The Jackson-Madison County Library will close both its locations beginning Wednesday, March 18, and will remain closed to the public through Tuesday, March 31, to limit potential community spread of COVID-19, according to a Monday afternoon news release.
During the closure, library patrons should keep items currently checked out until JMCL reopens. All due dates have been extended until April 4 and JMCL is waiving all late fees accrued between March 1 and April 4. Library staff will continue to work while buildings are closed.
“Public libraries have always been about serving the needs of the entire community, but as a community gathering place, we have made this difficult decision in an effort to protect our patrons,” said Dinah Harris, library director. in the release. “We will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with the Jackson-Madison County Health Department and will make every effort to resume services as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Patrons are encouraged to use JMCL’s online resources and services. The library has set up a special page on its website at http://jmclibrary.org/coronavirus.php for information regarding the library, ways you can still use library resources from your home, as well as links to local, state, and federal agencies. The library will also update its social media channels with links to online resources.
The library also wants you to know the following:
- Its public access free WiFi will still be operational. Anyone in the community can come sit in the library parking lot and access the network – JMCL GIG. People do not need a library card, they can sign in as a guest.
- The library just added 32,550 more titles to Tennessee READS (Regional Ebook and Audiobook Download Service) for simultaneous use from the Guttenberg Project and Duke Classics Catalogs. These are primarily literary classics. Of note is the ability to read Call of the Wild, which is gaining popularity due to the movie coming out. On READS, there are over 100,000 books, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video titles. For that, people will need a library card, but the library staff will be able to assign people ecards over the phone so they can start enjoying the content if they do not already have a card.
- The library hopes to have an exciting update either later today or tomorrow about a new streaming service that it is going to start offering. The library has bumped up the launch date in light of its closure.
- The library will have three staff members at the library every day during the closure to answer the phones. The library will be updating its website with more information and links to free online resources, as well as on its Facebook page: www.jmclibrary.org/coronavirus.php There is so much free content – from authors doing Facebook Live story times to resources to help kids learn new things while school is out.
For more information, contact the Library at 731-425-8600, visit the Library’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/JMCLibrary or its website at www.jmclibrary.org.