Services

Adult Classes

Computer & Internet Tutorials
Are you a novice at using personal computers? Do you need to brush up on your e-mail, Internet, or Microsoft Word skills? The main library’s Reference Department offers 1-hour, one-on-one basic computer instruction from 6 to 7 PM every Tuesday evening. To reserve a space, please sign up at the Reference Desk or call us at 978-921-6062.

Resume & Online Job Application Help
Our 1-hour, one-on-one resume & online job application help is temporarily cancelled. Please contact the North Shore Career Center at 978-825-7200 for assistance with your resume and job searching needs.

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Adult Programs

Book Discussion Groups
We offer three separate book discussion groups each month. New members are always welcome. Come once or as many times as you wish.

  • Main Library – Daytime: held on the 1st Thursday of the month from 1 – 2:30 PM
    September 2: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
    October 7: The Terrorist by John Updike
  • Main Library – Evening: held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7:30 – 9 PM
    September 21: The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth
    October 19: The Last Empress by Hannah Pakula
  • Farms Branch: held on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 7 – 8:30 PM
    September 16: Zeitoun by David Eggers
    October 21: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Monday Mornings
“Monday Mornings” is a lecture series for adults that runs semi-monthly from September through May at the Beverly Public Library. Coffee is served at 9 AM, and the program begins at 9:30 AM. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please call Robin at 978-921-6062, or email flynn@noblenet.org.

Upcoming “Monday Mornings” programs:

September 13
“Picnic on the Common”
(**Register by Friday, September 3 @ 978-921-6062**)

September 27
“The Golden Age of Radio” with Tom Martin

October 4
“Let’s Shed Some Light on the Subject: What is Light?”
with Bill Poole

October 18
“The Gulf of Mexico and Beyond: The Legacy of the BP Oil Spill”
with Deborah Cramer (Author of Smithsonian Oceans: Our Water, Our World)

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Computer Use

The Beverly Public Library provides public access to the Internet as part of the Library’s information services. Computer sessions are offered in 15, 30, and 60 minutes increments, depending on the station and there is a time limit of 3 hours per day. The 60-minute stations are for word processing only and have no Internet access. The library also provides wireless Internet access.
By using any Internet computer in the Beverly Public Library, you agree to abide by the rules established in our Internet Use Policy and may lose your Internet privileges if you do not follow these rules.
Black and white printing is available for .15¢ per page.

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Downloadable Audiobooks – Two Ways to Listen

We have a collection of over 1,500 titles in our NetLibrary audiobooks collection including book club favorites, and award-winning authors for adults, teens, and children. Titles are always available and you never have to wait for a hold. These audiobooks can be loaded onto any portable device supporting Windows Media Player (WMP) version 11 and above. They may also be transferred to a wide range of portable devices, including portable music players, portable media centers, Pocket PCs, and even select smartphone devices. Sorry, iPods are not compatible with this service.
To use this collection, first, create a free NetLibrary account, then browse the collection. For more information on the NetLibrary collection and how to download a title, click here.

And now we are offering audiobooks from OverDrive. OverDrive offers a few different kinds of audiobooks. Some are always available and others can only be checked out to one person at a time so you will need to place a hold on it. You can listen to the books on your PC or transfer them to an MP3 player. Some titles can also be burned to a CD and most can be played on an iPod. To use the collection, first, download the Overdrive Media Console version 3.2 and then browse the collection. If you need assistance, please refer to the help guide or contact the library.
If you do not have a computer, you can still download OverDrive audiobooks. Just bring your MP3 player or iPod to the new download station at the Main Library, select the title(s) you want and start downloading.

Please note: There is a limit as to how many e-audiobooks you can download during a given time period (4 at any given time) and they cannot be returned early. If you haven’t used this service before, we recommend starting by downloading just one title. That way if you run into any trouble, you can contact us for help and will still have downloads available to you. Otherwise you will have to wait until the lending period is over (7-21 days) before you can try again.
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E-books

All NOBLE library members may access our new ebook collection. All of the ebooks in this growing collection are in the EPUB format with digital rights management (DRM). This is a newer open standard, and is supported by many devices including the Sony Readers and Nooks, but not the Kindle. Other devices, such as smartphones, should be supported soon; please check the OverDrive list of compatible devices for further updates.

Unlike eaudiobooks which you download to the OverDrive Media Console, ebooks can be downloaded to Adobe Digital Editions, (free download available from Adobe) which will unlock and manage the file and honor the loan period. (Note to Sony eReader users: Your eReader does not require Adobe Digital Editions though you can use it if you like. Please see instructions below.)  eBooks have the same loan periods and same limits as audiobooks. You can have up to four items checked out at the same time: 4 e-books OR 4 audiobooks OR any combination of the two formats totaling 4. Unlike eaudiobooks, ebooks can be returned early. You will find this option in Adobe Digital Editions. Once you have returned a title, you no longer have right to it and should also remove any copies they transferred to ebook readers.

Classics and public domain titles are not included at this time as these books are often readily available at no cost in a variety of formats (including EPUB and Kindle) on sites like Manybooks.net and Google Books.
To download public domain titles with Adobe Digital Editions:

  • Go to a site with free e-books and download the EPUB file. The best place to save the file is to My Document/My Digital Editions, which is where all the other Digital Editions titles are kept.
  • Once the file has been saved, you need to add your new title to your Adobe Digital Editions collection. There are at least two ways to do this — which is easier is a matter of personal preference.
    1. Method 1:
      Open the My Digital Editions folder and Adobe Digital Editions software, and drag and drop the new file into your Digital Editions bookshelf.
    2. Method 2:
      Open the Adobe Digital Editions software, open the My Library dropdown, and choose Add Item to Library. Browse to the My Documents/My Digital Editions folder and select the file to import it.

To download public domain titles with Sony’s Reader Library:

  • Go to a site with free e-books and download the EPUB file. The best place to save the file is to My Documents/My Books which is where all the other eReader titles are kept.
  • Once the file has been saved, you need to add your new title to your Reader Library. There are at least two ways to do this — which is easier is a matter of personal preference.
    1. Method 1:
      Open the My Books folder and Reader Library software, and drag and drop the new file into your Library. The file must be dropped onto the word “Library” in the top, left-hand column of the Reader Library screen.
    2. Method 2:
      Open the Reader Library software, open the File dropdown, and choose Import Files. Browse to the My Documents/My Library folder and select the file to import it.

If you have concerns or questions about ebooks and privacy, you may be interested in the
E-Book Buyer’s Guide to Privacy.

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Home Delivery

The Beverly Public Library provides a delivery service to people that are homebound. Patrons can ask for specific books and materials or a librarian can make a selection based on the patron’s preferences. For more information, call Linda Caravaggio at 978-921-6062.

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Interlibrary Loan

If you search our online catalog for an item and do not find it, you may be searching for an item that is not available in the NOBLE network. Please contact our Reference Department to make your request and we will attempt to locate that item at another library and have it sent to the Beverly Library. You may also try searching the Virtual Catalog on your own. The Virtual Catalog simultaneously searches the catalogs of over 300 Massachusetts libraries and you can place a request for any item with a valid Massachusetts library card.
If an item cannot be found in NOBLE or in the Virtual Catalog, library staff can continue to search for it at a minimum cost of $2.50.

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Library Cards

To borrow library materials, you must register for a library card or present a library card from the public library in the community where you reside. Patrons who have used a card already in another public library which is a member of the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) are already registered. To obtain a library card you must present identification showing your name and current address. Parents or guardians may show their I.D. when registering children. There is no minimum age limit and no requirement that children can read or write their name. Patrons who have come to the library without their card may borrow material by showing identification with their name and address. This does not apply to the Bookmobile where patrons MUST present their library card.
Your card may be used at other public libraries in Massachusetts and at some academic libraries. The Beverly Public Library honors library cards from other Massachusetts libraries.
Please view our Circulation Policy if you have further questions.

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Local History & Genealogy Collection

The Beverly Room holds our local history, genealogy and rare books collection. These books must be used in the library, but can be photocopied. You may also be interested in:

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Meeting Rooms

Permission to use the meeting rooms at the Beverly Public Library will be granted to groups fulfilling the requirements listed in the meeting rooms policies and procedures. Permission to use the rooms will be denied to any group or individual for any meeting whose purpose is illegal or potentially hazardous; whose conduct would interfere with the proper functioning of the library; or whose satisfactory adult sponsorship is not provided. Meeting rooms are not available for meetings for which the underlying purpose is to further a commercial interest.
To request a room, please call 978-921-6062 for the Main Library, 978-921-6066 for the Farms Branch, or fill out our online request form.

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Museum Passes

Both The Beverly Public Library and the Farms Branch provide free and/or reduced rate passes to several Boston and North Shore museums thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Library. The library and community cooperate to make the museum pass program work. Very occasionally, a problem arises in the administration of the program. The Beverly Public Library is unable to compensate patrons for any inconvenience or expense resulting from problems such as scheduling conflicts, the late return of passes, or changes in museum hours and information. The library advises patrons to verify museum hours before making plans, and asks patrons to notify the library of any changes.

Reservations
The library accepts reservations for museum passes with the following restrictions:

  • You must be at least 16 and have a library card to be able to reserve a pass.
  • If you owe $30.00 or more, you will not be able to reserve a pass.
  • You can reserve 8 passes per month, but will be restricted to 2 passes during school vacation periods.
  • If you have made a reservation and do not cancel or pick up the passes, you will be blocked from reserving passes until 60 days have passed.
  • Passes can be reserved 90 days in advance and we suggest that you reserve a pass one month in advance.

To make a reservation call the main library at 978-921-6062, the Farms branch at 978-921-6066, or reserve online (see below).

Making an Online Reservation
Search for availability by museum (includes links to museum web sites)
Search for availability by date
View/cancel your reservations
Please note: Museum passes must be picked up at the library. Your printed reservation confirmation is not valid for museum admission. Make sure to note whether your pass will be available at the main library or the Farms branch.

Picking Up a Pass
Passes may be available for pickup prior to the day of use. Please see “Pass Details” which is found under the question mark symbol you will see when registering for a pass.

Returning a Pass
Because passes may have been reserved for several days in succession, it is important that they be returned promptly. Unless a pass is a coupon (disposable), it is due back by on the same day. The charge for overdue passes is a $5.00 per day.

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New Books & Movies

NEW Fiction
NEW Nonfiction
NEW Feature Films on DVD

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NextReads

Do you like to read biographies, history, science, travel adventures, mysteries, fantasy, romance? Whatever your interests, check out our new e-mail newsletter service, NextReads, which will send great book suggestions by email. Each newsletter includes new books that may be of interest and some older ones that you may have missed, with links to the library catalog so you can see what’s available and place requests for books you want to read. There are over twenty lists for readers of all ages, and you can preview them all online before subscribing.

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Study Rooms

The Main Library has two study rooms on the second floor.

  • There is a limit of one person (aged 18 or older) per room.
  • Rooms cannot be reserved ahead of time.
  • No food is allowed in the rooms.
  • Rooms left unoccupied for more than 30 minutes may be considered available. Any items left in a study room will be brought to the Lost & Found Area at the Main Circulation Desk.

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Wireless Access

Wireless internet service is available at the Beverly Public Library. Patrons with wireless-enabled devices can connect to the internet for as long as they like, without waiting for a free PC.
To use this service, patrons need a wireless device that is compatible with the IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g (collectively known as “Wi-Fi”) standards. Such devices include most modern notebook PCs and Macs, many PDAs, and some cell phones. The library does not loan wireless hardware.
Patrons who use the library’s wireless network must abide by the Library’s Acceptable Use Policy as well as all rules in the Internet Use Policy that do not pertain to time limits.
Patrons are responsible for knowing how to configure their own wireless devices. However, the following guidelines may help:

  • Before changing any settings, first check to see if your device connects automatically. If you do make any changes, write down your original settings so you can revert to them later if you need to.
  • Use the software that came with your device to set or verify that the Service Set Identifier (SSID) is PUBLIB, that the Wireless Mode (also known as Network Mode or Connection Method) is set to Infrastructure or Access Point, not adhoc, and that the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is disabled.
  • The device must be set to “use DHCP” and/or “obtain an IP address automatically.”
  • If you use Windows 2000 or XP and have multiple adapters, you may need to disable the one(s) you are not using. Windows devices in general may have to be rebooted.
  • If your device is a Mac, make sure you have selected the correct “location”.

The library staff cannot help configure your device, nor can the library be held responsible for any changes you make to your device.

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