Missing the library?
So are we!
|
|
“We miss our library!”
We miss you, too! With the assistance of Mesa County Public Health, we will make a decision on a date to re-open the library after the stay-home order and limitations on mass gatherings have been lifted. That means the library needs to allow more than 50 people to visit at a time. The library regularly sees about 2,000 visitors a day (although not at one time).
We know many people depend on our services, and we love serving the Mesa County community.
For now, Mesa County Libraries are closed until further notice, and that’s hard. Connect with us online as we are working to provide some virtual programming to keep you engaged and learning new things. Also, wireless access is available outside all of our eight locations from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily. The wifi can be reached from our parking lots at all locations.
Stuck at Home
As you are building your at home schedules, the library offers
many online options
to fill learning and entertainment needs.
OverDrive
- ebooks and audiobooks for all ages.
BookFlix
- For grades Pre-K to Grade 3
TumbleBook Library
- Animated, talking picture books
RBdigital Magazines
- thousands of magazines
Kanopy
- streaming independent movies and documentaries, including
Great Courses
series and Kanopy Kids
Lynda
- thousands of educational courses in popular fields
Universal Class
- hundreds of non-college credit continuing education courses
Mango Languages
- learn a new language while you’re home
If you don’t have a library card or find that you have reached the maximum on lending limits, other family members can also
get library cards
without visiting the library.
Staff are available by email to answer questions with any library resources. Just fill out this
handy online form
with your question, and we will get back to you!
What about my holds?
Mesa County Libraries are keeping holds on the shelf until we're open again. We do have plans to offer a curbside pick-up service similar to local restaurants in the future. At this time, we don’t have a date when curbside service might begin, but we are ready to put this new service into action to get materials to you. To start, this service would only be available to people who have materials waiting for pick-up. Individuals with holds will be notified when this service starts.
We also have suspended the ability to place holds because our facilities are full of materials waiting for pick-up. The library will reactivate the ability to place holds again after our shelves have space. Curbside pick-up would be available at the Central Library and branches in Clifton and Fruita.
What if I have items checked out?
If you have items that you checked out before the library closed, rest easy. All due dates have been extended, and because Mesa County Libraries eliminated overdue fines earlier this year, you won’t be fined.
Please keep all items until the library reopens.
While we are closed, all book drops have been closed and locked so that returns are not possible.
You count!
When you’re finished reading this e-newsletter, please visit
my2020census.gov
and fill out the federal census form if you haven’t done so already. It’s important, and it only takes a few minutes. For more information about why it’s important, please scroll down to the census article in this e-newsletter.
|
|
Check online for a variety of programs!
|
|
Your favorite Mesa County Libraries programs are now online!
For a list of the virtual programs available
from Mesa County Libraries, please check our online
Event Calendar
.
You can catch story times at
10 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays (Spanish or bilingual English/Spanish), and Thursdays
on our social media channels, and if you miss them then, you can find them anytime on the library’s
YouTube channel
.
Check out our
YouTube Channel
,
Facebook Page
, and
Instagram TV
for live videos, pre-recorded content, and activities for you to try at home with your family!
We’ve also put together some fun ideas for kids’ activities:
|
|
VIRTUAL KIDS READ:
For kids who love books, we've moved our traditional Kids Read online! Join us for Virtual Kids Read from
4-5 p.m. every Tuesday on Google Hangouts.
Visit the online
Event Calendar
and click the event you're interested in attending to find the correct Google Hangouts link.
VIRTUAL KIDS CLUB:
At
3 p.m. each Friday,
we're posting activity ideas for older kids as part of Virtual Kids Club. The activities will appear on our social media pages, so be sure to look for them there!
|
|
We’re getting teens together online for book discussions and other events.
VIRTUAL TEEN READERS MEETUP:
Check out Virtual Teen Reader Meetup, where teens gather online from
4-5 p.m. every Wednesday
to share what they are reading, listening to, and watching. Visit the online
Event Calendar
and go to the event you’re interested in attending to find the correct Google Hangouts link.
|
|
Adult programs cover ghost towns
and coping with crisis
|
|
Discover some of the many abandoned towns and communities in Mesa County through photos and maps. Mesa County Libraries' in-house historian, Ike Rakiecki, presents this fascinating look back in time.
Hali Nurnberg, a local therapist with a master's degree in international disaster psychology, shares tips on self-care and dealing with the stress of the COVID-19 crisis. Nurnberg specializes in helping people cope with and heal from trauma.
|
|
|
|
Annual Poetry Contest entries
open through April 24;
Categories for teens and adults!
|
The library may be closed, but April is still National Poetry Month, and the poetry must go on!
The 2020 Poetry Contest is open now, with entries accepted online through Friday, April 24.
We encourage teens in grades 6-12 and adults age 18+ to submit an original poem by April 24. The top three poems will be awarded prizes and will be featured on our website once poems have been selected and winners have been notified.
|
|
You count!
Fill out your U.S. Census form today
|
|
It’s census time, and it’s easy to participate.
If you haven’t done so already,
visit
my2020census.gov
and fill out the questionnaire.
It takes only a few minutes to complete. The privacy of your information is protected by law.
The U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to conduct a census of the population every 10 years, and this year it is easier than ever to respond to the census questionnaire.
The online census form is open and available now, and it takes only a few moments to complete.
Accurate census counts are crucial to our community because many federal and state grants for important services are population-based. Colorado receives about $2,300 per person in population-based federal funds, and an accurate census count helps ensure that we receive a
fair share
of federal monies. In addition, population counts determine how much representation our state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives, and it is believed that Colorado has grown enough in the last 10 years that it may be in line to add a representative. More representation in the House means more potential influence over public policy.
You can complete the census
here
.
|
|
Is it time to get your high school diploma?
|
|
If you have time on your hands as a result of the stay-at-home order, it might be a
good opportunity
to get your high-school diploma.
Career Online High School (COHS)
, offered through Mesa County Libraries, is an entirely self-paced high-school program that offers motivated students the opportunity to earn a diploma from an accredited high school and career certification in one of eight fields.
Prospective COHS students must have access to a computer because the classes are taken online. Students must also complete a self-assessment, a prerequisite course, and an in-person interview in order to enroll.
Once they are admitted to the program, students have
18 months
to successfully complete the coursework required for graduation. They may work at their own pace and will have an academic coach available for assistance via phone and email.
There is
no charge
to students who enroll in COHS.
Mesa County residents interested in completing high school through COHS are invited to
email the Mesa County Libraries Literacy Center
at
cohs@mcpld.org
. Staff can help students decide which option is best for their particular situation.
Prospective students
must be 16 years of age or older, be residents of Mesa County, and have a library card from Mesa County Libraries.
|
|
From history to music to book recommendations and more, the library blog brings you a wide selection of topics each week. Check in regularly at
mesacountylibraries.org
!
|
|
Local History: Quarantine In the Mesa County Pest House
If you came down with a highly infectious disease in the late 19th or early 20th century, you were likely to end up quarantined in Mesa County’s Pest House. The Pest House resided in the old Mesa County Hospital building, located just over the Colorado River from Grand Junction on the rise up to the Redlands. The Pest House opened sometime after 1886, when the building was no longer used as a general hospital, and closed before the land around the building began being used as the Poor Farm during the Great Depression.
|
|
Connect With Our Social Distancing Playlist
Recently the Merriam-Webster dictionary added new words connected with the coronavirus. We’re all getting far too familiar with terminology surrounding COVID-19, such as self-quarantine and social distancing. So while we’re all doing our part staying home, limiting our exposure to others and getting creative with time, resources, and togetherness, some folks at Mesa County Libraries put together a Social Distancing Playlist for you to enjoy while you’re doing whatever it is you’re focusing on while at home.
|
|
Thank you, library volunteers!
|
|
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 19-25, and Mesa County Libraries wish to extend a
heartfelt thank-you
to all of our library volunteers.
Volunteers are heroes in the library,
assisting us with everything from shelving books to helping people learn languages to making the Discovery Garden grow -- and so much more!
How much do volunteers matter to Mesa County Libraries? The numbers tell us that in 2019, volunteers generously contributed
17,562 hours
of their time to the library. But beyond that, volunteers bring an energy and enthusiasm to their work that is inspiring to both our staff and our patrons. Without volunteers, Mesa County Libraries could not serve our community in the same way we do now.
So, to all of our volunteers, thank you.
Your efforts and your willingness to give of your time are deeply appreciated.
|
|
A NOTE TO READERS
You are receiving this e-newsletter because you are a patron of Mesa County Libraries. The Library News email newsletter is sent monthly (with occasional special editions) to patrons to keep you informed about what’s happening at your local library. The library values your privacy and will not share your email address or other information with anyone. We hope you enjoy this e-newsletter, but if you wish to unsubscribe, please visit the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this newsletter.
|
|
Contact Mesa County Libraries at 970-243-4442 or visit mesacountylibraries.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
