Tag Archives: educators

WoW: Borders crossing Educational Borders

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NOTE:  Educator Appreciation Week

Twice a year, teaching and retired educators and instructors will get 30% off including everything (even the Seattle’s Best Coffee!) for professional OR personal use.

    9/29/2009 thru 10/7/2009 – Tell a teacher and make a difference in their classroom!  During this time, 10/10 at 6pm at Borders locations will be a Where the Wild Things Are rumpus!  Come for activities, crafts, and other giveaways, this Friday!

Website of the Week (WoW): BORDERS Teaching Zone

Quick Bit: I was very impressed with Borders Book Store’s thoughtful, one stop shop for back to school teachers (preschool through high school, librarians, and homeschool educators.) Check out their list of why to join
with information about fundraising for your school, getting required reading lists out there, to events your students can enjoy throughout the year.

They also offer different media teaching resources online with suggested books, online videos from other educators. I’ll do a longer post high lighting other awesome offers from Borders online…I really wanted to spread the word on opportunities that educators may not have known about. Please let your child’s teacher know about this incredible savings opportunity.

$$$-Saver(s):

  • 25% off Classroom Discount Card – save 25% off list prices of books and CDs, 10% off
    DVDs, sign up, in-store with proof of teacher card, not just once but EVERY purchase!
  • Educator Appreciation Week
    – twice a year, teaching and retired educators and instructors will get 30% off including everything (even the Seattle’s Best Coffee!) for professional OR personal use.
  • FREE E-cards
    – send one to a fellow co-worker or a teacher that’s made a difference in your life! Parents, sit down with your children and send one to your child’s teacher…start the school year off right! No gift could be more meaningful or encouraging!
  • 20% off Toy Coupon
    – look at age appropriate gift and classroom toys, use their coupon!
  • Used Textbooks
    – search through Borders Used Books catalog to save up to 90%!

Time-Saver(s):

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Borders-Teaching-Zone/119980846515

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bordersmedia

E-mail Group: Signup now to receive awesome email alerts!

It’s in a book, just take a look…

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Remember the days of Reading Rainbow?

It’s a book, just take a look…

For a while I was going crazy at Half-Priced Books:

  • Joining their mailing list, getting e-mails for printable coupons
  • Using their FREE in-store calendar with monthly coupons (25% off entire purchase…)
  • Becoming their friend on Facebook

…but with the recession (and a general desire to save some of my hard-earned money…) I decided to go back to the library. (Not a novel concept, one reason I didn’t return earlier was a pending $50 fine…)

Housed off the City of San Antonio’s website, the San Antonio Public Library system (SAPL) is surprisingly user-friendly and functional. It lacks creative, modern interfaces (no Flash can be a good thing…) but you can do almost everything you want to do.

San Antonio Public library information SAPL@mysapl tweets!

Getting the Card:

Physically go to the SAPL nearest you with the following:

  1. Who are you? (I.e. driver’s license or photo ID)
  2. Proof of Residency (lease, utility statement, checkbook, etc.) <=free to all Bexar County residents…

Bits about Online Features

What’s missing, how long do I have?!

After you go to the library and create an account you can register online. Not only can you see what’s been checked out and when it’s due but you can also register for e-mail reminders (3 days out) to return which books/movies. You’ll also be notified when books/movies placed on hold are ready.

I’m still looking for the stupid book!! Help?!?!

Relax, just renew it. They even have a nice, “Renew All” button (although if you prefer you can put a checkmark next to individual titles too.)

Movies checked out for a week can be renewed once. Books, twice (potentially keeping a book for 9 weeks!)

Byte: If someone else wants the book, you can’t renew books that already have holds.

Browse/search the catalog, across SAPL branches, and find what I want!

Let’s say I moved, my old branch has a book my new branch does. No worries, I can place it on hold, either at the library or online, within my account. By finding what you want and placing it “on hold”, you’ll get a nice email letting you know everything is ready and waiting for you at the branch of your choice. You can waltz into the library, head straight to the holds shelf and find all the books you wanted, with your name on it, bundled with a little rubber band. And you’re done! (This is especially nice for parents with children who don’t feel like going or on the way home from work…)

You can place 20 items (movies and books) on hold at any time and once they’re received, they’ll keep it for 10 days.

Little Bits (LBs)

A SAPL branch by any other name is still as sweet…

You don’t have to return the book to the same location you got the book from! As long as it’s in the SAPL system you can drop it off!

It might not be too late…

As long as you drop it off before the library opens, the morning after it’s due, it’s NOT late! For example, I thought I was a day late (because my book was due Saturday) and was expecting a fine – I didn’t make it before the library closed that same Saturday. But because it was in the book slot before the library opened on Sunday I had a get out of jail card and no 10 cent fine. (This to me says, “We really want you to come and read!”)

Reserve books from across the country (or another country)…

The library doesn’t even have to have your book, if your book can be checked out from a library in Texas, the US, Canada (or other countries, as needed); they’ll ship your book to the SAPL branch of your choice in 2-12 weeks!

For example, I want to get into iPhone programming but SAPL only has a couple resources. However, by going to the Interlibrary Loan website and creating an account, you know have millions of books at your finger tips (more bits here).

One man’s old magazine is another man’s reading material…

Before you enter the library, there’s a plastic bin where you can swap your old magazines for someone else’s. Let someone else enjoy magazines you’ve finished while finding some new periodicals to peruse.

Better late than never…

Finally, don’t forget to return the books. When you have reached your renewal limits, bring the books (and especially movies!!) back to avoid the following fines:

Books: $.35/day (adult-aged, $10.00 maximum), $.15/day (kids, young adult, $6.00 maximum)

Movies: $2.00/day ($10.00 max)

Maps

Don’t forget to check out the maps to find the nearest library location AND to find out where the SAPL Bookmobile stops!

SAPL Locations on Google Maps

View San Antonio Public Library Locations in a larger map

SAPL Bookmobile Locations on Google Maps

View SAPL Bookmobile Locations in a larger map