Library offers many programs online

Published 2:08 pm Saturday, April 11, 2020

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The Clark County Public Library’s doors are closed, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t operating during the coronavirus pandemic.

The library provides a wealth of material and programs that are available online.

“We are one of the most digital product-rich libraries per capita of any in the state,” Library Director Julie Maruskin said. “Our online library is extensive, and it is very high quality.”

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The Clark County library used several digital platforms, including Hoopla, RG Digital, which has formed a partnership with Acorn TV, Kanopy, which streams movies, and Kentucky Libraries Unbound.

Information about the online offerings is available at clarkbooks.org/online to any patron with a valid library card.

“We just have a lot of digital product access now,” she said.

Through Hoopla, for example, library patrons can get access to ebooks, audio books, graphic novels, films, television series and music.

Many of the library’s reference materials, such as those used for genealogy and local history research are also available online.

“We have 64 different periodicals available that come out the night before they hit the newsstands, and those stay on your device forever; they never disappear,” she mentioned.

Maruskin said the library has a story hour and teen programs it is doing online, and featured prominently on its website is a YouTube video she recorded about CCPL’s seed library program.

As of Friday, she still had about 48 seed kits to mail out.

“The only issue is if someone does not have access” online, the director said. “So what we’ve done at this point, with our remaining book budget for the year, is contact group homes to see if we can send them a brand-new drop collection that nobody has ever touched.”

She explained that the library’s new books are wrapped in plastic, which makes it easier to clean and disinfect them as soon as they are returned, but the books the library would donate to homes such as Rose Mary C. Brooks Place would be those that have never circulated.

Maruskin mentioned that the library has also donated some of its personal protective equipment to the Winchester Police Department and will give more to the Clark County Health Department.

“I hope people don’t think we’ve disappeared,” Maruskin said.

She said the library is working on strengthening its digital product and look for ways to strengthen other library services in ways that are safe.

About Randy Patrick

Randy Patrick is a reporter for Bluegrass Newsmedia, which includes The Jessamine Journal. He may be reached at 859-759-0015 or by email at randy.patrick@bluegrassnewsmedia.com.

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