The local Chinook Library is gearing up its efforts to support people who are isolated and unable to get a hold of the library’s physical collections.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect with families and children set to work from home for an unknown amount of time.

There are currently e-resources on the library’s website that include e-books for children to read.  The library has decided to put more money into resources due to the impact of COVID-19.

Kathryn Foley, Director of Chinook Regional Library, reiterates,

“We have some e-resources now on our website, which includes some e-books for kids to read, etc.; however, we are putting more money into these resources at this time to try and beef up our support of people being isolated and unable to get things from our physical collections. We are all working so hard while we still have our staff employed."

For the time being, all staff remains working at the library preparing information and resources such as identifying interesting things to do while isolated.

Foley adds,

“The theme of our usual summer reading program is Game On. So, what we are trying to do is put together things that they can make easily with things you can find around the home, then put them up into a page on our website. Things that we looked at and recommend because we understand when you go out and look on your own you can get overwhelmed. So, we're trying to do some of the work for families and recommend things to get involved with.”

Library staff will be doing research and preparing for more e-resources until April 14.

The library has been closed since March 14 and will continue to be closed to the public until public health deems it safe to reopen.

Library managers will continue to operate the phone lines and provide support to people who require assistance with the online programs and direction.

Foley continues,

“We will have something up (on the website) before the 15th and then the management team will continue working after that. So, we will go on putting more things and answering questions, keeping the library alive and being able to start in as soon as we can open our doors again.”

The Library will continue its regular literacy partnerships with Kidsfirst, the school division and provide school readiness kits for students for the upcoming school year.

The Director of the Chinook Regional Library, Foley summarizes the connection between the community and the library,

“We've always been strong supporters of our community just as our community has been strong supports of us and we will get through this together and we will come out stronger in the end.”

Feel free to visit the local library website for information and ideas and remember that the library is there for everyone, not just children.

The Swift Current library advocates for lifelong learning and is confident that there is something at the library for everyone in the family to enjoy.