Warm greetings to you.
We sincerely hope this finds you and your family well. It has been a hard month, and although the library doors are closed, we are still here for you.
What have we been up to the last weeks? Fortunately, all the librarians are healthy and are working at home to help patrons get through this time. Specifically:
- Librarians are calling Phoenicia patrons who are seniors, to check in and ask if they need anything, either community services or help using all our online resources. There are over 150 seniors on our list. Please let us know if you don’t hear from us and need anything.
- We are working on moving as many in-person events to virtual events and staying connected on social media. Please see our program listing below, or go to our Facebook page for all our free virtual events. If you need help getting into our virtual events, please reach out to us and we will walk you through step by step.
- Every day we check phone messages at 688-7811 and email at phoenicialibrary@gmail.com, and answer patrons’ questions. Please make sure to reach out, even if it’s just to say hi.
- We are offering 1:1 help for patrons via telephone if you need help figuring out any of our online resources. Just call and leave a message at 688-7811 or email us at phoenicialibrary@gmail.com – and we will call you back shortly.
- We have set up online library registration for people who would like to start using our online resources but don’t have a library card. So if you have a friend who doesn’t yet have a library card, tell them they can instantly receive a virtual account and start downloading free ebooks, taking classes, etc. Most every library in the Mid Hudson Library System now offers this to their patrons.
Free Online Resources:
We have so many online resources available to you 24/7. Here’s some but not all of our resources below. If you need your PIN updated or other questions call the library at 688-7811 and leave a message. We’ll get right back to you.
Ebooks and Audiobooks– we have thousands of books available to download to your phone or computer. If you haven’t given this a try, please do. We have found that the Libby App is a great way to access these materials, or you can go to Overdrive. Any questions, contact us and we will walk you through on the phone step by step!
Kanopy – 5 plays a month – choose from 30,000 thought-provoking documentaries, classics from the Criterion Collection, and learning experiences with The Great Courses.
Universal Class – free online classes from aromatherapy to accounting.
TumbleBooks extended ebook offerings for all ages. They have provided full access to all patrons their online books for K-6 including math, teen book cloud, ebooks for all ages, and romance ebook library.
Digital Magazines – dozens of your favorite magazines to choose from. No due dates!
Mango Language Learning – if you’ve got time on your hands why not learn a language.
Streaming Channels – 7 days a month of streaming your favorite channel. Choose from Acorn TV, The Great Courses, Indieflix, Quello Concerts, or Pongalo (telenovellas).
Need help understanding how to use these resources? Try Ulster County Niche Academy Patron page.
For now, the Library building will remain closed to the public. Our official reopen date is currently May 1st but most likely we will have to extend this to a later date. Please note that the board of trustees is meeting by Zoom. Please go to our Facebook page or website to join our trustee meetings which, as always, are open to the public.
If you have questions or need help, please feel free to reach out to us.
We miss you and please stay well. This won’t last forever and the day we meet again will be such a happy one for us.
Liz Potter
Director
