Central Arkansas Library System and Laman Library System (Sherwood, Gateway: movies, school)

[PurpleLove08]

I have a library card with Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) and the Laman Library system.
Currently I have a little over 20 library books out......let's just say I love to read and love the library.

For those of you who live in Pulaski County, do you have a library card with CALS and/or Laman?

Which one do you like more and why?

I've been going to the Sherwood branch of the CALS system for about 11 years or so. I love the library downtown and try to go there a lot too. I love all the magazines they have and just the general feel of the library. I could spend hours in there and never be bored.

[jenni-b]

I have a CALS card, and had a Gateway card even when I lived out of the county. My kid has one too, has had since he could read. It was especially convenient when he went to Dunbar and was hanging out at the Williams library every day after school.

The downtown location is my favorite too.

Laman is NLR, right? The one on Pershing was the li-berry I went to as a kid, when we lived in Rose City.

[Sneezyone]

My kids and I use the Main library about every 10 days or so. We usually get 10-15 books at a time plus a few movies. My 4yo and I have cards. Dh and the little man do not. My favorite part is being able to select books online from any library and pick them up at a single library location. This is a fabulous feature for my small and impatient library patrons! I don't have a card wiith Laman. The main library is just more convenient in terms of location.

[PurpleLove08]

Originally Posted by Sneezyone

My kids and I use the Main library about every 10 days or so. We usually get 10-15 books at a time plus a few movies. My 4yo and I have cards. Dh and the little man do not. My favorite part is being able to select books online from any library and pick them up at a single library location. This is a fabulous feature for my small and impatient library patrons! I don't have a card wiith Laman. The main library is just more convenient in terms of location.

I agree. I tend to use the CALS card a lot more. They also have more books to choose from.
You can tell there is a huge difference between the systems by visiting their respective websites.

http://www.cals.lib.ar.us vs http://www.laman.net

With CALS, I've had 10 requests for books at a time at one point. That might be the case right now....
With Laman, they put a limit on how many books you can put on hold.
I hate how they use little receipts for checking out books. A waste of paper IMO.

I think with time Laman will improve but they just have to solicit input from their patrons and take a few pointers from CALS.

[Sneezyone]

I also like that they send email reminders when items near their due date. The DVDs we check out are always due back before everything else!

[PurpleLove08]

Originally Posted by Sneezyone

I also like that they send email reminders when items near their due date. The DVDs we check out are always due back before everything else!

Yeah, I like that they've been sending them out.
It would be nice that after x amount of time they would extend the due date for the DVDs, kind of how they do the books. When a book first comes out you have two weeks and once its no longer "new" you get around four weeks with it.

[jenni-b]

My favorite part is being able to select books online from any library and pick them up at a single library location.

I did that the other day for the first time. Do they notify you when the books are in?

[PurpleLove08]

Originally Posted by jenni-b

I did that the other day for the first time. Do they notify you when the books are in?

Yep, if you choose to be notified by email, mail or telephone. For me email is easier.

[jenni-b]

I guess I need to check my account!

[Sneezyone]

It usually takes 2-3 business days, especially if it's a big haul but I usually go online and make our selections 2-3 days before we'll run out of new so it still works fine. They hold the books for 7 days, I think.