View from the Library
Time flies at the library
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Where did March go? Things have been a little crazy for us at the library, but so many exciting things are happening this month. At the beginning of March, we moved library operations into the western end of the United Methodist Church at 301 16th Ave. E. (you can park anywhere in the parking lot and the church is still having regular services on Sundays). We have a great setup here with three public computers, printing, Wi-Fi, our device charging stations, our multi-purpose machine for copies, color printing and faxing, all of our new books and a selection of our older books, all of our DVDs, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers. We also have our special checkout items like our Wi-Fi hotspots, NASA backpacks, the Starry Night kit and more. There is a great setup for kids with a small play area and a dedicated room for our Monday and Thursday morning programs (start at 9:15 a.m.). Things are moving along and we are excited to see everyone visit us in our new space. Visit our website for details and to find out about our virtual program on wild mushroom hunting happening April 20.
We have had several people ask us – “is this it?” Yes, it is for now. We are very fortunate to be able to be in a space large enough to have any of our collection available. We will continue to add new items to our collection while in our temporary space. While we may not have a very large browsing selection of books, we do still have access to hundreds of thousands of items through our Partners membership. Our library is part of the Partners Sharing Group of the Montana Shared Catalog. We share with nearly 40 other libraries across Montana – from Eureka to Glendive. Missoula, Kalispell, and most recently, Great Falls are all part of this sharing system. There is no charge to you to borrow from any of the Partner libraries. You can go onto the Montana Shared Catalog website or use our Montana Shared Catalog app to browse the selection and place your own holds, or just stop in, give us a call or send us an email and we will gladly place holds for you. It typically takes a few days to get items from Missoula or Kalispell. If you’re really in a browsing mood, visit any of the Partner libraries and use your Polson card to checkout. You can return the books there or to us. Super easy and a great way to get the materials you want. You can find a list of all of the Partners libraries on our website.
So, what’s happening with the library in April? Demolition and construction will likely begin this month if permits are received. Our outdoor book drop at the library building will only be available for a little bit and then all items will need to be returned to our temporary location at the church or to one of our Partner libraries. At this time, we will not have an after-hours book drop available at the church. We are having trouble finding a temporary option that is weatherproof and secure. We are fine-free for books, magazines, DVDs and audiobooks, so if you can’t make it in by the due date you won’t be charged.
We had a very successful surplus sale in February, but we do still have several items available that need to be removed from the building. On Friday, April 7, from 9:30 a.m. to noon we will open the library building up at 2 First Ave. E for anyone interested in these items (use the meeting room entrance on First Street E). If you can’t haul away that morning, you can tag items to be removed later, but they must be gone before demo starts (date TBD). Pickup will be by appointment Monday – Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Remaining items will be discarded by the construction crew, so we’d rather see them used than at the dump. A few things will have a price, but most just needs to go. Of course, donations for our project are always welcome. Things like the outdoor book drop, the people cutouts over the entrance, cabinets, SMARTboard for parts, older tech equipment, adjustable height desks, full-size refrigerator, tables, study carrels, and shelving – as well as some other miscellaneous items. Please visit our website and our Renovation FAQ page for more information on this project and to watch its progress.
Our hours are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at our temporary location. We are closed on Saturday, April 8, for the Easter weekend. Curbside pickup is available for everyone during open hours. Please call us at 406-883-8225 or email us at: polsoncl@polson.lib.mt.us with questions or to request curbside pickup. Visit our website at :www.northlakecountylibrary.org for more info.
