SO YOU KNOW

The Boyle County Public Library bookmobile stop schedule will be re-evaluated on an ongoing basis, and will continue as long as is permitted by state and local government officials. Any updates to the schedule will be listed on the library’s website and will be posted to the library’s Facebook page.

IF YOU GO 

The current Bookmobile HotSpot Stop schedule is:

• Monday (in Danville): 12:15-12:45 p.m. at Long Run Apartments; 1-1:30 p.m. at Patrician Place
• Tuesday (in Perryville): 1-1:55 p.m. at Perryville Elementary School; 2-2:30 p.m. at Merchants Row; 2:35-3:05 p.m. at Coyle Manor/Elmtree Apartments
• Wednesday (in Danville): 11:40 am-12:10 p.m. at Shakerpoint Apartments; 12:20-12:55 p.m. at Constitution Square
• Thursday (in Junction City): 1-1:50 p.m. at Junction City Elementary School; 2-3 p.m. at Linietta Homes
• Friday (in Danville): noon-1 p.m. at Southland Christian Church; 1:20-1:50 p.m. at Ashley Way; 2-2:30 p.m. at Imperial Mobile Home Park

 

By JEB BOUTIN 

BCPL 

In cooperation with state and local efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Boyle County Public Library is currently closed to the public. 

“The past 10 days have been indescribable,” says Library Director Georgia de Araujo. “For the Boyle County Public Library, and for libraries all across Kentucky, this is a time when we all are putting our mission statements into practice in extraordinary ways. In a time when we can’t provide the face-to-face service that is a hallmark of what we do, we still take our task of ‘connecting people to information and technologies’ very seriously.” 

Even though patrons can’t walk through the door, the library is working on adding to its online resources and modified services to the public. 

• Hoopla — Library card holders can now access Hoopla, a web and mobile library media streaming service where patrons can browse over 700,000 titles in six different formats—audiobooks, eBooks, comics/graphic novels, full music albums, movies and TV— and instantly borrow, then download or stream, the titles of choice.

All borrowed content may be enjoyed while connected to the Internet or Wi-Fi by streaming. On a mobile device, borrowed content may be temporarily downloaded and accessed offline. Hoopla can be accessed via the library’s website www.BoylePubLib.org/emedia. During this initial rollout, patrons may borrow up to three titles per month.

• Bookmobile Wi-Fi HotSpot Stops — The library offers free Wi-Fi which is accessible to the public from the library’s parking lot at all hours of the day. In addition, beginning on Monday, March 23, the Bookmobile will act as a Wi-Fi hotspot, traveling to locations around the county in coordination with the local public schools’ current feeding sites. 

The bookmobile will have its mobile Wi-Fi hotspot turned on so anyone parked nearby within sight of the bookmobile can access the free Wi-Fi. See the “IF YOU GO” inset for the current bookmobile schedule. 

“We especially hope this will help more students gain access to Wi-Fi as they are completing their work for NTI days,” says Youth Services Librarian Kinsey Hisle. 

Staff on the bookmobile will not be checking out or receiving books while on location, and the vehicle will not be open to visitors, however the Wi-Fi can be accessed when parked nearby. “We do not encourage in-person crowds around the bookmobile, but rather staying in your vehicle or space nearby six feet away from others around the van when using the Wi-Fi,” says Hisle.

“One of the county schools reached out to ask about the library’s Wi-Fi access options and that got us thinking about what more we could do to help those students who need Wi-Fi,” says Hisle. “We planned our stops to follow the feeding schedules in the hopes that those already out would be able to stay to use Wi-Fi at the same time. You can also come to the library’s building location and use the Wi-Fi from our parking lot. We know this is a stressful time for families so the library wanted to do what we could to safely help our community.” 

Virtual Storytime with Libby – Storytime with “Ms. Libby” is a very popular weekly event at the library. Children’s Librarian Libby McWhorter is well known by kids of all ages. Since storytimes are currently unable to be held in-person, library staff has decided to post a weekly virtual “Storytime with Libby” segment on Facebook. On Thursday morning McWhorter with the help of Hisle utilized Facebook Live for a storytime segment. In one day it garnered almost 4,000 views and highlighted a need in the community to offer a local virtual storytime while the library is closed to the public. To meet that need, each week on Tuesday mornings the Library will post a new “Storytime with Libby” video to their Facebook page. The storytime videos can also be accessed through the library’s YouTube channel. 

During this challenging time when so many lives have been disrupted, the library staff will continue to look for and develop creative ways to serve patrons and the community. “I urge everyone to follow the Library’s website, Facebook pages, and YouTube channel for great ideas and free resources to keep everyone, kids and adults, occupied and engaged,” says de Araujo. “The world of literature, authors and illustrators, libraries and other cultural institutions, are stepping up to help make this unprecedented time an opportunity for sharing and learning.”