Glasgow City-County Library Offering Online Services

Closing the Glasgow City-County Library was difficult, but important to keep people safe during this challenging time. Undoubtedly, it has had a huge impact on our patrons and community. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve and change, the library is working on ways to safely provide services as we begin to reopen in phases at some point in the future.

The Valley County Friends of the Library will be providing free grab-and-go bags Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the library, 408 3rd Ave. S. The bags will be left in front of the library during the designated time for community members to grab.

There will be bags available for families, which will include adult books as well as children books and family movies. There will also be bags available for adults, which will include a myriad of fiction and non-fiction books while a few bags will have movies included as well. We ask you to enjoy the materials and when safe to do so, share amongst your family and friends. When taking advantage of this event, please adhere to social distancing guidelines.

We have also turned our attentions to primarily providing information online. One of the earliest actions we took due to closing was to make our digital library unlimited. This allows patrons access to online materials from MontanaLibrary2Go without checkout restrictions. MontanaLibrary2Go offers a collection of downloadable and streaming audiobooks and eBooks. If you don’t have a library card, you can get a free one instantly by using your mobile phone number. All you need to do is log onto montana.overdrive.com to apply for a temporary card.

In addition, the library’s Wi-Fi is always on and can be accessed safely from the curbside while in your vehicle. The book drop re-opened this week too, allowing patrons to return items if they wish. However, it’s perfectly fine if patrons want to hold onto library materials until further reopening phases are in place. There will be no late fines for any of these items. Please be aware that all materials are being cleaned and quarantined for 72 hours prior to checking them in and re-shelving.

Libraries across the nation are offering virtual services and digital content to their communities. Every year in April people celebrate National Library Week (April 19-25, 2020). National Library Week is a time to commemorate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and library workers. The theme this year is, “Find the library at your place”. Check out our website at glasgowlibrary.org and Facebook page for virtual programming which includes plans for celebrating this year’s National Library Week.

While the future is still unclear, the Glasgow City-County Library is moving forward.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work on new ways to engage and serve the Valley County community and our patrons.