Published on 27 April 2020

Your library at home

Residents of all ages are continuing to enjoy the resources available from Onkaparinga libraries despite the premises closing to the public in March in the interest of safety during the coronavirus pandemic.

Council has curated a special website called Your Library at Home dedicated to the free online resources that can be accessed while the libraries are closed.

“We are always adding new resources to the website that will help young people and adults stay mentally active at home,” says Hub Library Team Leader Julie Morgon.

The call and collect service allows the community to access their chosen reading materials from the libraries at Aldinga, Aberfoyle Park (the Hub), Noarlunga, Seaford, Willunga and Woodcroft.

“Items held in the Onkaparinga library catalogue are available to search online from home, either via the council website or the Libraries SA app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play,” Julie says.

Customers can place a hold on the books or magazines they want to read, or call the library during normal opening hours to reserve the items. A notification is sent by email or text message when the items are available for collection from the customer’s chosen library.

The customer then needs to call the site to arrange a time to come to the library entrance and collect the materials, which will be left waiting with his or her name attached.

“Library staff are happy to provide support over the phone if anyone is having trouble accessing the library catalogue or other online services from their device,” Julie says.

Older people or people with a disability who are self-isolating or who don’t drive are encouraged to call the Noarlunga Library on 8384 0655 and ask about having their chosen books delivered to their home. Where the need is identified and agreed upon, the council’s library van is available to take items to the resident’s door.

The libraries have also started recording their storytime sessions for young children and families to enjoy together at home.

The sessions, and a range of other free resources, are available online.

“We are aiming to record one storytime each day, where a staff member will read a book or sing a song,” Julie says. “There are lots of other free resources for people to discover, including live author streams and virtual book clubs.”

The book chutes attached to all six Onkaparinga libraries remain open for items to be returned. Staff are isolating the returned items before processing to ensure they are not handled for at least 24 hours.

MORE INFORMATION
onkaparingacity.com/Around-me/Libraries

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Residents of all ages are continuing to enjoy the resources available from Onkaparinga libraries despite the premises closing to the public in March in the interest of safety during the coronavirus pandemic.