Will I Have Overdue Fines When the Library Reopens? And Answers to Your Other Burning Questions
Updated April 28, 2020
First, let us say "We miss you."
All of the Springfield-Greene County Library branches, Mobile Library and 24-hour Library Express West kiosk remain temporarily closed in compliance with city/county and health officials' orders. Staff isn't here and neither are you, and that makes us sad.
Over recent days we have fielded questions from concerned library users, so we have put together some answers to common questions for you.
(Be sure to check out the many things, like e-books, movies, music, stories for kids and more at the end of this list. It's the 24-hour Library!)
- Library buildings are temporarily closed. Watch thelibrary.org, the Library's Facebook page, or call the emergency closing hotline at 417-616-0620 for updates or reopening news.
- Need the internet to access Library sites, for personal business or to fill out your Census 2020 form? The Library's Wi-Fi has been made available 24 hours a day on the Library Express West site and branch parking lots where possible.
- Book drops and drive-through window service will reopen effective Monday, May 7, at only these five branches: Library Center, Library Station, Schweitzer Brentwood Branch, and the Republic and Willard branches. During this time, you will not have incurred any overdue fines on your materials from the Library, Interlibrary Loan or MOBIUS.
- Drive-up windows will be open for holds pick up only, no returns. Patrons should return all materials including MOBIUS and Interlibrary Loan to the outdoor book drops only. Returns cannot be accepted at the drive-up windows.
- Your account may not have been updated yet due to software issues, but you have until July notices go out to return your items.
- All reservations through August 31 for study, conference and meeting rooms are canceled. SPACES reservation system is suspended. Be sure to check with your respective organization for rescheduled meeting sites.
- All in-person Library programs have been canceled through August 31.
- Hot Spots will not be disabled on their due date. You will not be fined for an overdue item.
- You may place items on hold through thelibrary.org/catalog – except MOBIUS and Interlibrary Loan -- and you will receive notification when the Library reopens and items are available.
- Library card renewals will be extended to May 15.
- For the time being, you may apply for a temporary library card online at any of these three links:
these three online links.
https://coolcat.org/search~S1, https://thelibrary.org/research/ or https://thelibrary.org/blogs/article.cfm?aid=5972 (at the bottom)
- No book donations for the Friends of the Library sale will be accepted while branches are closed.
- The Friends Spring Book Sale planned May 27-31 has been canceled. The Fall Book Sale is planned for Sept. 16-20; Friends Night is Sept. 15.
- Starved for books to read NOW? Visit thelibrary.org/digital for links to e-books. And don't forget to visit one of the many Little Free Libraries across Springfield and Greene County. You can find one near you at https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/
The 24-hour Library -- Online -- is Open for You!
Your favorite Library programs may be canceled, or you're staying indoors to protect your health during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but you can do and see a lot through the 24-hour library — thelibrary.org! Now is a great time to try out all the online services. (If you encounter setup trouble, feel free to post a question to Ask-a-Librarian.)
The Library website and your library card give you access to great digital entertainment including e-books, magazines, movies, music, audiobooks and children's entertainment. Research popular topics, get homework help or read major newspapers online, too.
Here are some popular and useful online resources to get you through the current health crisis, and beyond.
- Download e-books and audiobooks the easy way with Libby. Get the app from the App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet.
- Download e-books and audiobooks and stream video through OverDrive.
- Access e-books for children with the TumbleBookLibrary. It's a great way to encourage tech-savvy kids to enjoy reading! There are over 1100 titles, including 350 animated, talking picture books! The site also features read-along chapter books and non-fiction books.
- Visit Hoopla for e-books, videos, music, comics and audiobooks. No holds needed, content is always available.
- Read an unlimited number of your favorite magazines or listen to audio books through RB Digital.
- Learn a new language with Mango Languages, an online language learning system that teaches conversational skills for practical communication.
- Get to know Lynda.com, and learn software, technical, creative and business skills through more than 3,000 courses and 150,000 high-quality video tutorials taught by industry experts.
- Love history? Delve into some fascinating articles and personal letters from our past. Thelibrary.org/lochist has easy links to rich collections about the impact of the Civil War on the Ozarks, ozarkscivilwar.org; a Civil War photo archive, the Max Hunter Song Collection, the Ethnic Life Stories Project, historic Springfield photos, the Frisco story, and much more. Visit missourioverthere.org for stories, photos and documents revealing Missourians' role in World War I.
- Your world—and your business research doesn't have to stop, either. Check out:
- Business Insights: Global for company, industry and investment reports as well as hundreds of business periodical articles and more.
- Reference USA, providing U.S. and Canadian business and residential information, including phone numbers, addresses, sales volume, and historical company information. Helpful for finding jobs or health care providers, learning industry trends, and conducting in-depth market research.
There are dozens of reference sites beyond these that offer reliable sources for genealogical research, consumer health articles, homework help for all ages and more. Visit thelibrary.org/research and see what you can discover on the 24-hour library!
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