LIBRARY UPDATES
UPDATE 5/20/2020: Returns update! We will begin accepting returns on Wednesday, May 27 during curbside pickup hours (Noon-2pm Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays). Please place your items in the marked bins outside the main parking lot entrance. No hurry to return your items all at once! Items are not due until at least July 1, and we are a fine-free library. The book drop itself remains closed.
UPDATE 5/14/2020: We know many of you are wondering how the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision affects the Spring Green Community Library. Since closing, staff and the library board have been working on a plan to safely reopen with a phased approach, and we are currently waiting on further guidance from the Department of Public Instruction and SCLS. We look forward to opening our doors, but will do so in a way that protects the safety and health or our staff, patrons, and community. In the meantime we continue to offer virtual library cards, access to thousands of electonic resources, curbside pickup, and "Dial-a-Librarian" service. Watch this page and Facebook for further updates, and stay well!
UPDATE 5/6/2020: We have now added Saturdays as an option for curbside pickup! Curbside is now available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from noon-2pm.
UPDATE 4/23/2020: We are excited to announce that we will be resuming curbside pickup service for items currently on our shelves!
Curbside service is for pick up only - no returns will be accepted. Please hold onto items you currently have checked out. The book return remains closed, due dates will be automatically extended, and we are a fine-free library.
To support social distancing efforts, the library is operating with limited staff. Staff will fill your holds as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
STEP ONE: Place your items on hold.
• Use our website, www.springgreenlibrary.org, to search the library catalog. Be sure to click “Spring Green” in the “Available on the Shelf” section, as SCLS van service remains suspended. Or, call us at 608-588-2276 between noon and 2pm Mondays through Fridays, and we will place your holds for you.
• You will be notified via an automated email, text, or phone call when your order has been pulled.
STEP TWO: Call the library and tell us you’re ready to pick up.
• After you receive notification, call us at 608-588-2276 to schedule a pick up. Phones are currently answered noon until 2pm, Mondays through Fridays. Available pick up times are noon-2pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. EDIT 5/6: We are now offering Saturday pickup as well!
• Staff will check your items out to you and place them on a cart outside of the building at your designated pick up time.
• Patrons with existing holds (placed before the library closed or since) also need to call to schedule a pick up.
STEP THREE: Pick up your items.
• Holds will be on a cart outside of the parking lot library entrance. Your name will be on your item(s).
• Grab your item(s) and enjoy! Please keep your materials until the library and/or book drop re-opens.
Pickups will be rescheduled if there is inclement weather.
If you need further assistance, library staff are here to help! Call us at 608-588-2276 or email lthomas@springgreenlibrary.org.
UPDATE 3/27/2020: The library is now offering virtual library cards to help you access the world of e-resources available to patrons during this difficult time. Click here for more info and to apply for a card!
UPDATE 3/23/2020: Given the "shelter in place" order being issued by the Governor's office, the book drop will be closing. We will continue to be available to answer your questions between noon and 2pm this Monday through Friday (3/23-27). If we don't pick up please leave a message and we will return your call ASAP during those hours: 608-588-2276. WiFi remains active and is accessible from our parking lot.
UPDATE 3/21/2020. Today is the final day of curbside pickup. Items will be outside library doors between noon and 2pm. Please pick up your holds. Unfortunately we are not able to take further materials requests at this time.
We will be answering phones between noon and 2pm this Monday through Friday. Call with your questions regarding e-resources or just to hear a friendly voice. 608-588-2276.
UPDATE 3/17/2020. We are happy to announce that we will be offering curbside pickup of library materials this Friday and Saturday (3/20 and 3/21) from Noon-2pm. Items will be checked out to you, put in a bag, and ready for pick-up outside library doors.
Request items by putting them on hold through the library catalog or by email. The catalog is accessible via our website: www.springgreenlibrary.org
We are also more than happy to pull together books, DVDs, music, and magazines based on your interests. Like Large-Print fiction? In the mood to binge watch 80s classics? Need some children's books to keep the kiddos reading? Or maybe audiobooks are your thing? Email your request to lthomas@springgreenlibrary.org
All materials (including items already checked out) have a new due date of May 1. If you would like to return items the book drop remains open for now, though we would prefer you enjoy them until the library re-opens.
Stay tuned for more info on library services during this extraordinary time. And stay well!
UPDATE 3/16/2020. The library is closed effective immediately. The library board is meeting tomorrow, and updates will be posted here and on our Facebook page. Our book drop is open for the moment, though you are welcome to hold onto your materials. We are a fine-free library, and all libraries have agreed to waive fines occuring during the pandemic. Stay well everyone.
UPDATE 3/14/2020. There will be a special meeting of the library board at 5 PM on Tuesday, March 17 to discuss library response to COVID-19.
UPDATE 3/13/2020. All library programming for the month of March has been cancelled. Beginning Monday we will institute a "Bag It" program through which you can request books online and have them ready for pickup outside our door. Stay tuned for more info.
03/12/2020. Yesterday afternoon the Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services reported six confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wisconsin, and earlier today Governor Evers declared a public health emergency for the entire state. Please know that we at the Spring Green Community Library are taking the health of our community and staff very seriously. Our current plan is to prioritize the safety and health of our staff and patrons, while planning ahead for changing circumstances.
We are actively monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 to respond with actions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health officials. We have no current plans to limit the library’s hours of service, but recognize the situation may quickly change and require a different response.
We are also taking precautionary health measures. These include sharing sources for credible COVID-19 information:
- Visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 website: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm
- Visit the Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
- Visit the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 website: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- Call the Sauk County Coronavirus telephone hotline, (608) 355-3200 with questions.
- Call the UW Health COVID-19 telephone hotline, (608) 720-5300, which is currently staffed from 7am – 11pm.
- Visit the Sauk County Health Department online: https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/publichealth
Our library is professionally cleaned twice a week. Disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and tissues are available to everyone in multiple places throughout the library. Staff are disinfecting frequently touched surfaces in the library, such as service desks, countertops, and doorknobs, at every shift change.
School and home delivery visits are continuing. If you would like to temporarily suspend these services, give us a call at 608-588-2276 or email us: lthomas@springgreenlibrary.org.
The Friends of the Spring Green Community Library group has decided to postpone their "Chocolate Lab" fundraiser, and the Sauk County ADRC will be rescheduling its "Stepping On" Fall Prevention Program. At this time, the library will continue to offer all other regularly-scheduled events and programs. As the public health situation changes daily, we commit to keeping you informed of any changes.
In the meantime, we encourage everyone to:
- Stay home at any sign of sickness, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, or other flu-like symptoms.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Cough and sneeze in the crook of your elbow, or a tissue, then throw that tissue in the trash and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Take advantage of online resources available to Spring Green Community Library cardholders.
ACCESS the SPRING GREEN COMMUNITY LIBRARY FROM HOME
Finding yourself at home is the perfect opportunity to explore the variety of electronic resources available to you through our online resources page: https://www.springgreenlibrary.org/online-resources.
From there you can access:
Overdrive Digital Audio and e-Books: Digital audio books and ebooks for all ages! Read online with computers, MP3 players, and ebook readers. Not sure what to read next? Get some help from…
NoveList Reading Recommendations: Even when you can’t get a recommendation from your favorite librarian, EBSCO’s NoveList Plus is the next best thing, as it provides hand-crafted recommendations and “read-alikes” from actual librarians and other book experts. So never fear! Your next favorite book is just a few clicks away.
Transparent Language Online Language Courses: It’s never a bad time to learn a new language, and with over 70 languages to choose from - from Arabic to Yiddish - Transparent Language for Libraries is one of the easiest ways to teach yourself a foreign language online, with interactive lessons which emphasize conversational skills and cultural education.
Kanopy Movie Streaming: Kanopy has thousands of titles you can stream for free, from cinema classics to indie films, including documentaries and foreign films.
Ancestry Library Online Genealogy: Online genealogy can be a fun and educational family activity, as you are able to introduce your children to your roots in a way that can make the past come alive. Library users are able to use ancestry.com from the comfort of their own homes. Search U.S. and Canadian Census and immigration records, vital records from all over the world, military records, and multimedia collections including family photos postcards, gravestone images, and historic newsreels.
Online Storytimes and Read-Alouds: For those home with children and/or teens, there are a variety of online storytimes and read-alouds available. Some of our favorites are compiled on author Kate Messner’s blog: https://cutt.ly/Qtdx9W4
Please feel free to give us a call with any questions about electronic resources: 608-588-2276.
Thank you for helping to keep the Spring Green Community Library a healthy place. As always, please let us know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns.
