'Library Everywhere' serves Vernon Area patrons

In mid-March, when Vernon Area Public Library closed its doors as a preventive measure against COVID-19, library personnel swung into action to continue delivering services to cardholders and the greater public, even without a building.

Though a variety of 24/7 library offerings have been around as long as the e-book, these "always open" services are now the main way that cardholders access the library's collection of reliable information, entertainment and learning tools.

With this in mind, Vernon Area moved quickly to develop its "Library Everywhere" plan to keep patrons engaged and connected while sheltering in place. The plan includes promoting and broadening existing library resources, tweaking others and adding new services to provide what the public needs now.

Along with e-books and audio books, popular offerings like online learning resources and quality streaming entertainment for kids are prominently highlighted on the library's website.

TumbleBook and ScienceFlix, both interactive e-book educational platforms, saw heavy use in March, as did Kanopy, a movie and documentary streaming service that also includes The Great Courses.

The library added a new streaming platform, Access Video On Demand, to broaden viewing choices for patrons young and old.

The library is also hosting a steady stream of events on Facebook Live, Zoom and YouTube. These online programs provide everyone, including non-cardholders, with much-needed points of connection.

"So many of our patrons visit the library regularly for programs like story times and concerts, we couldn't imagine not offering events, even now," library Director Cynthia Fuerst said.

Programs have been enthusiastically received, with at-capacity registrations for many, including a Florence Nightingale historical re-enactment, a beer-tasting that included an optional beer flight from Half Day Brewery in Lincolnshire, and a cooking program with local chef Susan Maddox, who showed viewers how to make dishes using pantry staples.

After the Nightingale program, one patron thanked the library for "keeping us smart."

The little ones are part of the extension of programming, too. Early learning librarians present live story times six days a week at 10 a.m. on Facebook, where they share read-alouds, songs, rhymes and simple movements with pre-K children and their families. It's not unusual for upward of 1,000 people to watch.

"It's a daily dose of goodness and positivity that we all need, regardless of age," library spokesperson Catherine Savage said.

All-new services like Ferguson's Career Guidance Center and World Almanac for Kids are being trialed as many patrons consider job prospects in a pandemic-stricken economy or help their children learn while schools are shuttered.

Longtime patron favorites like Morningstar, a resource for investors, and Gale Courses, an e-learning platform, are getting heavier use as people read up on the market and add to their skill sets.

Patrons can also communicate with a librarian from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Information professionals are available to answer questions, make book recommendations, help with digital services or provide other assistance via chat, text or telephone. Access these services at www.vapld.info/contact-us.

With the building closed, the library developed a backlog of daily newspapers and monthly magazines. These are being redirected by mail to Alden of Long Grove, Sunrise of Buffalo Grove and other in-district senior residential facilities. The deliveries will also include books withdrawn from the library collection before the mid-March closure, as well as advance reader copies, which publishers send to librarians before books are published.

"Residents at area senior centers rely heavily on the library's physical materials," Fuerst said. "These magazines and books help fill a need until our Senior and Homebound Services team can begin making deliveries again."

The library has looked at everything in the building to see if it can be repurposed to help. In late March, a supply of face masks and gloves was redirected to first responders in Lincolnshire and Buffalo Grove.

One of the library's 3-D printers has been recommissioned to make headbands for face guards as part of a joint project between Reaching Across Illinois Library Systems and Amita Health, which operates a network of Chicagoland hospitals.

Staff relocated public Wi-Fi access points to the library's windows in order to broadcast a signal into the parking lot.

Vernon Area Public Library is one of about 20 public Wi-Fi access points in Lake County providing drive-up internet access, according to an Illinois State Board of Education directory.

The library also maintains an information page on the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to prevention, what to do if you're sick, statistics and how to get or give help. Access it at www.vapld.info/coronavirus.

However long the stay-at-home order lasts, Vernon Area staff continue to work with dedication on "Library Everywhere" initiatives, to fulfill the public library's mission of providing free and unfettered access to knowledge.

Library services may be accessed at www.vapld.info. In-district residents who do not have library cards may get digital cards now at www.vapld.info/card.