(Editor’s note: At the time of this submission, branches of the County of Prince Edward Public Library were remaining open. As a result of the State of Emergency declared by Premier Doug Ford, libraries across Ontario are closed until March 31 however, many resources are available online.)
By now, you may have heard that, with regret, the County of Prince Edward Public Library has cancelled all programs for the time being to limit the spread of COVID-19.
At the time of writing this, new information is coming out quickly and we are in contact with the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, the municipality and other libraries to ensure we are following best practices.
If you are unwell or are self-quarantining please do not feel compelled to come to the library to return your materials. Call us at (613) 476-5962 and we will be happy to renew your materials.
We do not charge late fees.
We have temporarily suspended our home delivery program and the loan of instruments. For the latest information about changes to library service, call us or visit our website at peclibrary.org.
If you are staying home, you may be interested to know that the library has an assortment of online services that you can access from your tablet, smartphone or computer using your library card and PIN.
If you do not yet have a card you can register online at peclibrary.org and call us after registering to get your card number during library hours. All of the online resources can be accessed by visiting peclibrary.org. Ancestry.com Library Edition is a genealogy resource that is only available from the library’s internet connection.
Our WIFI is always available.
All of the other online services can be accessed anywhere you have internet access. The resources include Kanopy, which is “thoughtful entertainment”. It allows you to stream films, including the Criterion collection and documentaries. You can use your Roku or Amazon Fire device to view these on your television if you have them. You might be surprised at the interesting content available there that you can’t get from other streaming services. There are even educational films for children.
Overdrive provides access to downloadable ebooks and audio books that you can borrow just like a library book but without leaving the comfort of your home if you have an internet connection and device.
The Libby app is available in the app store or Google Play. Hoopla allows you to access comic books, the latest new music, movies and ebooks. It’s “action view” for graphic novels provides a close up look at each frame in a comic image. If you are interested in learning a new language, Mango Languages is an online resource that teaches, in a friendly conversational format. If you need help using any of these devices we are happy to assist over the phone. Call the Computer Lab at (613) 476-5962.
Currently one-on-one in person lessons are paused to avoid spread of the virus, but typically one-on-one lessons are available for free at any branch of the library. For the latest information on any changes to library services we encourage you to call us or visit the library’s website peclibrary.org for the latest update.
-Liz Zylstra