COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020
THE CHRONICLE — 15
COPING WITH COVID-19
‘Zoom room’
Creswell Library creates online hub for kids, teens
BY GINI DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
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CRESWELL — A live
reading from L emony
S n i c k e t ’s “ T h e B a d
Beginning” kicked off
Creswell Library youth and
community services librar-
ian Nick Caum’s new online
chapter book reading and
chat on April 1.
It’s one of several activities
for kids and teens the library
has moved online via Zoom
while the physical library
remains closed.
“The Bad Beginning”
follows the three Baudelaire
siblings as they learn, follow-
ing the sudden death of their
parents, to depend on their
wits and each other when the
distant relative appointed to
be their guardian attempts to
steal their fortune – by any
means necessary.
On April 1, “Nick read
the first three chapters of
the book and gave partici-
pants a chance to ask ques-
tions, provide feedback on
the book and socialize with
one another before and after
the reading,” described
Megan Foote, whose chil-
dren Landon, 10, and Ava, 8,
participated.
Readings continue
Mondays and Wednesdays at
5 p.m., targeted to elementary
and early middle schoolers.
“ E ss ent ia l ly, it’s a
‘Storytime’ for older kids,”
Caum said. “We read a chap-
Creswell’s Lily Dumas engages with youth librarian
Nick Caum during the fi rst online Storytime.
KATHRYN DUMAS/PHOTO
ter or two, depending on
length. All ages are welcome,
but we keep the discussion to
the elementary-aged group.”
Virtual Storytimes using
Zoom began March 19 and
will continue “for the fore-
seeable future,” Caum said.
The free, online events
are structured similarly
to the library’s in-person
Storytimes and are held at
the same days and times.
Babytime, focusing on
babies and toddlers ages up
to 3, is held at 10:30 a.m.
on Tuesdays, offering 20
minutes of fun books, songs,
lap bounces, and fi ngerplays.
When you logging in,
“Be sure you are ready to
participate with your kiddo,”
Caum said. If you have an
older child joining, “it would
be good for them to have a
stuffed animal to use during
our lap bounces,” he added.
Storytime, designed for
preschoolers ages 3-5, is at 10
a.m. on Thursdays, featuring
longer books and songs.
Caum encourages adults to
show enthusiasm with their
child. “Shout out answers, get
into the books and songs, and
just have an all-around blast
with your kids,” he said.
Virtual Teen Book Club
meetings (Tuesdays at 7 p.m.)
began last week using Zoom,
with another held April 7.
The book under discussion
is Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
“We have also been able
to move our Teen Tabletop
program to an online format,”
Caum said. “I’ve had to make
a few adjustments to make
that work, but groups are able
to meet once a week to play
games together.”
Each week, each Zoom
activity has its own “meet-
ing” link. For now, patrons
shou ld ema i l (n ick@
c r e s w e l l - l i b r a r y. o r g ),
message or text Caum to get
a password to access a link
to “join” a specifi c activity.
Then, follow the link to
join on any device. Users will
be prompted by the link to
download the Zoom plug-in
for a computer or an app for
a smartphone or tablet.
“It’s very easy and it’s all
free to download,” Caum
said. He said applicants
need to message him before-
hand, “because only a limited
number can join each time.”
Response to the library’s
online offerings has been
good, with fi ve to 10 fami-
lies joining each event.
“People seem to be enjoy-
ing our events so far,” Caum
said. “It is hard to ‘read’ a
crowd through a computer
screen, but I have received
several positive comments,
and teens have also been
appreciative of our events
online. I think most people
are just happy to see and
interact with other people.”
More information about
the library’s online programs
is available on the website
(creswell-library.org) and
on the “Creswell Library for
Kids” Facebook page.
Feed your mind with library ‘takeout’
BY GINI DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
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CRESWELL — While picking
up your Friday evening restaurant or
grocery takeout order, why not feed
your mind as well and pick up some
weekend reading matter at curbside too?
Creswell Library’s new “takeout”
service for library materials began
March 20 – and with about 40 families
using the service each week, the public
seems enthusiastic about the opportu-
nity to pick up carefully handled items
from the library parking lot.
“Quite a range of materials is being
checked out – lots of children’s books
and homeschooling resources, but
also lots of mysteries, best-sellers
and movies,” said library director Su
Liudahl.
With the library closed to the public
in response to COVID-19 guidelines,
this curbside service is a way to continue
delivering library materials to patrons.
“Since you can’t come in and check
the books out, we will bring them out to
you,” said youth and community librar-
ian Nick Caum.
To place an order by each week’s
Tuesday deadline, log in to the library
catalog from the library’s website
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Bags full of library materials
ordered online or by phone await
‘curbside’ pick-up.
CRESWELL LIBRARY
(creswell-library.org) to place a hold on
your desired items using your library
barcode number and the PIN you chose
when setting up your library card. If you
have any problem logging in or using the
catalog, call 541-895-3053.
Gloved library staff pull the requested
materials and bag them for pick-up
between 4 and 6 p.m. on Fridays.
“The deadline for requesting mate-
rials is Tuesday so materials can sit
untouched for a full three days before
pick-up,” Liudahl said, noting that the
library is also switching to paper bags
“since the virus stays viable for a shorter
period of time on paper than plastic.”
When you arrive on Friday to pick up
your order, stay in your car and call the
library. Gloved-and-masked staff will
place your bag on a table where it can be
retrieved before the next person’s bag is
brought out. Please wait until staff has
left the table to retrieve your items.
Items are not due until the library
reopens; if you want to return items
before then, you may do so using the
library book return.
Please do not pick up or return items
if anyone in your household is unwell
and wait at least a week after everyone
has recovered.
If you or someone you know is home-
bound and would like to order materials,
call the library and explain the circum-
stances. A limited number of deliveries
may be possible.
Downloadable ebooks and audio-
books are also available using your
library card through Library2Go.
Liudahl said thousands of books are
available.
Given the state of the pandemic, “it
looks like we will be continuing this
‘curbside’ service for now,” Liudahl
said. “Everything is going smoothly
during the two-hour-long window, and
our patrons seem happy to have access
to library materials,” she added.
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