Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Construction Update #4 - Interior Work Begins

Interior Renovations Begin!

While the exterior work continues, the big change this week at the library is the start of our planned interior improvements. During the next couple weeks you'll notice additional noise as the crew reconfigures shelving and shifts material around the building. Our priority is to provide uninterrupted service during this time of transition, so the library will remain fully open.
 
Here's a summary of what you'll notice this week:
 
1. All public computers will be moved into the hall leading toward the business center, taking the place of our audio book collection. Audio books have been relocated to the START of the non-fiction section. The audio books will remain here going forward. We will also receive an additional 4 computers to reduce the time you wait for a terminal during peak hours for a total of 21 in the branch.
 
Workers assembling the new computer desks

2. The reference collection and paperbacks in rotating racks that currently occupy a large area in the large reading room will be moved to upright shelving alongside the fiction. You'll notice that the shelving in the hall was removed; this will be repurposed in the reading room to hold the paperbacks and reference collection. The existing fiction shelving will also be shortened to create additional floor space. With the rotating paperback racks and short reference shelves removed, this will create better flow in the room. The low shelves in the foreground and the spinning wood racks on the right of the below picture will be removed.
 
Constructing shelves for reference and paperbacks

3. Our large collection of movies and television series will be moved to the reading room. Every DVD will now be placed on a shelf which will make locating exactly what you're looking for that much easier. The current location of our DVD collection, in front of the large picture window, will become a sitting area to browse our print magazine collection.
 
DVDs and magazines will swap locations

4. The Children's Room now contains a temporary wall to shield patrons from the work going on to connect the new children's addition and the existing building. So, this room is a little tight for the time being, but be assured it will be much larger once the construction is complete!
 
Temporary wall in Children's Room

5. The community room storage addition has been roofed, and you can get a sneak peak of the interior below. The community room itself is packed with materials, including the new chairs which will accompany the new computer lab.
 
New chairs and construction equipment

Inside the new storage area! Still being completed.

 
Check back soon for additional updates! We're very excited!
 
 
 


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Construction Update #3

Work is progressing nicely on our north community room addition.
6 November 2014
 
Laying brick on 5 November
 
Completed interior wall along ramp
 
The scaffolding is jacked high today!

Laying brick on 5 November
 


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Construction Update #2



29 October 2014
The work continues after yesterday's rain.   

Foundation Built


Foundation Sealed
Floor Filled and Foundation Buried


Children's Room addition facing Perry Rd.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Pardon Our Mess...

Fall is Construction Season
October 20 Update

If you've been to the library in the past few days you know that the construction has begun for our two new building additions, both made possible by Dr. & Mrs. Claffey! One addition will expand Community Room, the other will create new space for our lively Children's Room. The business blog will document the changes and post photos as the construction progresses. This expansion project is going to greatly benefit the library and our community. During this period, which will continue into January, the circle drive on the West side of the building won't be accessible, but the large lot in the back won't be affected.

In addition to the building expansion, the interior of McFarlen Library will also be transformed in the coming months. Our teens will gain a dedicated room and existing library space will be organized to maximize existing square footage. Look for these changes to begin sometime in November. 

20 October 2014 - Preparing for the foundation, Community Room expansion

20 October, view of the Community Room exterior wall
Outlining the Children's Room addition, facing Perry Rd.
Another view of the Children's Room extension

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Fall Event Schedule Announced

Show Your Library Card and Save!
Our September promotion and other Fall events


September is National Library Sign-Up month and this year we have partnered with local businesses to offer our card holders a chance to save money by simply showing your GDL library card. That's right, show you card and save money at local businesses such as Great Harvest Bread Company, The Laundry in Fenton, plus the Flint Institute of Arts and many more!  

You can't beat saving 10% when dining out!  
Look for information at GDL branches and our homepage coming soon!

In addition to this exciting promotion, we have been working on our Fall program schedule and below are is list of programs at the Grand Blanc branch scheduled through the Business Center. As always, check our event calendar for the complete list. 

All events below are held in the McFarlen Library Community Room
515 Perry Road, Grand Blanc 


Genesee County Bar Association, Attorney Alex Nasser
Wills / Trusts / Estate Planning Seminar, Wednesday, September 10
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM


Morningstar Investment Research Center (both events at 6:00 PM)
Financing a College Education Seminar, Thursday, September 25
End-of-Year Portfolio Check-Up, Thursday, December 11


FranNet, Franchise Information, co-sponsored with Vet Biz Central
Franchise Informational Seminar, no obligation
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, hosted by Linda Belford


Greenpath Debt Solutions 
 (all events at 6:00 PM)

Be Credit Wise, Wednesday September 24
What is credit, how does it work? Plus establishing and re-establishing good credit. 

Understanding Your Credit Report, Wednesday, October 1 
What does my credit report mean, how do I access it for free? Plus, how to understand your credit score and its impact on your financial health. 

Money Management Through a Job Transition, Wednesday, October 8
Take control of your finances during a career change, layoff, or period of reduced income. 


SCORE Business Counseling returns to the Business Center this fall starting on Tuesday, September 9th, and the second tuesday of each month following. To secure an appointment with our business mentor, please contact the business librarian directly at 810-694-5310. You must have an appointment at least 24 hours in advance.

Friday, May 30, 2014

June Events @ GDL Grand Blanc!

 SCORE, SBDC, Morningstar, 
and Franchise Network

Summer is finally here and GDL has several programs scheduled for June you won't want to miss. All programs are taking place at the Grand Blanc-McFarlen Branch, 515 Perry Road, unless otherwise noted.


SCORE Business Counseling
Tuesday, June 10
1-on-1 meeting  available at 6:00 PM
FREE

GDL offers SCORE business counseling on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 4PM to 7PM. Three 1-on-1 sessions are available, and as of the May 30th, only the 6 PM time is available. Please call 810-694-5190 or email the business librarian at twinn@thegdl.org to make an appointment.


Morningstar Investment Research Center Seminar:
Dividend Investing
Thursday, June 19, 6:00 PM
FREE

Learn from the experts! Morningstar has long been a trusted source of unbiased investment information this free seminar will focus on dividend investing and is hosted by Josh Peters, editor of DividendInvestor, one of four newsletters included in the library's Morningstar subscription. Click HERE to make a reservation.  


Small Business Development Center Seminar:
How To Write A Business Plan
Wednesday, June 11, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Kettering University
FREE

Join the I-69 Corridor Region for this free seminar to kick-start your business plan. Attendees should have previously taken SBDC's "How to Start a Business" class. Registration is required, click HERE for more information or make a reservation. NOTE: This event is held at Kettering University. 


FRANNET Franchising Seminar
Thursday, June 26, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
FREE

Join Franchise Placement Specialist Linda Belford as she explains the processing of franchising and the options available to the prospective owner. No specific franchise will be promoted, and there is no obligation in attending the meeting. Linda does not work for any specific franchise so her goal is to find the best possible fit for you. 

For more information on any of these events please contact the business librarian at 810-694-5190.



Monday, April 28, 2014

Stock & Fund Analysis @ GDL

Get Expert Advice Before You Invest
Your Library Card Is More Valuable Than Ever

When you think "library card" it's natural for our minds to jump to printed books. While this remains accurate, it's only a fraction of what Genesee District Library makes available to you at no charge. Thousands of e-books are downloaded every month to kindles and tablets of all kinds, and our new magazine service, Zinio, offers you over 100 magazine subscriptions for download to your PC/Mac or tablet. 

Further down the list of what you might expect your library to provide is investment information. More often than not, when people stop by the business center and see the collection of over 3,500 books, they are most surprised by the extensive selection of investment titles. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and investment strategies for the novice or expert are all covered and readily available.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Personal Investing @ GDL

April is Financial Literacy Month
Personal Investing @ Genesee District Library


Genesee District Library is committed to increasing the financial literacy of Genesee County residents and preparing them (you!) to make informed decisions concerning money. 
In this first of several posts, we'll explore some introductory resources for the beginning investor. Not sure where to start? Let us help! Click below to read full post.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Upcoming Genealogy Workshops

Genealogy 101 Workshops
Wednesday, March 12: 6:00 PM
Saturday, April 12, 12 Noon 

Grand Blanc McFarlen Library

For the spring 2014 term, Genesee District Library is offering two identical seminars introducing genealogy research to those looking to learn more about their family tree. These seminars are intended for the novice researcher, and will introduce available online and print resources and best techniques for searching. Not sure where to start? This workshop is for you!

Because this is a workshop, attendees will be encouraged to put the information to work and investigate their lineage at one of 10 laptops that will be available during the seminar. Prefer to use a laptop from home? Bring it along and connect to the library's wireless internet to join in. 

Discover the hobby so many others enjoy and make a reservation on GDL's March or April calendar of events. Events, held in our Grand Blanc branch, will last about 1 hour and each attendee will receive a printed list of resources covered during the session.


Saturday, January 4, 2014

New Year, New Business Resources!

2014 Brings Additional Resources for Our Patrons

Last year was a great year for Genesee District Library and the Business Center. Our electronic books and music service through Overdrive continues to grow in popularity and many more are discovering this new service each month. If you received a tablet or e-reader over the holidays, check out GDL's Digital Branch to search our e-book collection and download your next great read. It's available 24/7 using your library bar code and PIN. The Business Center became a certified Business Resource Center through the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) through Kettering University, and we have continued to partner with local organizations to provide free business counseling to local entrepreneurs.

This year looks to be even better, as GDL has several exciting new resources coming available for the business owner / entrepreneur and investor, in addition to free online access to your favorite magazine. 


First, for business owners and entrepreneurs completing their business plan, we will being offering access to two Mergent resources: Key Business Ratios and First Research. Key Business Ratios (KBR) was purchased to facilitate more accurate price and cost estimating and provide industry benchmarks. Estimating costs and determining a sensible pricing structure is essential to any well-written business plan and this database will aid in this process.  



First Research, also beneficial to the aspiring business owner, provides market-specific information for more than 900 industries. Currently having access to industry trends for large sectors through Mergent Archives, First Research will help business patrons hone their research by individual industry, in addition to Census information which is currently available.These Mergent products should be available starting mid-January; links to each will be available via the Business Center Resources page.


Second, and for the investor, GDL has added the Newsletter module to our Morningstar Investment Research Center database. The Business Center does stock several investment newsletters in print, but these newsletters from Morningstar are especially valuable for the investor, as they give access to analysis from one of the most trusted, unbiased sources, Morningstar, written by the experts in the field, CFPs and CFAs. 

Sample first page of DividendInvestor Newsletter

 There are 4 newsletters, one each for Funds, Stocks, Dividends, and ETFs. And we're not talking a couple pages, no, each newsletter published monthly is 15+ pages of analysis, and is yours to download and keep. In addition to ValueLine, and the information you're already using from Morningstar, you're in a terrific position to make wise financial decisions, or make time with your investment professional all the more efficient. Access to each newsletter, available via the Personal Finance Resources page, should begin February 1. 


Last, as mentioned at the start, GDL also now provides access to your favorite magazines electronically and at no cost to you. Beginning with the last couple of  issues, begin reading your favorite magazine through the Zinio link from our homepage. Login with your library bar code to gain free access, then create a Zinio account to begin. Download and read any of the 60+ magazines at your convenience and with no check out dates. You download and keep any magazine(s) you choose. No limit. This service is available now, so check it out.

For more information stop by the Business Center at the Grand Blanc branch and speak with Trevor, the Business Librarian, or for help with Zinio see any GDL staff member at your local branch.

Happy New Year!