Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! Unfortunately, we had to close the library Wednesday due to concerns with COVID-19. As of this article, we still do not know when we will be able to reopen. Please check our Facebook and website for continued updates.
While we are closed our digital services are still available with your Great Bend Library card. Libby and hoopla offer a wide selection of e-books, audiobooks, movies, music, and comics. Both are apps available for android or apple devices or can be used in your web browser. With winter coming I’m sure you will find having both these resources extremely useful even after we reopen. Who doesn’t like getting a new book from the comfort and warmth of home while it snows outside? If you are looking for a new winter read to check out, I have a few suggestions available through hoopla and Libby.
Lose yourself in the sweeping love story of master mechanic turned burglar Peter Lake and the terminally ill young beauty Beverly Penn. In “Winter’s Tale,” a man attempting to rob a mansion on New Yorks Upper West Side accidentally runs into a beautiful young woman and falls in love. But the young girl is dying and Peter soon finds he will do anything to stop the clock and keep from losing his newly found love. Full of magic, adventure, and romance all set in a wintery New York, “Winter’s Tale” is available on hoopla as an e-book or audiobook. Once your done listening or reading the book, why not watch the movie, also available through hoopla. Enjoy the movie’s soundtrack composed by the legendary Hans Zimmerman; that too is available through hoopla. And with four checkouts a month you can experience all of it and still have a checkout to spare.
Looking for less romantic tale and more survival story as harsh as winter itself? Consider checking out “The Great Alone” by Kristen Hannah. Based in Alaska during 1974, join a former POW of the Vietnam War Ernt and his family as they strive to make a home off the grid in the deep untamed Alaskan wilderness. At first, they feel they have found their place, among a small generous community of fellow strong-willed Alaskans living off the grid. However, as winter creeps closer with its 18 hours of darkness, so too does the darkness of Ernt as his mental state grows more and more fragile. Soon mother and daughter find themselves on their own to survive, not only the dangers of the harsh winter outside in this unforgiving land but the dangers from within as well. “The Great Alone” is available in audiobook format on Libby and hoopla.
We hope you can find something to enjoy on our digital services, while we remain closed to the public. Keep an eye on our Facebook and our website, greatbendpl.info, for upcoming programs and updates. You can also message us on Facebook or email us at gbcirc@gmail.com.
Hannah Grippin is the outreach and marketing manager for the Great Bend Public Library. She can be reached by email at gbcirc@gmail.com.
