View from the Library: Welcome, Felicia

January has finally arrived and with it has brought us our new youth services librarian, Felicia Gill. We are very excited to have Felicia join our team here at the library and she is already thinking up ideas for children’s programming. We will continue to do virtual programs for a while, but we are looking forward to the day when she can start in person story times and other programs again. She is also starting to prepare for this year’s annual Summer Reading Program with the theme “Tails and Tales,” which is all about animals. Stop in and say hi and watch for online programs coming soon.

Publishers are busy putting out new books again (they always slow down in December) and we are adding new items each week. The Partners Sharing Group is in the midst of a test pilot, which means that new items we add are remaining on our library shelves for the first 60 days. This also means that you may see “local holds only” in the online catalog. Items with that designation are not available to place holds or checkout from other Partner libraries until after the two months are up. Please let us know if you have any questions about this.

If you haven’t downloaded our new app, you really should. It’s pretty great. Search for “Montana Shared Catalog” in your device’s app store and get started today. It is a great way to search our catalog, keep track of your account, and find out what is happening at the library.

Don’t forget about all of our great online resources like Creativebug, Kanopy, Flipster and Freegal. We also have mobile hotspots available for hold and checkout. Visit our website at www.northlakecountylibrary.org for links and more information.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who gave to the library this past year. This includes those who donated to our library Foundation on Giving Tuesday and those who donated to our Friends of the Library. With your generous contributions we will be able to purchase some much needed items that will benefit us all. Your support of our library during this crazy past year has meant so much to all of us, and we are really looking forward to the day when we can start to get back to normal.

The library is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. The library is open 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays for those individuals who are considered to be high risk for coronavirus. Curbside pickup is available for everyone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Masks are required.

The library will be closed Monday, Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please call us at 883-8225 or email us at polsoncl@polson.lib.mt.us with questions or to request curbside pickup.

Abbi Dooley is director of North Lake County Public Library in Polson.