Library Hours
Monday
10:00am - 6:00pm
Tuesday
10:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday
10:00am - 6:00pm
Thursday
10:00am - 6:00pm
Friday
10:00am - 3:00pm
Saturday
10:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday
Closed

 

myLIBRO is NEW to Belmond Public Library!

With myLIBRO you can:

Search the catalog
You can search the catalogs for both Belmond Public Library and BRIDGES.

Access your account
Use the app's voice-enabled "virtual assistant" text chat interface to see your checkouts and holds for both physical and digital items, due dates, and items ready for pickup.

Manage multiple cards
Add multiple cards to your profile to manage the accounts of your children, spouse, or other loved ones.

Getting started is easy.
Download the app on Apple or Android.

After downloading, open the app and press 'get started':
1. Under library, select "Belmond Public Library"
2. Enter your full library card number. Don't know your number, give us a call (641-444-4160)
3. Enter your library PIN (the last 4 digits of your card number)
4. Tap "Sign In"

Once signed in:
• Tap the three vertical lines in the top left-hand corner to see menu options such as Settings and Quick Tour
• From the menu select Profile to display your library card as a scannable barcode
• Search the catalog using Search or My Account (see your checkouts and holds in My Account only)

Need more help? Check out the myLIBRO User Guide

If you have questions about myLIBRO or want assistance adding it to your phone or tablet, feel free to stop by or contact us at 641-444-4160.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: Is myLIBRO the same as Libby?
A: No. myLIBRO is a separate app all together. Libby connects you to the BRIDGES library for all digital media and downloads. myLIBRO is a one stop all things your library. With myLIBRO you can manage your library account, view and renew all physical and digital checkouts, search our card catalog, put physical books on hold, view our calendar of events, receive library notifications, and more! 

Q: Will I still need Libby if I can read ebooks and listen to audiobooks on myLIBRO?
A. This is up to you. myLibro does give you access to the BRIDGES collection. You are able to listen to audiobooks and read your ebooks through the app. If you prefer the look and feel of Libby, continue to use Libby. 

Q: I can't log in. I don't know my library card number.
A: Contact the library and we can help you get set up with the app. Need some hands on help? Our staff can walk you through the app in person. Simply stop by the library and ask for assistance.

 

Free tutoring and more!

...Read More

 

Get homework help and much more by visiting the link below!

https://landing.brainfuse.com/index.asp?u=main.Belmond.p.iowastatehn.ia.brainfuse.com

 

HelpNow offers a lot of great tools for all ages to help you in and out of the school year.
All these are available FREE OF CHARGE to all library patrons.


Live Tutoring: HelpNow offers live tutor access for homework help, skills building and test preparation where after taking a quiz, the user can connect directly to a live tutor from the test center without having to return to the main page. Because HelpNow is personalized, both the student and the tutor can access quiz questions to do an intensive test prep which may include loading lessons on the whiteboard. All live sessions are saved and can be replayed as well as shared with friends and teachers by email.  Using the CloudPack feature, students can store and upload MS Word, Excel, JPG, and other accepted file types directly onto the whiteboard.
 

Asynchronous Services: The Writing Lab and the 24/7 Center options give users the freedom to receive assistance at any time of the day without connecting with a live tutor.  Users can submit papers through the Writing Lab for a detailed feedback.  24/7 Center is for non-writing assignments such as math or science.  All reviews and comments from our tutors are found and stored in the Message Center which is found on the student homepage.


Study Tools: LEAP helps patrons build academic skills through targeted lessons, quizzes, and live, online tutoring. LEAP creates a learning plan based on a skills assessment that is taken at the beginning of the course. Flashbulb is a robust, learning resource where you can find flashcards or create your own. There are many ways this can be used.  Brainfuse students have created sets to use with their friends and teachers have created sets for their students to use.
 

Collaboration tools: For students who prefer to work independently and   form their own online study group, HelpNow offers a set of collaborative tools – MEET and Brainwave. MEET allows students to schedule their own online sessions using the Brainfuse MEET whiteboard which is specifically designed for a group setting.  Brainwave is a recordable whiteboard where students can draw, write on the whiteboard and chat then save and email it to others for feedback.   


Adult Learning Center
Adult Learning Center is the adult learners’ version of HelpNow™ where patrons can access High School Equivalency prep, US Citizenship test prep, resume assistance, Microsoft Office support, and Career Resources. The Writing Lab, Send Question, and Skills Building are also included in the Adult Learning Center suite. 


About Brainfuse™
Brainfuse is one of the nation’s leading online tutoring providers, serving a diversified client base of libraries, school districts and colleges/universities for over 18 years. With Brainfuse, users receive real-time tutoring from instructors via our proprietary online classroom.

Friends of the Library

...Read More

            
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Friends of the Belmond Public Library was formed in 1995.  They are an auxiliary group of the Library Foundation.  Their mission is to maintain an
association of persons interested in the library, to focus public attention on the library, to lend financial support, to coordinate volunteer efforts,
and help promote the programs and services of the Talbot Belmond Public Library. 

The Friends do so much to support the library. This includes a yearly allocation for the purchase of books, maintaining 4 little free libraries in Belmond, hosting bilingual story time during the Cinco de Mayo festival, their Books for Kindergarteners initiative, and more! They are able to provide these things through fundraising and volunteering. Perhaps you have visited the Friends annual book sale during the Fall Festival, or the table at the summer market, or maybe even an omelet breakfast thanks to the Knights ot Columbus. 

As a Friend, you will have the satisfaction of supporting one of our most important educational institutions, playing an important role in making books and other materials available to the community. 
You will also have the opportunity to volunteer for various events and programs.

  You can join for as little as $10.00 per year as an individual, or $25.00 as a family.
If you are already a Friend of the library, please stop by today to renew your membership. 

Please contact the library with any questions. 
The library would love to have you as a Friend!

Book Reviews from the Librarians

...Read More

 

 

 

Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich

Genre: Mystery

Fans of the Stephanie Plum series, make sure you grab and imerse yourself in this latest novel in the series. If you haven't read the series, I strongly suggest you give it a try. Each book is filled with mystery, romance and rowdy laugh out loud moments. The characters are quirky, interseting, and engaging. It's really a fun series to read and each book follows one case from beginning to end mixed in with another piece of the overarching romance and story. 

In this latest addition, Stephanie Plum is back in a new adventure. Expect a few explosions, misadventure moment, and Lulu in all her wonderfulness. I love the direction the books have taken recently. The story shifts from the ever frustrating love triangle to more mystery and mayhem. This allows some of the other characters to step forward and shine like Lulu.

For fans of the series, you will finally see some movement in the whole Ranger, Morelli, Stephanie love triangle which all cumulates in one big romantic cliff hanger. Looks like it's time for Stephanie to get her life in order and make some real choices. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's like candy for me. I fast read that I know will have me laughing, rolling my eyes, and looking forward to the next one.
 

 

Fourth Wing (Empyrean book #1) and Iron Flame (Empyrean book #2) by Rebecca Yarros

Genre: Fantasy

I read both of these books back to back, so for that reason I feel it's only fair to review them together. This series falls into what has been coined the 'romantasy' genre. The books are fantasy in nature but are very much adult romance as well. In the first book, readers are introduced to Violet. She has trained to be a scribe her entire life. Her mother, also a commander in the military, pushes her into the war college to become a dragon rider like her siblings. Once there, she is faced with the very real dangers and potential death that comes with trying to become a rider. She's also faced with people who want her dead, seeing her as competition and as an enemy thanks to her mother's position and actions against the rebellion. On top of that, she has to navigate her feelings for Xaden, someone who rightfully should hate her. 

A little disclaimer, this book is very violent and certainly an adult read. It can be triggering at times for certain readers. For those who love fantasy, there is plenty of world building, conflict, and dragons. For romance lovers, there is plenty of tension, heat and spicy scenes. Fourth Wing burst on the scene and quickly gained a strong following, including this reader. The book is very well written with plenty of intersting characters, intrigue, and rereadable moments. Iron Flame is much of the same. I will admit I did not like it as much as the first book. There is a lot of angsty conflict that overshadows a good portion of the first half of the book. For me, it bogged down my reading experience. Once you get past that, there is a ton of action and conflict. There is also a lot to cheer for. Originally, this was to be a duology. After the popularity of the first book, Yarros was approached to write more in the series. Some of Iron Flame seems to reflect that change. While the ending isn't exactly seemless, it does create a cliffhanger that will create more obstacles in the overall story and romance. Despite my dislike for the romance angst in book 2, I believe that this is a series I will continue to read and currently anticipate the publication of book 3 in 2024.

_________________________________

Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy 

Oh my goodness, this book! It reads like a WWII romance with a little bit of a fantasy twist. I went into the book with no expectations Normally, I would have passed it over based on the premise, but I'm so glad I didn't.

The story navigates between written letters and narrative. Iris and Roman's interactions and letters had me hanging on the cusp of anticipation for their budding romance and fearful understanding that things would go drastically wrong somewhere along the way. What really made the book for me is Ross' writing. It carried me like a wave through the story. I was all in. I may have hugged the book at certain times and threw my hands in the air angry ugly crying at others.

It's a hugely character driven book. Though the story is sprinkled with moments of action and magical elements, it doesnt exactly take front seat in the story. In addition, while there is a fantasy element, it actually feels very much like a historical fiction book. At times I even forgot there was a whole fantasy twist with the war being between gods. I honestly think the god element could have been missing from this book entirely and easily fallen into magical realism. Granted, I think that is one or the reasons I liked the book. Its pretty accessible and something I think readers who don't gravitate to fantasy would enjoy. The cliff hanger at the end will have me desperately waiting for book two. Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

_________________________________

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance

I loved this book! It was a one day read for me.

Elsie is a adjunct professor with a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. She's overworked and underpaid making extra cash through FAUX, an app that hires out fake girlfriends. When the opportunity of a lifetime arises, she quickly is thrown into the interview game for a professor position at MIT. The problem? One of the interviewers is Jack, the brother of one of her favorite clients. He is also the publisher of a paper that singlehandedly destroyed part of her mentor's career and caused a major rift between theoretical and experimental physicists.

The chemistry between Elsie and Jack is amazing. The banter back and forth is a lot of fun. The characters also show a lot of growth through the book. Elsie and Jack aren't the only ones that shine through this book, there are also a lot of amazing side characters that hold their own in the story. I honestly would love to take a glimpse into some of their side stories.

Like her other STEM-centric romances, Ali Hazelwood successfully balances science and romance. On the romance side, there is plenty of spice if you like your romance to have some heat. Hazelwood has a wonderful way of creating these moments with intimacy and combining it with additional insight into the characters.

I also liked Hazelwood's nod to the struggles of women in STEM. Like her previous novels, she points out the difficulties and sexism met by women in the STEM fields and academe. Some of this is pretty on the nose and predictable, but is worth mentioning. There is also a nod to the need for women to support other women in the field.

Overall, Love, Theoretically is a smart, fun, and swoon worthy romantic read. Elsie's disappointment and self actualization brought me to tears while the conversations and banter made me laugh. So far it's one of my top romantic reads of 2023.

_________________________________

The Book that Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence
Genre: Fantasy

It might be the characters, the story, the writing, or simply fate but I absolutely loved this book. Lawrence draws on the magic of a library and books while driving home an important message about the dangers of knowledge when in the hands of people with nefarious motives. In addition, he notes that often people will search out knowledge that supports their argument and opinion as proof to the rightness while ignoring anything counter.

Ultimately, the story is about a boy and a girl, brought together across time to connect with each other. Livira is strong, tenacious, curious, and inventive. Evar is compassionate, kind, patient, and introspective. Through their stories and their worlds, readers are introduced to an ongoing war and made to question, along with the characters, if maybe the answer lays in understanding and tolerance rather than violence. While the story bounces between Evar and Livira's points of view, in the periphery are some really wonderful and interesting characters. Each of these relationships add to Evar and Livira's growth and identity.

While the character's added greatly to my overall enjoyment of the story, I also loved the twists and turns. There is a bit of a mystery of sorts but not in the who-done-it sense. I kept wondering as to the nature of the library, the mysteries it held, and the truth of Livira and Evar. There are a few twists and turns that really had me reflecting back to earlier in the story. I honestly might read this title again just to see if I can recognize the subtle hints that Lawrence gives to the true nature of their involvement.

In all, I think it's Lawrence's writing that caught me. While I loved the prose, I did find some redundancy at the beginning and at times I felt a little sideways at the time transitions between points of view. Eventually, I discovered that this might be intentional given the nature of the story. Regardless, this will definitely be a reread for me sometime in the near future.

 

Upcoming Events...
Full Calendar