MACON, Ga. — Library buildings across the state are shut down right now because of the shelter-in-place order, but as Suzanne Lawler shows you, they've moved a lot of their services online.
You can research your family tree, do a little gaming, and, of course, check out books.
First things first -- you'll need a library card to get to do all the cool stuff the library is offering. If you don't have a card, no problem -- you can go online and get one virtually. That's just one of the many things the library has moved online since the outbreak of COVID-19.
3-year-old Wren Wakefield now watches story time at the library online, and her mom Heatherly Wakefield appreciates the service.
"She loves to do story time with mommy, but she also loves to do story time with Miss Shay and Miss Virginia and Miss Cat, so she gets to keep that in her week," Heatherly explained.
And mom gets something, too, from the library. By using the RB digital app found through the library's main page, you can download books and magazines.
"So you can search for your favorite author and see if the books that you're interested in reading and magazines, you can check out magazines and look at those on your phone," Heatherly said.
Library Director Jennifer Lautzenheizer says Bibblib.org is the main site where you will find all kinds of links you can use with your library card, including e-Read Kids.
"That is the digital access to high-interest materials that kids really want to read -- things that go on hold a lot like, 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' and those types of things," she said.
Through the main site, the library is offering gaming for kids Monday nights, plus folks that use the Ancestry.com library edition can also access that from the library.
If you're looking for Wi-Fi service, you can pull into any library parking lot and hook in.
'It used to have a password connected to it and we just opened up access. You don't have to have a library card and don't have to have a password, you don't have to have anything, you can just log right in," Jennifer said.
Lautzenheiser says it's legal to use those internet services even during the shelter in place order.
As for Heatherly and Wren, they'll keep enjoying story time to endure the time until they can go back to their favorite hangout.
"She's had some meltdowns, of course, so I'm able to show her faces she's familiar with at the library," Heatherly said.
The library is also putting story time and instructional videos on YouTube. Just search Middle Georgia Regional Libraries.
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