Anyone with an e-mail address in their account record automatically receives reminders 2 days before items are due. If you prefer that these reminders do NOT appear in your e-mail you can set up your mail program to filter out messages with the subject line “Library reminder.” Instructions for doing so in many popular mail programs are posted at: http://www.mln.lib.ma.us/catalog . Filtering out the subject "Library Reminder" will affect only due date reminders—you will continue to receive Hold Pickup Notices, Overdue Notices and Bills via e-mail. To add, delete, or change an e-mail address log into your account at https://library.minlib.net/patroninfo and select “Modify Personal Information”. The library has purchased a number of titles in the “Modern Scholar” and “Great Courses” audio series. Modern Scholar (from Recorded Books), and Great Courses (from the Teaching Company) are recorded college-level courses presented in lecture-style format by respected professors and scholars from around the country. The Modern Scholar titles each include fourteen lectures on seven audio CDs, complete in one package. The Great Courses range from 12 to 96 half hour lectures, often packaged in multiple parts. The courses include subjects from a range of disciplines, including science, literature, philosophy, religion, history, and art and music appreciation. For a list of the library's holdings, please click HERE. Going on vacation? Stop requests from being filled while you're away You now have the option of suspending or “freezing” holds for selected items you are waiting for. When you Freeze a hold, you continue to move up on the waiting list but your request will not be filled until you remove the Freeze. The option to Freeze Holds is useful if you are going on vacation and don't want requests filled while you are away, or if you are simply too busy to use all of the items you have requested right away. To Freeze holds: 1) Log in to “ My Account ” 2) Place a mark in the check box that appears in the right in the column headed "FREEZE" (this box only appears if your Hold is eligible to be suspended) 3) Click on UPDATE LIST. When you come back from vacation, reverse the process by unchecking the box in the FREEZE column and click UPDATE LIST. revised 06/2010 National business directory online Acton residents now have home access to the ReferenceUSA business database, a source of information on 14 million U.S. businesses. Searchers can find businesses by 28 different criteria, including number of employees, sales volume, type of business, geographic location, and names of key executives. Records for individual companies include a comprehensive business profile and links to business news articles, public filings, current stock quotes and company websites. The content of this database has expanded considerably since the library first subscribed several years ago. If you have used it in the past but not recently, now is the time to take another look, (which you can now do from the convenience of your home!). ReferenceUSA is just one of dozens of high quality subscription databases available free to Acton Memorial Library patrons. For the full list, visit the library's Databases page. The Acton Memorial Library now subscribes to American Ancestors, a collection of online databases from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The American Ancestors site includes access to hundreds of databases, including: Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910; The New England Historical and Genealogical Register , 1847-1999; The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in The Boston Pilot 1831-1920; The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633; Index to the Probate Records of Middlesex County, Massachusetts ; and Massachusetts Soldiers in the Colonial Wars. NewEnglandAncestors is only available to in-library users from library computers. The library also maintains a subscriptions to Ancestry Library Edition (in-library only). These are just a few of the dozens of high quality subscription databases available free to Acton Memorial Library patrons. For the full list, visit the library's Databases page. Thanks to everyone who participated in creating the Acton Memorial Library's Long Range Plan, which is available on the Board of Trustees page.
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The Acton Memorial Library now offers Acton residents free access to over 3 million songs, from 10,000 music labels from around the globe, through 
The library now subscribes to ChiltonLibrary, an online automobile repair resource.
Nook HD, Nook HD+, Nook Tablet and Nook Color can now use the OverDrive app to download library E-books and MP3 audiobooks wirelessly. No computer is necessary! For more information, visit our 
The Acton Memorial Library Foundation has purchased a Kobo Vox tablet, to add to the library's collection of E-book readers.
The Acton Memorial Library has launched a new Graphic Novel collection for adult readers. This new collection includes not only classic “comic strips”, but also longer-form illustrated books in which the story is carried largely through the sequential artwork. 
The Minuteman Library Network now offers a text messaging service to alert borrowers to when a hold becomes available, when borrowed items are about to become due, and when items are overdue. This is a voluntary service that supplements, but does not replace, other notification methods (email or phone calls). 
The Children's Department has a new collection of Nintendo Wii Games. For a list in PDF format, 
The Hoovers business database, with profiles of 65 million companies worldwide, is now available from all library computers and to home users who are Acton residents. Please log-in from our Databases page on the menu at left, and while you're there, check out our other database offerings.
The library's subscription to Morningstar Investment Research Center now includes access to PDFs of Morningstar's most popular investment newsletters. Included are Morningstar Mutual Funds, Morningstar Fund Investor, Morningstar Stock Investor, and Morningstar ETF Investor. Links to the current issues as well as an archive of back issues are provided. To access the newsletters, use your library card to log in to Morningstar from the library's 
The Minuteman Library Network 
The Library is pleased to announce that Acton residents now have remote access to Value Line Research Center, a premier investment research service that includes access to Value Line Investment Survey Standard Edition, Value Line Investment Survey Plus Edition, Value Line Investment Survey Small and Midcap Edition, Value Line Mutual Fund Survey, Value Line No-Load Fund Advisor, The Value Line Daily Options Survey, Value Line Special Situations Survey, Value Line Convertibles Survey, and Value Line Special Situations Service, as well as news alerts, daily updates, and stock and fund screening tools. Acton residents with valid library cards can log in by from the library's 
With the support of the 
The library's subscription to the Mango Languages language learning site now includes 36 all-new "Mango Basic" courses, in addition to the original thirteen "Mango Complete" courses. The basic courses are designed to teach polite conversation in a foreign language (including English) conveniently and easily. Use Mango Basic to quickly learn some basic words and phrases for your business trip or short overseas trip. There are 22 foreign courses (Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, German, Pashto, Urdu, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Irish, Italian, Greek, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Korean, Thai, Hindi, and Dari) and fourteen English courses (for speakers of Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Arabic, Korean, Greek and Vietnamese). Mango Languages is available to remote users who are Acton residents. Home users, please visit the 
The 
The library now subscribes to Boston Consumers' Checkbook, a website and print magazine published by the Center for the Study of Services, an independent nonprofit consumer research and information organization. Checkbook evaluates the quality and prices of service firms in the Boston area, such as auto repair shops, banks, dentists, electricians, emergency rooms, health clubs, insurance companies, physicians, plumbers, veterinarians, and many more. The print magazine is available in the Reference Room. The online subscription is available from library computers by visiting our 
“Not Afraid to Go: Acton’s Part in the Birth and Preservation of Our Nation” a new permanent exhibit at the Memorial Library, was dedicated on Patriots Day, April 19, 2008. The exhibit starts with the establishment of colonial militias and covers the Revolution, War of 1812, Baltimore Riot and Civil War. It includes sections on the Acton home front during the Civil War; the founding, flourishing and decline of the local Grand Army of the Republic post; and the gift of Memorial Library to the town in honor of the Civil War veterans and dead. The exhibit showcases numerous artifacts owned by the library and many replicas from the Acton Historical Society’s extensive collection. The exhibit was funded by a Community Preservation Act grant, the Friends of the Acton Libraries, the Acton Memorial Library Foundations Matching Donations Fund, the Acton Rotary Club, the Acton Lions Club and the library’s Lois Parker Fund. “Not Afraid to Go” is available for viewing during library hours, which are Monday through Thursday 9 to 9, Friday and Saturday 9 to 5, and Sunday 2 to 5.