UCPL has reopened, with shorter hours and limits on occupancy, time in building
Beginning Monday, June 22, University City Public Library has reopened its doors to the public, allowing patrons to use computers and browse the Library collection for short periods of time.
UCPL is allowing up to 20 people into the building at a time. All seating, aside from the chairs used at the computers, has been removed from the Library, and patrons are allowed up to one hour in the building at a time. The Library is asking all patrons to wear masks, and has supplies of masks on offer for those who don’t have one.
The Library has also instituted temporary limits on computer time, which allows staff members to thoroughly clean the public computers after each use. For those that have wifi-enabled devices, the Library’s wireless internet network has been extended, and is now accessible in the parking lot. Printing is available by sending printable attachments to technology@ucitylibrary.org.
During this time, UCPL is operating on shorter hours: the Library is open to the public from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1-5 p.m. on Saturday. Patrons still have access to curbside service for picking up items they have placed on hold, as well as items that have been printed for them, during those same hours.
Additionally, while the Library is accepting returned items (including audiovisual materials) in its book returns, all returned items are being quarantined for 72 hours before staff members interact with them. During this quarantine period, items will still appear on the patron’s account.
Keep in mind that these rules are in place for the time being and may be adapted as conditions in the St. Louis area change. UCPL administration is keeping a close eye on COVID-19 data, and patrons will be informed of any changes on the Library's website and social media pages.
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Kids programs are happening online,
and crafts are available to go!
With Summer Reading taking place online this year, you may be missing seeing your favorite UCPL Youth Services librarians. Since we're still not doing programs in the Library, we're doing our best to provide online content such as storytimes, science experiments, and fun craft projects through our YouTube page. Visit it to see all of the videos we've recorded over the past several months, and make sure you subscribe to see more!
We're also offering take-home craft kits that you can pick up at UCPL. Just swing by the Youth Services department the next time you come by the Library and grab one to take home. If you'd rather pick it up curbside, just give the Youth Services department at call at 314-727-3150 before you come to make sure we have some on hand when you get here.
Finally, we love that so many kids and teens have registered for Summer Reading on Beanstack! If you want to keep track of your hours on paper instead, that's an option too. You can either grab a paper log from Youth Services, or visit the summer reading page on our website for a version you can print at home. |
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Big Book Challenge readers are taking on two challenging paths this year
With lectures from scholars up on the UCPL YouTube channel and the first round of online discussions under our belt, the 2020 Adult Summer Reading Big Book Challenge is well underway. Readers are doing a great job plugging away at the challenging titles we've chosen this year: David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, and UCPL's adult services librarians are providing plenty of content on our Adult Summer Reading blog. Make sure to check out both the blog and the YouTube page to see lots of info related to the books' themes and authors.
That said, it's not too late to join in! Send an email to reference@ucitylibrary.org to make sure you're on the email list for your chosen title(s), and to get a copy of the book(s). You can also keep track of your progress on the challenge by creating a free account on Beanstack, a tool that we're using this year to manage our online summer reading program.
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UCPL, MLC receive grants for programming, digital collection, Chromebooks, and more
Since our last edition of Checkout was sent out a month ago, UCPL has received some great news about several grants that our staff members have applied for over the last few months. In early June, we were pleased to hear that we have been awarded three long-term grants from the Missouri State Library, totaling more than $57,000 for early literacy projects, emerging technology programming for teens, and implementing RFID technology, as well as new self-check machines.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, state libraries across the country were able to offer additional CARES grants to help libraries better serve their patrons digitally. The MLC received several grants to beef up our digital collections, including $30,000 to buy more e-books and downloadable audiobooks for our Overdrive collection. The MLC also received funding to increase the number of e-magazines available through RBdigital from 50 to more than 3,000! On our own, UCPL received a grant to purchase 25 Chromebooks and 30 mobile hotspots to circulate out to our patrons. We hope to have these Chromebooks and hotspots ready to check out within a few weeks.
All of these grants and upcoming projects were made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. Many thanks to the Missouri State Library for supporting our projects! Keep an eye out on our website, social media, and in upcoming issues of Checkout for updates on these projects.
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Wondering why you're receiving this email?
We at UCPL want to keep you updated on what's happening at the Library by sending you Checkout, our monthly newsletter. We'll never share your email address with anyone else. That said, if you'd rather not receive our monthly newsletter, you can unsubscribe by clicking a link at the bottom of this email.
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