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Safer at home in Wisconsin
The recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling has changed the "safer at home" status of Wisconsin. I know that many of you are looking forward to returning to the library and we can't wait to see all of you, too!

The library board and I are taking a cautious approach to reopening the library, however. We're still gathering information to help us determine how and when we can safely open our doors. As you know, Iron County is the "oldest" county in Wisconsin, and as a result our residents face greater risks from COVID-19. We want to be sure we take all the steps available to us to protect our library users and the community as a whole.

Therefore, we will remain closed to the public during the week of May 18. We've also made the difficult decision to cancel large in-person library events for June and early July.

Keep watching our website and Facebook page for updates as we learn more about a reopening date soon. We will continue to use recommendations from our local, state and federal health officials to make our future decisions. I anticipate that reopening the library will happen in stages, with limited hours and services at first and gradually increasing what we are able to offer in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we're still happy to provide curbside pickup and expanded online services. Please give us a call at 715-476-2366 for curbside pickup of books, movies, board games, books on CD, jigsaw puzzles, or garden seeds. Visit our website at www.mercerpubliclibrary.org to link to our ebook collection, Gale Courses, other databases, and links to our online events.

Take care, northwoods friends! I hope to see you all in person, happy and healthy, soon.

Teresa Schmidt
Library director
715-476-2366
Community News

Food Pantry news: Louise Minisan reports that the Mercer Food Pantry will distribute another donation of milk and cheese sticks this Wednesday, May 20 at 11am . There are no income restrictions or requirements, and all are welcome. The Mercer Food Pantry is normally open on Fridays 11-1. If you need delivery, call 715-476-7655.

Free COVID-19 Testing: Iron, Vilas, Price, Oneida, Forest and Lincoln counties are collaborating with the Wisconsin National Guard to offer FREE COVID-19 testing. If you live or work in Wisconsin and have at least one symptom of COVID-19, you can be tested on Wednesday, May 20th at 11am to 7pm at Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua. For more information, call the Iron County Health Department at 715-561-2191.
Grown-up Story Hour: social distance edition

Since we can't get together for our monthly "Grown-Up Story Hour" in person, we're going to try another online version! Join us this month on Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m . for stories, poems, and essays in these strange times. Visit our website for a link to the online meeting via GoToMeeting .

If you'd like to read something, drop me an email at director@mercerpubliclibrary.org and let me know. It's fun, we're a friendly crowd, and everyone is welcome to give it a try!
More online events: Book clubs & Tech classes

Our book clubs have selected their June titles: our afternoon group is reading Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg, and our evening group is reading Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. Both will meet on June 9 (note the changed date this month) using GoToMeeting. All are welcome to join us! Call the library for curbside pickup of a copy of either book.

I also have two more Thursday tech classes this month. These will be live GoToMeeting events where you can ask questions and chat. If you have any suggestions for future classes, I'd be glad to hear them!
  • Thursday 5/21 at 1pm - Windows 10 Tips & Tricks
  • Thursday 5/28 at 1pm - Craigslist 101

**To join any of our live online events, check out the events page on our website and click on the event in the calendar, then click the link to join the meeting.**

You can also check out our new online group at Goodreads for a place to chat about our current book club titles or anything else you're reading.
Curbside pickup service

The Mercer Library is still offering curbside pickup service, Monday-Friday 10am to 4pm or by appointment.

How does it work?
  1. Let us know what you need by calling 715-476-2366, emailing director@mercerpubliclibrary.org or requesting items in our online catalog. We'll schedule a pickup time for you.
  2. Drive up to the library and give us a call to let us know you're here. Stay in your car!
  3. We'll bring your materials out to our curbside service table. Wait until we've moved away to get out of your car and grab your things.

What about returning my books and movies?
  • All items have been renewed until at least June. If you do want to return some library items, please place them in our book drop. We are instituting a 72-hour quarantine of all returned items to help ensure the safety of our staff and library patrons.

What can you get?
  • Anything that's physically in our library including books for all ages, DVDs, books on CD, board games, and puzzles.
  • Seeds from our seed library. Check out our website for a list of the seeds we have available.

What's NOT available?
  • Our delivery service is still very limited, so we cannot request items from other libraries.

What's the catch?
Online library resources

  • Wisconsin's Digital Library has ebooks and audiobooks for download. (Get the "Libby" app to use them on your smartphone or tablet, too. iOS | Android)
  • Gale Courses offers hundreds of free, 6-week classes on a huge variety of topics.
  • Badgerlink offers content databases for consumers, genealogists, student researchers, teachers, and everyone else.
  • Ancestry Library Edition is available for genealogy research at home through the end of May. You'll need to know where to find it and what password to use, so see our website for that information.

You may need your library card number to access these resources. If you don't know your number, email director@mercerpubliclibrary.org and we'll look it up for you.

If you don't already have a library card, you can now register for a card online and get immediate access to our digital services. Video instructions are on this Digital Resources page on our website , or you can go directly to the self-registration form .
Visit the Mercer Library website

The Mercer Public Library website gives you access to library services from home, plus links to other online information and entertainment that could be useful.

  • The COVID-19 Resources page includes links to reliable sources about the COVID-19 virus, financial resources, and more.
  • The "Safer at Home" page has fun and educational online activities for all ages, from young children to adults. Hopefully some of these resources will help you stay entertained, educated, and connected while you are at home this month.
  • The Digital Library Resources page contains links to all of our online services available anywhere, as well as brief video instructions for some services.
Mercer Public Library | 715-476-2366 | director@mercerpubliclibrary.org | mercerpubliclibrary.org
Winter hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9am - 5pm; Tuesday, Thursday 9am-6pm; Saturday 9am-noon