Local libraries offer wide range of services
Have you been to your local public library lately? You may not recognize us as the place you went to as a child. Our libraries are community hubs that adjust to serve the changing needs of our residents.
Many older adults have always come to the library to access books, get movies, read newspapers, attend programs and visit with friends. However, during the past 21 months of the global health crisis we have been working even harder to serve our communities and our borrowers in new and innovative ways.
From curbside service to Caring Calls and help with vaccination information and appointments, we have been looking for ways to assist the most isolated people coping with daily challenges associated with COVID 19.
The many, many forms and services that COVID has necessitated assume that everyone has a computer, cellphone or tablet and internet access — we know this is a false assumption, especially for many older adults. At the library we provide public desktop computers, free WIFI, and printing services.
We are also here to help you access all of this equipment. During the pandemic, we have helped countless people book vaccination appointments and print their proof of vaccination paperwork. We have also helped people complete their Nova Scotia Safe Check In paperwork, as well as requirements for travelling to other provinces. If you or a family member need help accessing government forms, please give us a call or drop by your local library.
Another way we are meeting the needs of our community is through our Caring Call Project. Caring Calls strives to promote meaningful conversations, to decrease social isolation and feelings of loneliness, and to increase sense of belonging for older adults in our area. In September 2020 we began
calling all library members over the age of 65 to check in and say hello.
The purpose of our phone care service is to reach out and touch someone in a figurative sense and have a positive effect on them. To let them know someone is thinking about them. To let them know we're all in this together.
To let them know that someone cares. At the best of times, we think staying connected is important, but during a global pandemic we've realized it has moved into the realm of essential. We now take call referrals for non-library members from local service organizations and family members. If you know someone who would appreciate a call, please let us know at 902-543-9222.
We are a library and our core business is lending things. We have thousands of items in our collection, including electronic books, audio books, books on CD, large print books, tablets, light therapy lamps, radon detectors, magazines and DVDS.
You can come see us in person to make a selection, call us on the phone or find everything you want online. There are no late fines here at South Shore Public Libraries, and if we don't have what you want, chances are we can borrow it from another library for you.
Christina Pottie is the community engagement coordinator for South Shore Public Libraries. South
Shore Public Libraries is a registered charity that serves Lunenburg and Queens Counties with Library branches in Bridgewater, Greenfield, Liverpool and Lunenburg and a bookmobile. Contact Information: email -info@ssplibraries.ca, phone- 1-877- 455-2548, websouthshorepubliclibraries.ca.