Building reopened to the public – holds pick-up still available
MOUNTAIN HOME, ARK. – The Donald W. Reynolds Library Serving Baxter County is reopening. Library hours are Monday – Saturday, 10:00am – 3:00pm. These adjusted Library hours will allow staff time to re-shelf items and sanitize surfaces at the end of each day.
Holds pick-up service is still available in the Library foyer Monday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm. Patrons can place items on hold by accessing their account on the Library’s website or calling the Library at 870-580-0987. They will be notified when the items are ready for pickup.
Before visiting the Library, patrons are asked to make note of the Library’s safety procedures, including wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Initially, visitors can expect building occupancy limits and visit time limits. In order to ensure the safety of Library patrons, meeting and study rooms are currently closed. Public computers and copiers will not be available for the first few weeks. All returned items are quarantined for before recirculating.
The Bookworms Café at the Library is also reopening for inside dining and following state directives for restaurants.
With regular donations down and a decrease in state funding due to COVID-19, the Library was grateful to receive a COVID-19 Recovery Grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation to help with costs of reopening safely. The grant will help with COVID-19 related expenses, including the installation of plexi-glass shields and the purchase of masks and sanitizing supplies.
The Friends of the Library are holding a silent auction to raise much needed funds for the Library. Auction items are on display at the Library entrance. Visitors can enter their bids in the bidding notebook. Bidding ends July 29 at 1pm.
Children’s Programs
Though summer programs look a bit different this year, the Library is still the community source for summer reading and family fun. This year’s summer reading theme is “Imagine Your Story.” Children, Tweens, and Teens can track their summer with the new, READsquared app for fun prizes. Visit baxlib.org to get the app. Check the calendar at baxlib.org for virtual summer programs for children, including a fun shadow puppet workshop and special shows. Families can also enjoy a weekly, virtual story time on the Library’s Facebook page.
Adult Programs
The READsquared app features a summer reading challenge for adults. Plus, beginning in July, the “Issues & Viewpoints” and “All Booked” book clubs will meet via Zoom. The July book for Issues & Viewpoints is Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything by Kevin Cook, and the All Booked book club will be reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. Visit the calendar at baxlib.org for dates, times, and Zoom log-in instructions. Both book discussions are open to everyone, and you can join at any time. Multiple copies of the books are available at the Library, and digital copies are available for checkout at baxlib.org.
To access the eBook collection, visit baxlib.org and click on the “Books & More” tab on the homepage, or download the Libby app and log in with your library card number. To get a Library card to access eBooks, visitors can stop by the Library in person or call 870-580-0987, Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 5:00pm, and a Library staff member will issue you a card number and PIN.
Apron Chronicles Exhibit Run Extended
The Apron Chronicles exhibit which went on display at the Library earlier in the year has been held over through July 31, thanks to EllynAnne Geisel, the curator of the exhibit. Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections is a nostalgic, thought provoking and generational-friendly traveling exhibition. The exhibit presents the American experience through 21 photographs by Kristina Loggia, accompanying EllynAnne Geisel’s stories and vintage apron collection. Utilizing the apron as a symbol immediately recognized by everyone, Apron Chronicles explores the people behind the aprons and is ultimately more about life than fabric.
