Greetings from your community library. Like so many of our dear readers, the staff at the library have been sheltering in place at home and hoping we can get back to work soon. Although the physical space of the library has been inaccessible as we address safety concerns and work with the county’s public health department, we hope you have been exploring ways to make use of the library virtually.
First of all, though, I’m sure most of those reading this column are looking for answers as to when the library might re-open. I don’t have a definitive answer for you just yet; I can report, however, that we’re working hard on the plan to open the Healdsburg Library for curbside pickup in a few weeks. Hopefully by the end of the month, we will be able to provide you with books, DVDs and other materials you can take home and enjoy. The library system has been piloting this program at five other locations throughout Sonoma County: our Central Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Guerneville, Windsor and Sonoma libraries have been trying this new service out and providing feedback on the procedures and workflow so that we can fill requests as quickly as we can. Even before we open for direct curbside service in Healdsburg, you are welcome to try the service at another one of these locations. For more information, please visit us at https://sonomalibrary.org/curbside.
Usually in June I am writing to encourage you to sign up for our Summer Reading Program for all ages. Although our popular in-person programs will have to wait until next year, we are excited to still offer a program you can enjoy from home. This year’s program, called Dig Deeper, includes a Sonoma County-wide goal of reading for two million minutes. We read a million minutes together in January, so we know that you, our readers, can manage this lofty goal. In addition to the excitement of completing this collective goal, by completing just eight hours of reading, you can win a free book; a second eight hours will grant you yet another free book prize. In order to enjoy success and prizes, however, you need to log your minutes using either a convenient online app called Beanstack or a paper log you can print at home. Either way, you can find out more about how to participate from https://sonomalibrary.org/summerreading2020.
As I mentioned earlier in the column, your virtual library provides a vast range of resources available to all in our community via the Sonoma County Library website. Learn a new skill with Lynda.com or Learning Express; learn a new language with Mango Languages; research your family history with Ancestry Library; or learn how to fix a problem with your car using Chilton Library. You have access to documentary films online with Kanopy as well as other popular films, music, comic books, and more with Hoopla. Find a great book to read with Libby, which allows avid readers to borrow a book digitally from the library and read on a desktop computer, tablet, or other small device. You can even check out and enjoy one of your favorite magazine titles online with RBDigital. All of these and more are available online through our portal at https://sonomalibrary.org/eresources. I highly recommend you take a look if you’ve never tried before, but also if you haven’t in a while. Many of our services have been given a bump-up in service given the pandemic and our stay-at-home order.
Join thousands and thousands of others who take advantage of these resources that we share together as a community. If you haven’t ever had a library card before, you can sign up online today at sonomalibrary.org. On behalf of our staff, here’s wishing you happy reading and we all look forward to seeing you as soon as we can.
Jon Haupt is the branch manager of the Healdsburg Regional Library.
