These days everything is available curbside — dinner, groceries, crafting supplies—now library books join the list! Introducing Stark Library to Go, an easy and safe way to reserve and pick up materials at your favorite branches.
Now you can reserve materials online or by phone and then reserve a pick-up time. You’ll receive notification by email, text, or phone when your materials are ready. Next, you just schedule a pick-up appointment using an easy-to-use online service and holds will be available for pick up in a plastic bag for your safety and convenience.
Library to Go Service debuted at Main Library on June 1, with a pilot so we could streamline our processes and ensure it was as safe as possible for our staff and patrons as we proceed into Phase 2.
“In today’s world of remote workers and social distancing, we’ve really had to take a look at the way we serve our patrons. The needs of the community are changing rapidly,” said Mary Ellen Icaza, CEO/Executive Director of Stark Library. “The Library to Go service will be the bridge from virtual services to our eventual reopening. We miss our patrons, but we want to be sure we are meeting their new needs safely and to the best of our abilities.”
All Stark Library buildings have been closed to the public since March. With regard to safety, the Library is using a Phased approach to reopening. The first Phase was offering extended virtual services, but one of the most asked questions the Library received during the closure was, “when can I pick up items from the Library again?”
Beginning June 15, Library to Go Service, will be available by appointment only at all of our branches!
Pick up is available at scheduled times only. Patrons will receive a notification with instructions on how to schedule an appointment. Buildings are not open to public access, and we will not accept returns at these appointments.
“We know you’ve been anxious to return the materials that you have checked out,” said Mary Ellen Icaza. “Our buildings and book drops are still closed, but we are hosting special drop off times at each location. We will notify you via email and update social media with times and locations.”
Following the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Stark Library will quarantine all materials for 4 days after they are returned.
Even though buildings have been closed to the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Stark Library continued to offer virtual services and 24/7 WIFI access to the community. eMaterial usage has been very strong during the closure. Since March, many formats have seen a 20% - 50% increase and more than 7,720 users earning a total of 849 Lynda.com career certificates in April 2020!
The Library will continue offering virtual programming, like story times and the Summer Challenge, in the coming months. Stop by StarkLibrary.org, visit the blog, or follow us on social media for the latest news.
ABOUT THE LIBRARY
Inviting. Informing. Transforming. At Stark Library, we invite everyone into a welcoming place, inform them with resources that will help them grow, and then send them back out to change and transform the world. We think of this ongoing, lifelong process as OUR PURPOSE.
One of the 9 largest library systems in Ohio – and the county’s oldest library – Stark Library serves the community through 10 locations, six mobile libraries, and a 24/7 digital branch.
A 2009 winner of the prestigious National Medal for library service, Stark Library serves more than 240,000 residents, annually circulating nearly 4 million items from its 1.5 million item collection and providing access to an additional 66 million items from lending networks throughout Ohio. Each year the library presents more than 8,000 programs for 167,000 attendees and provides 228,399 computer sessions on the publicly available computers found in each branch. In 2019, Stark Library served nearly 2 million visitors at all locations and online.
For locations, hours or more information visit StarkLibrary.org or call 330.452.0665.
