Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library. The library remains closed in light of the stay at home order that was put into effect by the governor of Kansas this past weekend. That order started Monday, March 30 and will last until Sunday, April 19. During this time we are asking patrons with any library materials to keep them at home and continue to enjoy them until we reopen. No late fees will be charged so worry not and continue to enjoy. This week I have a few pieces of very exciting news related to our digital services. First up we are excited to announce that anyone who previously did not have a library card can now register themselves for one. You can now register online and instantly be granted access to that digital content. Anyone wanting to register should head on over to our website greatbendpl.info. Under the online resources tab, you will find a drop-down menu labeled self-registration. There you will find detailed instructions on how to sign-up, as well as a how-to tutorial video in both English and English with Spanish subtitles. After you are done registering for your account, you will also find a link at the end of your registration allowing you to self-register for a State Library card. Having a State Library card opens up even more digital content like e-books and audiobooks but classes as well.
Thirdly I am excited to announce Hooplas’ bonus borrows program. In order to help offer more content during this difficult time, Hoopla is offering over 1,000 titles for free to libraries. Meaning when a patron checks one of these titles out it does not count towards their normal borrows. Great Bend patrons will continue to have four borrows a month but none of these special titles will be deducted from that total. This will run through Thursday, April 30, so this is a great time to get Hoopla if you don’t already have an account.
This week in activities we have our “book themed” egg decorating contest going on. Make sure to submit your entry on our Facebook by Thursday, April 9. The Teen Writing Club will be having its first online meeting this Monday, April 6. For details on how to join the online meeting, please enter the class code @t33nwrite in the Remind app or text it to 81010 (standard messaging rates apply) prior to 3:45 p.m. on the day of the meeting. The club is a great place for 6-12th grade students to meet new friends while practicing writing skills. If you are curious about the club you can always check out their blog at thewritingclubtm.wordpress.com.
If you have questions, email at gbcirc@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook. Keep up to date on the activities we are offering online and all the great resources we are sharing follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well as our website greatbendpl.info. Stay safe and stay well.
Hannah Grippin is the outreach and marketing manager for the Great Bend Public Library. She can be reached by email at gbcirc@gmail.com.
