Barrhead residents can still check out books from the library

BARRHEAD - While the Barrhead Public Library has been closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrhead residents can still arrange to pick up “take-out” packages of books or movies, even if they don’t currently have a library card.

As noted on the Barrhead Public Library’s website, the Barrhead and Neerlandia Public Libraries officially closed their doors to the public as of March 18.

However, staff are still working in the Barrhead Public Library from noon to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. During that time, residents can either call the library at 780-674-8519 or e-mail them at [email protected] to request books or movies.

They can make a general request, like asking the staff to pick out a few horror novels or children’s books for a certain age group, or they can ask for specific books or films.

However, if you request a specific item, it has to currently be part of the Barrhead Public Library’s collection. Hughes noted that things like Inter-Library Loan Program and the Library Exchange Program have all ceased, as there are no more couriers delivering books between libraries.

“Normally, people would just place a hold and if we didn’t have it, another library would send it. But that’s all stopped. So people can only take out things that are here,” said Hughes.

But how could you possibly know what books are currently in the Barrhead library? Hughes said there is a written guide on the library’s website (as well as a more visual guide on the Facebook page) that directs people on how to use the library’s search engine, which is called TRAC, to look for a specific item.

In any case, once you have contacted the library with a request, you need to come down to the building to pick up your items.

After wiping them down, Hughes said they will place the items in bags that they normally use for the summer reading program. A person need only come up to the front door and either call the library or knock very loudly; the staff can then hand them a bag containing the requested items through the front door.

Depending on the size of an order, it may take a few minutes or a full day to get all the requested books together.

Hughes noted this service is available to both current holders of library cards and non-members.

He explained they are letting people set up a membership over the phone or through e-mail and then deferring payment of fees until the crisis abates and they can open their doors again.

As for returning the books, Hughes said library staff decided early on that they would not charge late fees for any items borrowed from the library.

To facilitate that plan, he said they’ve automatically renewed every single item that’s checked out from the library to May 15. If this crisis endures beyond that date, they can automatically renew the items to a later date once again.

While you can still return books and DVDs through the drop-in slot on the outside of the library, Hughes said they are not requiring people to do so.

Hughes said they are keeping a tally at the front desk of how many people have phoned in with requests. Last week, they had more than 100 residents order “take-out” packages of items.

Online resources for students

It should also be noted that, through the library’s partnership with the Pembina Hills School Division, the cards issued to K-6 students at Barrhead Elementary Schools have been modified to allow kids to access three helpful eResources.

Hughes noted that all 700-plus children at Barrhead Elementary School get a library card, which allows them to come down to the library to check out books.

He said the student cards are a bit more limited than public memberships in that the children have a limit on how many items they can check out.

“It’s just so we can keep track of what kids have,” he said.

However, the library has been given permission to expand the cards so that they can be used to access three eResources: Solaro (which helps student with homework), Tumblebooks (a curated database of e-books) and World Book Online.

Hughes noted that every elementary school teacher in Barrhead has been given the credentials to log in to these resources as well.

“The teachers can decide if they want to make a curriculum or a program off that. And any parent that wants to take advantage of this, all they have to do is get in touch with a child’s teacher,” he said.

Kevin Berger, TownandCountryToday.com

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