by Barbara Pickell
Although libraries are always associated with books and they are certainly are an important part of what we still do, I see the real library mission as connecting people to the resources and materials each person needs for whatever is most important to them. As the world has changed, so have libraries, providing more and more resources electronically and reaching beyond the walls of the library to where people are. In this time of sheltering in place, it has been a challenge and an opportunity to find even more innovative ways to continue that mission of connection.
From print to electronic resources
Sharing print materials isn’t possible at this time, but you can still get a book, magazine, music or movie from the library, and it is still free. All you need is a library card and your device. If you don’t have a library card, go to My Account on the Catalog page and apply online. The library has several sites that provide books, including ELibraryNJ (Overdrive & Libby), Hoopla (with no waiting list) and Freading (Ebooks only, no audio book titles). As with regular book checkout, there are limits on the number of items that can be checked out at one time and how long you can keep them. Check each source.
In addition, many of the library online databases will take you to books as well as magazine articles, in full text. This is particularly useful if you want to learn something new or explore a new idea. Go to JerseyClicks, and select a database. They are offering Expanded Database offerings at the top of the page during the pandemic. Masterfile Elite offers coverage of a wide variety of topics, but databases covering specific subject area, such as Literary Reference Center, with many classic titles, and Small Business Reference Center, with business material, can be very helpful.
For electronic copies of magazines, try RB Digital. Hoopla also has movies and music as well as books. Freegal provides a wide variety of music to download. You can find all of these resources from the library web page main menu — click “Resources” and scroll down to click on the 24-hour library.
Research and online learning
A number of sites can help you with research, such as JerseyClicks databases on many subject for everyone from children (Explora Primary) to academic (Academic Primary). But there are many specific databases covering topics like business, health and legal information as well. From the library web site, go to the drop down menu and select Resources, then click “Research Databases.”
Try something different, such as learning a language from Rosetta Stone. Trace your family history through Heritage Quest. Or select a class from Universal Class for lifelong learning, even from home. The Local Resources link will connect you with local services.
For children and teens, check the Children’s Room under Departments in the drop down menu. They have provided links to many sites with fun and educational sites.
Special resources for this time
In response to the most important questions people have now, the library has created some special resources. The COVID-19 Resources (scroll down the front page) can help connect you to the services you need at this time. If you are looking for a job, try the Employment Resource page, under Resources on the drop down menu.
But something that has been very exciting for us, many of the Red Bank Library staff have been adding special online programs, something we have never tried to do before. Miss Sira (she’s the best) has been providing daily story time for the preschool crowd. If you have a young one in the household this is a must. If you have children a little older, Miss Jaime does Power Play every Tuesday for kids. Miss Maria is doing a variety of programs for teens. And you can catch the adult version of Power Play on Friday. Keep up on Facebook with new programing every day. The library has also added recordings of their Let’s Talk About Race and Sustainable Red Bank programs to its YouTube feed. Just search for Red Bank Public Library on YouTube to see them all. And check the calendar on the library web page to see upcoming programs, like the virtual Book Club each month.
More connections
One of the most fun activities at this time has been finding and sharing connections to online activities available to everyone. Follow us on Facebook as we share the serious, like census information and government updates, and the fun, like virtual museum tours and fun shares. Library staff searches the web for activities and sites to pass along for our users of all ages. They have also been sharing their own stories and views from their windows with all of you. And we welcome your input if you find something you think we should share.
In a time when many people are feeling cut off and isolated, it is nice to have the ability to use Facebook and other electronic resources to continue the connection. We love when you like a posting or share a video. We love to hear your comments. And we want to know that you are well and what you are doing. Let us know if you would like a call or chat. Call 732-842-0690 and leave a message if you would like to hear from the library staff, or email us at redbanklibrary@gmail.com. We want to keep that connection.
What more can we do?
We would also like to hear from you if you have other ideas of what we can do during this sheltering time. We welcome your ideas and would love to have you fill out the survey below to share your thoughts. In the mean time, we begin thinking about and planning for the time when the doors of the physical library can open again in a time of new normal. We all look forward to being able to see you in person, hopefully soon.
Barbara Pickell is a reference and local history librarian at the Red Bank Public Library.