Come join our in-person, socially-distanced Outdoor Storytime for our youngest library friends, and the slightly older ones, too! We’ll be meeting each Wednesday from 10-10:30 a.m. in the Eckhart Public Library park, weather permitting, and reading the following stories.
August 12: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
August 19: The Wheels on the Bus
August 26: Mean Soup
Saturday, August 1, marks an important anniversary for the Eckhart Public Library staff and patrons – the 4 year anniversary of the library’s launch with the Evergreen Indiana Consortium, made up of over 125 other Indiana public libraries, school libraries, and more.
Started by a group of 20 collaborating libraries in 2007, Evergreen Indiana’s goal was to create an open-source library system that allowed members to share items, resources, and systems with one another. In the years that have followed, Eckhart Public Library patrons have participated in receiving just some of the consortium’s 7 million items, which includes items such as books across various ages ranges and formats, to new items in our Library of Things, such as cake pans and label makers.
During these times, Eckhart Public Library has been expanding curbside and home delivery services for patrons who feel more comfortable staying in their car or home – let us bring the benefits of Evergreen Indiana to you! If you are interested in receiving items this way, please visit the library’s website at epl.lib.in.us, and choose either curbside pick-up or home delivery on our home page for more information.
If you ever happen to be near another DeKalb County library, feel free to stop in – your Evergreen Indiana card works at all county libraries in the area.
Our library is so proud to have this wonderful system in place for our community and with our Evergreen Indiana partner libraries throughout the state. We hope to continue this wonderful partnership for years to come!
As part of our commitment to keep patrons safe and healthy, we are offering two exciting socially distant events next week!
Have you been enjoying our online Family Storytimes or Babies & Books Storytimes? Then we hope you’ll join us on Wednesday, July 15, for an Outdoor Storytime around our beautiful fountain! Our friends from both storytimes are invited to join us at 10 a.m. for fun stories, songs, and rhymes. Blankets for families to sit on will be laid out ahead of time and spaced apart to help us remain socially distant, but enjoy each other’s company.
We’ll also be having a special edition of our Teen Magic: The Gathering group on Thursday, July 16, beginning at 4 p.m. Teens can gather outside the main library to play this thrilling fantasy card game with friends! Never played before, or don’t have your own deck? No worries – our group can teach you how to play and will have decks to help you get started. We’ll be keeping this event safe and socially distant with extra wide table setups and limited players per table.
We hope we’ll see you at one of these fun events as we find ways to safely return to in-person programming!
Have you taken a moment to complete the Auburn 2040 Community Survey? Your answers can help shape the future of Auburn! Click here to share your thoughts.
The adventurous minds of Eckhart Public Library bring you EckhartQuest: a fantasy-themed scavenger hunt throughout Union Township! Can you find all five elements hidden in our domain? Using a map, your curiosity, hints and riddles hidden in books, and your iron will, you will seek Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, and Opal elements. What green groves, watery realms, shadowed haunts, or stoic plazas might you discover along the way?
A list of instruction, your special badge, and a handy map can be found at any public service desk or at epl.lib.in.us/eckhartquest
Best of all, you’ll be rewarded along the way for each step you take! Finding a new element allows you to enter in for one grand prize for Eckhart Public Library’s Read. Do. Explore program. If you’re able to find all 5 elements and bring in your completed badge to the library, you’ll be allowed to enter 10 more prize entries. And for our most savvy adventurers, the very first quest undertaker to bring in a completed badge gets 20 prize entries!
EckhartQuest brings together community partners to challenge your determination, knowledge, exploration, and skill!
Ready to accept your quest? Stop by the Eckhart Temple (Public Library) or visit epl.lib.in.us/eckhartquest to begin!
Eckhart Public Library is proud to announce the beginning of our Read. Do. Explore summer programming, called Imagine Your Story! This 8-week program will be full of fun programs, chances to win amazing prizes, and finally enjoying our Main Library once again. Read. Do. Explore is open to all ages, and a library card is not required to participate in the summer fun!
In years past, the library has kept busy by hosting a large variety of programs, including over 100 programs during last summer. However, to keep patrons and staff safe and healthy, Eckhart Public Library will be approaching this summer in a virtual way. Almost all programs for Imagine Your Story will take place through the library’s Facebook Page, through virtual Zoom meetings, or by submitting drawings or art online. Some of these programs will include usual favorites like Babies & Books, Family Storytime, and STEAM for Kids and Teens, as well as some new adventurous events like EckhartQuest, a fun hunt around Union Township all summer long. A full list of events can be found on the Read. Do. Explore website, epl.lib.in.us/rde, or a copy of the virtual booklet can be printed on-demand at any Eckhart Public Library Public Service Desk. Please note that all summer programming is subject to change based on circumstances, and we will do our best to make changes and inform the public as quickly as possible on our social media accounts. If you need assistance or information on a program, please call the library at (260) 925-2414 ext. 120.
Each summer, Eckhart Public Library also allows participants to enter in for chances at awesome grand prizes. This year, you can earn chances to win grand prizes by doing any of the following: fulfilling a personal reading goal; fulfilling a personal research goal; doing a random act of kindness or helpfulness; each time you attend a library program; and through each item you check out digitally through any streaming app. Participants can enter for prizes as often as they fulfill goals. In order to help those who may be going through a difficult time, some of our prizes are aimed at assisting our community, with some fun and exciting prizes as well. These prizes include: a Kindle Fire tablet; LEGO & DUPLO sets; Outdoor Fun Set; Eat Around Auburn Prize Pack; Drink Around Auburn Prize Pack; a $50 Gas Card; a Grocery Gift Card to Fresh Food Hub; a Walmart Gift Card; and A Day Out in Auburn Prize Pack. All prizes are open for any age to enter for, and the entry form can be found at epl.lib.in.us/rde. For patrons who would prefer not to use the internet to participate, a paper option will be available at Public Service Desks very soon, and patrons can call (260) 925-2414 ext. 508 and leave a message with their name, phone number, goal fulfilled, and prize they would like to enter in for.
Lastly, weekly prize books will still be available to all participants of Read. Do. Explore, but we are exploring ways to share a form of prize books to avoid necessary sanitization and cleaning of all prize books daily. We ask for your patience as we figure out this system in the coming weeks.
We hope you are as excited about this summer as we are! As always, if you have any questions about Read. Do. Explore or anything else, please contact us at (260) 925-2414 ext. 120 or by email at info@epl.lib.in.us
Eckhart Public Library was excited to announce earlier this week that our Main Library and Teen Library will be reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 26, with limited hours and services. Social distancing rules will be enforced and some services will be unavailable for the safety of our community. During this time, we’ll also continue to offer our curbside services. For more detailed information, click here.
If you need assistance with digital services, setting up home delivery, curbside services, and more, please reach out to us – we’re happy to help! Give us a call at (260) 925-2414 ext. 120 or email us at info@epl.lib.in.us
Eckhart Public Library will offer limited hours at its Main Library and Teen Library buildings beginning on Tuesday, May 26.
The library is working on responsibly phasing in services while following the guidelines of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Back on Track Indiana plan.
“It feels really good to be able to welcome people back into the library, even though we will have limited services right now,” said Assistant Director Jenny Kobiela-Mondor. “We are trying to be responsible and safe while also offering the community access to the library.”
The Main Library will be open for limited-contact services Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 1-7 p.m. The Teen Library will be open 3:30-7 on Tuesday and Thursday, and noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The first hour each day at the Main Library will be designated for high-risk people, including people older than 65 and immunocompromised individuals. To protect the community and staff, patrons are encouraged to stay home if they are not well.
People are also asked to wear masks when visiting Eckhart Public Library. The library has received donations from several people, including Auburn Alterations, Board Member Kari Ackerman, and staff members and their families, in order to be able to provide cloth face masks to anybody visiting the library. The masks, which members of the public may keep, are washable and reusable. The Centers for Disease Control, Indiana Department of Health, and DeKalb County Health Department recommend cloth face coverings when in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Staff will be wearing face masks when working with the public.
“We are thankful to our donors who are making it possible to get more face masks out into the community,” Kobiela-Mondor said. “They are an important way to help keep each other healthy.”
The library will also continue curbside services, with staff taking items to peoples’ cars and performing curbside document services from 9-11 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6 p.m., at the Main Library. People who have items on hold or who would like staff to pull certain items can call 260-925-2414 ext. 120 when they arrive at the library. People interested in learning more about the library’s delivery services can call the library at 260-925-2414 ext. 120.
The library will be set up a little bit differently when it reopens on May 26. People returning library items will be asked to return their items in a cart in the entryway. All returning items are quarantined for three days before being sanitized, checked in, and reshelved. No items will be due until July 1, in order to give extra time to people who still wish to remain at home during this time.
A limited number of computers will be available in the Close Community Room and Activity Room at the Main Library, set up so that computer users can observe social distancing. Computers will be for email, banking, e-government, job searching, education, and other such uses. Gaming will not be allowed at this time. Some seating will also be moved or removed in order to promote social distancing. Library service desks have also been equipped with sneeze guards, and self-checkouts are available on each level. The library also will clean high-touch surfaces often.
People who have specific needs can also call to set up a one-on-one appointment with a library staff member. In partnership with the Indiana Library Federation, Family and Social Services Administration, and Department of Workforce Development, Public Service staff have been trained to assist people in applying for benefits online, including unemployment benefits, SNAP food assistance, and TANF cash assistance. People can call 260-925-2414 ext. 120 to set up an appointment or visit our LibCal page to schedule an appointment.
Eckhart Public Library has continued to offer services to the public while buildings are closed. Eckhart Public Library is one of more than 350 libraries that is offering Wi-Fi access in parking lots and in areas around library buildings. For a map of participating libraries, visit https://www.ilfonline.org/general/custom.asp?page=Wi-Fi-map.
Eckhart Public Library has also offered expanded electronic resources, including expanding monthly checkout limits from digital service Hoopla, as well as offering items through OverDrive, Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy services. The library has also created more than 50 virtual programs that have been shared online and viewed more than 20,000 times; has invested in Niche Academy in order to offer tutorials about library services and databases on its webpage at epl.lib.in.us; and is a source of accurate, timely information about the COVID-19 pandemic. The library is also instrumental in setting up and hosting 19secondsofjoy.com, a website full of community resources related to the pandemic and stay-at-home order.
Eckhart Public Library management, administration, and Board of Trustees is continuing to work with the DeKalb County Health Department and follow guidance from the Indiana State Library, Indiana Library Federation, Indiana Department of Health, American Library Association, and Centers for Disease Control, as library services are phased in.
Eckhart Public Library wants to thank you for your enthusiasm and a very successful first week of curbside services, including pickup, drop off, and document services. We appreciate your kindness and patience as we continue to fine-tune this service to make it even better! Need more information on curbside pickup? Click here to learn more.
As always, Eckhart Public Library’s digital resources like Libby, Overdrive, Hoopla, and Kanopy are available with your library card 24/7. Kanopy is also extending their free viewing of Kanopy Kids programming through May 31, so if you haven’t checked it out, now is a great time! If you have any questions, the Eckhart Public Library is available at epl.lib.in.us, through email at info@epl.lib.in.us, by phone at (260) 925-2414 ext. 120, or through our Facebook page.
Earlier this week, Eckhart Public Library was proud to announce that they would be offering curbside services for item drop off, pickup, and document services. This will allow patrons to access traditional library services in a safe, convenient way. Drop off and pickup will be available from 9-11 a.m. and from 4-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. If you are interested in placing items on hold, or need directions about where to go for these services, please click here for more information.
As always, Eckhart Public Library’s digital resources like Libby, Overdrive, Hoopla, and Kanopy are available with your library card 24/7. Kanopy is also extending their free viewing of Kanopy Kids programming through May 31, so if you haven’t checked it out, now is a great time! If you have any questions, the Eckhart Public Library is available at epl.lib.in.us, through email at info@epl.lib.in.us, by phone at (260) 925-2414 ext. 120, or through our Facebook page.
AUBURN – Eckhart Public Library will begin to offer contactless curbside pickup of holds, returns of materials, and document services beginning on Monday, May 11.
The library is working on phasing in services while following the guidelines of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Back on Track Indiana plan.
“We have all been working so hard to refine processes to ensure the safety of all patrons and staff,” said Public Service Manager Darcy Davidson Armstrong. “We are grateful to be able to offer modified services.”
“The modern library is so much more than a building with books,” said the Indiana Library Federation in a press release. “Indiana’s libraries provide access to librarians and digital resources to keep Hoosiers informed, educated, enriched, and entertained through this unprecedented time. We look forward to phasing in our services safely and according to local needs and guidance.”
Library card holders may search for items through the Catalog link on the library’s homepage, at epl.lib.in.us, and put items on hold. They also may call the library at 260-925-2414, ext. 120, to request items. Those who aren’t sure what they want to read or watch next can even ask for items in a favorite genre, and staff will select several items to check out. The library is also implementing a Readers Advisory form on its website at epl.lib.in.us where patrons can request recommendations from specific staff members who share their reading tastes.
When items are ready, an Eckhart Public Library staff member will call to find out a preferred pickup window. Items can be picked up from 9-11 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. During the pickup window, items will be in a bag on a cart outside the Main Library, at 603 S. Jackson St., labeled with the first four letters of the cardholder’s last name and the last five digits of their library card number. Items will be checked out and ready to pick up. Some items will not be available to check out at this time, including puppets, items from the Library of Things, and other items that are deemed to be too bulky or difficult to sanitize.
People who want to return items are able to do so across the street from the Main Library, at the Willennar Administrative Annex at 212 W. 12th St. People are asked to place their items in the provided cart. The items will be quarantined for three days before being wiped down and checked in by staff. Therefore, items will still appear on patron accounts for at least three weekdays before being checked in. No items will be due until July 1, in order to give extra time to people who still wish to remain at home during this time.
The library will also offer contactless, curbside document services at no charge beginning Monday, May 11. People who need items printed can send print jobs to the library through the mobile printing feature on the library’s homepage at epl.lib.in.us or email prints to info@epl.lib.in.us. After items are sent, the patron should call the library at 260-925-2414 ext. 702 to let staff know to look for the print and schedule a pick-up time. When the print is ready, staff will put them on a cart outside the Main Library entrance for pickup.
Those who need to copy or fax can bring items to the cart outside the Main Library and call the library at 260-925-2414 ext. 702. After stepping at least six feet away from the cart, a staff member will retrieve the items, copy or fax them, and leave the documents on the cart.
Eckhart Public Library staff members are observing proper sanitation and cleanliness standards while working with patron items. In addition, all items being returned or sent from other libraries are being quarantined for three days, as recommended by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the CDC. Transmission from paper is considered to be a low risk by the CDC.
Eckhart Public Library has continued to offer services to the public while buildings are closed. Eckhart Public Library is one of more than 350 libraries that is offering Wi-Fi access in parking lots and in areas around library buildings. For a map of participating libraries, visit https://www.ilfonline.org/general/custom.asp?page=Wi-Fi-map.
Eckhart Public Library has also offered expanded electronic resources, including expanding monthly checkout limits from digital service Hoopla, as well as offering items through OverDrive, Libby, and Kanopy services. The library has also created more than 50 virtual programs that have been shared online and viewed more than 20,000 times, as well as being a source of accurate, timely information about the COVID-19 pandemic. The library is also instrumental in setting up and hosting 19secondsofjoy.com, a website full of community resources related to the pandemic and stay-at-home order.
Eckhart Public Library management, administration, and Board of Trustees is continuing to work with the DeKalb County Health Department and follow guidance from the Indiana State Library, Indiana Library Federation, Indiana Department of Health, American Library Association, and Centers for Disease Control, as library services are phased in.
