LYNNFIELD — Although the Lynnfield Public Library remains closed to the public, there nonetheless, are plenty of things it is offering to help people fill the hours of, not just the day, but the night as well.
“While we are closed, staff are working behind the scenes to offer various digital ways to keep the library running until we are open and eagerly checking out books again,” said Nicole Goolishian, Head of Technical Services. “We miss (everyone) all very much and look forward to getting back to the Library!”
The library is open 24/7 online to provide residents with thousands of books, videos, music CDs and learning opportunities. To access any of the following items, users will need a current library card and PIN number. For those residents who do not currently have a library card but want to access online resources, the library has temporarily waived the in-person requirement to show identification and proof of residency.
To sign up for a library card or set up a PIN number, email your full name, street address, telephone number and birthdate to the library at [email protected], which will issue a temporary library card number and PIN, which will allow access to online offerings. The card will expire in three months, but can be transferred to a permanent card at a later time when the library reopens to the public. Library staff are available for questions or assistance at (781) 334-5411
If you have simply never had the time to search your family tree, perhaps now is the time as, through the end of May, Ancestry Library Edition is being offered for at-home use for the first time. Powered by Ancestry.com, Ancestry Library Edition offers library users the unique opportunity to search millions of records at the click of a button.
If you are interested in learning a new craft, Creativebug is the place for you, offering more than 5,000 arts and crafts tutorials taught by skilled professionals. Among the topics Creativebug offers are knitting, jewelry making, quilting, baking, and many more.
Hoopla, a web and mobile library media streaming platform for audio books, comics, e-books, movies, music, and TV allows library patrons to download or stream media content on your smartphone, tablet, computer, or television.
To create accounts for Hoopla, Creativebug or Ancestry Library Edition, go to https://www.lynnfieldlibrary.org/databases/.
OverDrive and recently released Libby by OverDrive are free apps that allow users to bring thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks available straight to their smartphones, tablets, e-readers, or computers. Libby is touted as making eBook and eAudio use quicker, more enjoyable and less complicated. It was designed to allow users mobile access to the OverDrive collection of titles. To create a Libby account go to https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/.
RBDigital Magazines offers more than 70 digital magazines on subjects ranging from finance to cooking to news. Among the magazines available are The New Yorker, Us, Newsweek, Vanity Fair. Food Network, Bon Appetit, TV Guide, and, for the kids, Highlights. RBDigital has expanded its offerings with five new weekly services , including: Acorn TV, live streaming British films and television shows; live streaming movies from IndieFlix; The Great Courses Library Collection; Pongalo, Spanish language entertainment, Qello Concerts, a collection of concert films and music documentaries. To create a free account, go to https://www.rbdigital.com/thelibrarynetwork.
Youth Services Librarian Lauren Fox is offering special online programming for children every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. New story time videos featuring picture book read-alouds and songs will be posted every Wednesday morning on Facebook. For older kids, tweens, and teens, tune in Monday and Friday to listen to Lauren read I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day. For those without Facebook accounts, email Fox at [email protected] to receive weekly emails with the videos.
The library is also offering One-on-One technology sessions via phone of email.
For information on other future virtual events, check the library’s calendar at www.lynnfieldlibrary.org.
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
