Unlock More Free E-Books with OverDrive Advantage

Did you know that, if you're a Watertown patron, you have access to extra e-books and e-audiobooks?

You may already know about our OverDrive service, through which you can download e-books and e-audiobooks directly to your devices for free. Tons of different items are available to everyone with a Minuteman library card through our Digital Media Catalog. And while our physical library closes each night, our digital media is always available to you, 24 hours a day.

OverDrive Advantage makes this service even better. Just like our regular books, when an OverDrive item is checked out to another patron, it is not available to anyone else until it is returned. Through OverDrive Advantage, the Watertown Free Public Library purchases additional copies of super popular items that are only available to Watertown patrons.

How do you access these special, Watertown-only items? Sign in with your library card! When you open our Digital Media Catalog, click the "Sign In" link at the top right of the page. Enter your library card number and PIN. The catalog will automatically know from your card number that you are a Watertown patron, and will make additional titles available to you!

Once you're logged in as a Watertown patron, you'll see that some titles have a special icon indicating that extra copies are now available to you because of OverDrive Advantage!

These titles will work just like all the other e-books and e-audiobooks in our collection. You just get more available!

And remember, if you ever have any questions about using OverDrive or any of our other digital products, don't hesitate to ask us! You can call or stop in anytime, you can book an appointment for more in-depth help, or you can find more information on our website.

Happy e-reading!

What is HATCH?

Here at the Watertown Free Public Library, we've got big news! We are very close to opening HATCH,  Watertown's very first Makerspace! It'll be a space in the Arsenal Project (formerly the Arsenal Mall) where residents of Watertown can utilize all sorts of free tools for countless creative endeavors, including 3D printing, electronics, and art.

But what, you ask, does this mean for children?

Introducing HATCH: CR Edition (short for Children's Room Edition)!  On a couple of Thursday afternoons this month, we'll provide a space for kids to explore a variety of tools and materials in an independent manner. This program will remind many of you of our Science Is Everywhere program, and it's definitely helping kids develop their STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and math). The big difference is that each project will be much more self-guided, and kids will decide for themselves how they'd like to utilize the materials we provide.

This month's HATCH: CR Edition programs will be for children in grades 2-5, and you won't need to register.  Join us on:

• Thursday, September 4 from 3:00-5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 18 from 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Want to find out more about HATCH in general, and the awesome makerspace we're creating at the Arsenal Project? Stop in and ask or check out our website to learn about what tools will be available, as well as opportunities to teach or volunteer!

We hope to see you tomorrow and on September 18!