Have you heard? Vinyl records made a big comeback—and now you can give one a spin at HCMPL!
Stop by the Madisonville and Dawson Springs public libraries for an extensive collection of classic and modern music on vinyl, showcasing the best from Americana, blues, country, folk, funk, gospel, grunge, hard rock, holiday, jazz, pop, punk, R&B, rap, hip-hop, reggae, and rock. Teen and adult cardholders can check out up to four records at a time for a period of two weeks. Records cannot be placed on hold in advance; you must visit the Madisonville or Dawson Springs public libraries in person to borrow and return records. Records may not be returned through outside book drop boxes. Read below for more details and contact us if you have questions. Spin on!
CARE AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR RECORDS AND RECORD PLAYERS
How to Handle a Record
Handling vinyl correctly will help prevent damage to the record. Here are some steps to safely remove the record from the sleeve and place it on the record player:
- Remove the record from the outer plastic sleeve
- Remove the inner sleeve, which holds the record
- Carefully slide the record out a bit until your index finger can reach the small hole at the center of the record — use your index finger at that center space and your thumb at the side of the record to pull the record out of the sleeve
- Once outside of the sleeve, hold onto the sides of the record to avoid touching the grooved surface
- Gently place the record onto the record player’s platter
How to Use a Record Player
To play a record: (Note: The following information is specific to HCMPL’s circulating record player collection. If you are using a personal record player, then the details may vary but the steps are generally the same.)
- Place the record on the player’s platter
- Remove the white plastic clip needle guard and store safely with the record player
- Select the speed of the record with the SPEED SELECTION SWITCH, generally, 33 but may also be 45 or 78. Note: When playing a 45 RPM record, use the included 45 RPM ADAPTOR located in the holder near the tone arm.
- Turn the FUNCTION KNOB to the PHONO setting. (Note: HCMPL’s record players are equipped with Bluetooth for wireless streaming of digital music. To use this feature, set the FUNCTION KNOB to BT (Bluetooth), then pair the device you are using to stream music with the record player.)
- Turn the unit on.
- Open the TONE ARM CLIP to release the TONE ARM. Push the LIFT LEVER backwards to raise the arm. Gently move the tone arm to the desired position over the record. The turntable will begin to spin when the arm is moved toward the record. Push the LIFT LEVER forward to lower the arm slowly onto the desired position on the record to begin playing.
- Note: If Auto Stop is turned off the TURNTABLE PLATTER will spin as soon as the unit is set to PHONO mode. If the AUTO/MANUAL STOP SELECTION SWITCH is turned on, the record will stop automatically when finished. If this switch is turned off, the record will not stop automatically when finished.
- Enjoy!
To stop playing a record:
- Push the LIFT LEVER forwards to raise the arm and return to home position.
- Pull the LIFT LEVER backwards (toward you) to gently drop the tone arm to its home position and clip the TONE ARM in place to prevent from moving. Note: The record will stop spinning once the TONE ARM is returned to its home position.
- Place your hands on either side of the record to gently remove it from the platter
- Return the record to its record sleeve