If your goal for 2021 is to increase your reading, it can be difficult to achieve without easy access to books. With the current global pandemic, readers are left with little options for how to acquire books without having to get a bit creative. As a note, I would like to comment that I am a current library worker and that I support the current fight of library workers to not be in their buildings during this pandemic. Books are important but not essential. Due to this, I would encourage you to review the policy of your local library before heading over to pick up books. In order to best support library workers, please only frequent libraries that are offering curbside pick up or choose to use their online materials only.
With that being said, the pandemic does not have to stop your book reading at all! Libraries are continuing to offer creative ways for their communities to have access to books. Here are some tips below to increase your access:
Check to see if your library is in a consortium or if other local libraries offer cards to community members.
In the Bay Area, we have quite a few libraries within a 25 mile distance and each allows for their patrons to receive a library card with access to their resources. Since most libraries have a limit to the number of items that can be placed on hold or checked out in person/online, this has allowed for me to exponentially increase my access. If you do not have multiple libraries near you, check to see if libraries further away from you allow access to a card or an online card. A lot of libraries are now offering digital-only cards that can be used to check out eMaterials despite you not being physically near the library. Finally, if you really need more access, larger library systems in the US like the Brooklyn Public Library offer membership to their systems for about $50 a year.
Use the online resources offered by your library
With the pandemic closing a lot of library services, a huge investment has been made into online library resources. I would highly encourage you to see what your library card has access to. One of the libraries that I formerly worked at had apps like Libby or Hoopla which have eBooks and eAudiobooks. Libby allows for users to place multiple library cards into their system so if you’ve utilized the first tip in this post, you’ll be set. I have seen libraries with access to the New York Times, O’Reilly Books, Consumer Reports, and Kanopy, which has movies and documentaries. Give a call to your local library and tell them which subjects you are interested in, and a librarian can help you find online resources that will work for you!
Check out InterLibrary Loan Options
If your library is offering Curbside Pickup, you can always check to see if they are currently offering InterLibrary Loans. I would caution you that these services have been heavily affected by the pandemic. This service allows for you to check out books from other libraries that are connected to your own. At a former library that I worked at, we were able to get books to the Bay Area from Nevada. This service can also help when it comes to obtaining academic materials. You can receive textbooks from local universities. Keep in mind that this service may take longer for you to receive your book and the fines on these materials could be quite high.
Ask a Librarian!
If you are stuck in a reading rut, it can be important to just get excited about reading again. Not all of us have bookish friends to share our reading habits with! If that’s the case for you, check to see if your local library has a reader’s advisory service. It could go by a variety of names like BookMatch, 5 Next Reads or Picks 4 U. These are just a few that I have seen but check to see if your library offers some version of it. The program usually consists of a few short questions to gain insight on your preferences and suggestions will be emailed to you later! As a collection development librarian, I always used sites like Goodreads, BookBrowse and r/SuggestMeaBook on Reddit to get a better idea of what to read next.
