OKALOOSA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY COOPERATIVE STAFF PAGE
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Crestview
Director: Jean McCarthy
Cataloger: Sandy Nearbin
Youth Services: Heather Nitzel
Destin
Director: Wen Livingston
Cataloger: Sandee Kelly
Youth Services: Sadie Lea
Fort Walton Beach
Director: Kimberly Ball
Cataloger: Lauren Link
Youth Services: Meghan Duffey
Mary Esther
Director: Sheila Ortyl
Cataloger: Lillie Ealum
Youth Services: Jessica Cheek
Niceville
Director: Sheila Bishop
Cataloger: TBD
Youth Services: Karen Houston
Valparaiso
Director: Hope Willis
Cataloger: Linda Conyers
Youth Services: Erin Bolin
Stuff You Can Borrow
These items are available for checkout at the OCPLC office. You are responsible to arrange pick up and return of the items. You must make sure the items are clean and in good condition when you return them.
Reserve by email or call the Cooperative office 850-609-5101
STEM Stuff
- Ozobots
- Littlebits
- Squishy Dough
- Pancake Bot - download free software - use your own laptop or borrow ours. Library must supply the ingrediants they want to use. Must be picked up and reurned to the OCPLC office (no courier). website
- Paper Circuits - kit contains copperfoil tape, LED lights, some batteries and project ideas
- Turing Tumble - learn more at the website
Maker Magic
- Button maker (two sizes 1.25" and 2.25") learn more at the website. The Library must purchase the supplies they need.
- Sillhouette cutter (free software - use your own laptop or borrow ours). Library must supply the materials they want to use. Must be picked up and reurned to the OCPLC office (no courier). website
- Photo backdrop green screen and gray cloth backdrop that hang from a telescoping stand
Event Support
- Parachute game (think storytime) with activities book
- Gameshow software
- Breakout EDU we do not have a subscription to the online activities, but you can dreate your own games. Sample games (from previous library events) are included.
- Green screen and gray backdrops with adjustable stand
- Yard signs, teardrop banner, tables, table covers
Cardboard cutouts
- Harry Potter
- Star Wars (Yoda)
- Shark
- Charlie Brown Pumpkin
- Surf board
- Pirate ship
- Horse rider
- Brown Bear
- Elsa
- Super Hero
More to Come...
We are working on cooperative-wide policies and procedures for handling book challenges.
They will be posted here. Until then ask your library director for guidance.
Florida Library Association FLA - Statement of Freedom to Read
Who-knew-Wednesday is a weekly email to all OCPLC library staff (on Vicky's email list). Vicky will share tips, tricks and morsels of wisdom.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND RESOURCES
Talking Books - Elder Affairs - Florida Shines
- A person doesn’t have to be legally blind to benefit from Florida’s Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) services.
- All services are free.
- BTBL has books for all ages and genres plus newspapers, magazines and musical scores.
- Materials are available in Braille and recorded formats, in English and many other languages;
- BTBL website -- anyone talks to library customers, and definitely anyone working a reference desk, should know about the site as an important resource.
- If you are a degreed librarian, you can sign as the certifying authority on someone’s application for free library service.
- If there’s not a degreed librarian in your building, we have several in the Cooperative.
Department of Elder Affairs 800-96-ELDER -or- 800-963-5337
The goal of Elder Affairs is to keep people living independently as long as possible by providing the assistance they need to do it.
Delivering that assistance takes MANY forms. So many forms that it takes a 120-page booklet to explain all the possibilities.
The online resource directory breaks it out by topic and is my recommended way to navigate. An excellent link to share.
Some services address critical needs.
- food or meals
- rent or affordable housing
- transportation
- legal aid
- nutrition and wellness
- emergency energy assistance
- legal guardians
- transportation
FloridaShines.org is Florida’s Student Hub of Innovative Educational Services with free online tools and resources to help students and adult learners succeed in school, earn a college degree, and embark on a rewarding career.
Research and compare all public colleges and universities in Florida, search for courses, check your progress to graduation, and so much more.
Day Program - available for unaccompanied men and women three times a week on Tuesday and Thursday from 10AM–4PM and Saturday from 12PM–4PM. Hot meals, showers, hygiene items, phone and battery charging stations, free Wi-Fi, and a laundry facility are provided.
Cold Night Shelter - When temperatures drop below 40 degrees, One Hopeful Place opens a special area for unaccompanied men and women from 4PM–9AM. We provide hot meals and showers. The staff refers participants to appropriate services for their individual needs.
Health Screening - A basin health screening is available for One Hopeful Place participants.
Transportation - For individuals needing transportation for Doctor appointments or urgent-care visits to medical facilities.
Car Park - Is available for individuals who live in their vehicles and need a safe place to park overnight.
Send us your library Success stories:
- the time you helped someone apply for a job: now they are working
- the time someone learned to use an eBook and now they can get new reading materials 24/7
- the time someone asked for help and the library connected them with the tools they needed to succeed