DPL Blog

Welcome Back!

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Big Louie gives a thumbs up

A Message from the Director

For this week’s blog, I wanted to personally welcome you back to the Dover Public Library! We will officially be reopening on Monday, July 6 after nearly four months of having our building closed to the public. Please know how much we have missed you and how grateful we are for your support of the library.  We all know the pandemic has changed our world.  The Library is not immune to those changes so know that things will be different when you visit us. Each and every one of us will need to use the library in a different way. Your safety and the safety of our library staff is paramount. Our hours will be limited during the month of July: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM and Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00-6:00 PM. We hope to be able to expand hours as the year unfolds.

First of all, our curbside pickup service has been very successful.  If you are not comfortable coming into the library, know that curbside service will still be an option.  Simply call the library when you arrive in our rear parking lot and a librarian will bring your materials out to your car.  Also, our eLibrary will always be a safe and easy way to access your favorite book titles, movies, music, audiobooks and more. You can access our eLibrary here.  

Here are some expectations we are asking our patrons to keep in mind when you visit us next week: 

  • Patrons are asked not to come to the library if feeling ill or if someone you live with is ill.  
  • Wearing masks is STRONGLY encouraged
  • Patrons are asked to sanitize their hands as they enter and exit the building
  • Six foot distancing is mandatory
  • All library returns must be placed in one of the exterior book drops
  • Patrons are asked to limit their visit to 1 hour
  • Use of the public computers is by appointment only and is limited to 1 hour
  • No unattended children

At this time, our meeting rooms are not open to the public for reservations. Also, we are holding no in-person programs until further notice. Please know that these measures are temporary as we walk this journey together. Someday we will all look back on the year 2020 and think not so much about the pandemic and the toil and trials we endured, but the ways we came together as a community to help each other out.  And that, my library friends, is a story worth telling. 

Stay safe and keep reading!

Jim Gill, Director, Dover Public Library

Spread books not viruses with smiley face wearing a mask from Dover Public Library

Health & Safety Update

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The Dover Public Library seeks to enrich lives in our community while being committed to the health and safety of both the public and the staff. For this reason and in light of the COVID-19 world we now live in, the Dover Public Library will implement the following measures per state & local health guidelines:

  • Six-foot minimum distance between all individuals or the minimum required by the Ohio Dept of Health (ODH). Visual indicators and signage posted in high traffic areas demonstrating a six-foot distance.
  • Staff will not report to work and the public should refrain from entering the library if showing the following COVID-19 symptoms in the last 72 hours: cough, fever, respiratory illness or difficulty breathing.
  • Clear, protective, counter shields installed at transaction desks between staff and public where appropriate.
  • Sanitization of shared surfaces daily with additional sanitation provided by staff, hourly as needed, to high-touch areas.
  • Everyone who enters the building are encouraged to sanitize their hands upon entering & exiting the building.
  • Patrons are asked to limit their visit to the library to 1 hour.
  • The library’s Unattended Minor Policy will be enforced.
  • All returned materials must be placed in one of the library’s two exterior book drops.  Materials will be quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours before they are handled by the staff & public.
  • Library staff are required to wear masks. Staff may supply their own masks or choose to wear one provided by the library. The Library strongly encourages the public to wear their own masks in compliance with ODH guidelines.
  • Adequate supply of cleaning products, masks, and gloves will be available to staff.
  • Staff required to perform thorough hand washing for at least 20 seconds per ODH guidelines; Glove use is optional but available for staff as needed/requested.
  • Staff will clean workstations before and after use.
  • The Library strongly advises members of the public refrain from entering buildings if you or a member of your household has been ill or has a temperature.

Quick Picks for Kids

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Bored kids? Not quite sure what books or movies to get? The Children’s Department has got you covered with Quick Pick Bundles.

Quick Pick Bundles are librarian-selected items with a common theme. Each bundle includes 4-6 books and 2 DVD’s or Cd’s (when available) on a single subject.

quick pick book and movie selections on the themes of mermaids and sharks
Quick Picks Mermaids and Sharks!

Choose from:

  • Sharks
  • Mermaids
  • Dinosaurs
  • Pete the Cat
  • Graphic Novels
  • Princesses
  • Fairies
  • Dogs
  • Daniel Tiger
  • Space
  • Adventure
  • Unicorns
  • Gross Stuff

Call us today at 330-343-6123 to reserve your bundle for pick up at our Curbside Service!

-Jen G., Children’s Department Manager

Wherever You Go… Craft!

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Over the last few months, a few of us here at the Dover Public Library have become more than librarians. We’ve become… YouTubers?

Unable to meet our patrons – teens and kids, mostly – in person, we’ve been creating videos of easy crafts that anyone can make with items around the house.

This Summer, we’re taking things one step further by providing Craft Kits at our Curbside Pick Up Table. Each week, Teens and Kids can try something new, with the essential supplies provided by the Library.

While we are nowhere near “YouTube Famous,” we have enjoyed making these videos and hope you have enjoyed viewing them!

More videos are on the way, so don’t forget to check out our YouTube Channel for more crafts and activities.

-Liz Strauss & Jen Gardner, Dover Public Library

Welcome to Your New OPAC

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Atriuum

This week, the Dover Public Library migrated to a new computer system called Atriuum. To do this, all of our data, including book and patrons records, had to be transferred to the new system. In doing so, there have been some glitches that we are working hard to correct as efficiently as possible.

Important! Your PIN number has changed

One of the biggest issues we’ve run into so far is that the PIN numbers on all of our patron records were reset to a new default in the transfer.

Your default PIN is now the last four digits of your CARD number.

We are also experiencing some confusion regarding holds, or reserves. While a lot of the reserve data did transfer, there may be duplicates or other oddities that occur due to the transitional time over the last week. These will be worked out on their own over time.

We ask for your patience and understanding as we work out the kinks that come from migrating data to a new computer system.

On a more exciting note, Atriuum also came with a brand new OPAC or Online Public Access Catalog. The OPAC is all for you. Here you can log in to your account, see what you have out, place reserves, and more. While we are still setting up some of the functions, feel free to play and email us if you have any questions or concerns.

While the switch comes with some growing pains, we believe that, once this time of transition is over, the new system and OPAC will enable us to serve you, our patrons and our community, better than ever before.

Thank you for your continued support!

-The Dover Public Library Staff

Summer Reading in a Pandemic

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This Spring has certainly been unexpected, and as we slowly phase into opening Library services, it is clear that this Summer will be unlike any other. So, it seems natural that this year’s Summer Reading Program be unlike any other you have seen at the Dover Public Library.

Normally, Summer Reading goes something like this. Kids sign up in the Children’s Department and get their kid-themed reading logs. Teens sign up at the Adult Desk and get their teen-themed reading logs. Adults also sign up at the Adult Desk but get a different reading log altogether. There are lots of tickets, lots of staff involvement, and a lot of in-person interaction.

This year, although we are apart, we’re all in this together.

oh wherever you go read
Learn More

Oh, Wherever You Go, READ, is a program for grades kindergarten through adults. All ages will use the same tracker, with the same goals. All ages will use the same tickets, given out on the final page of the log. You get everything at once, in one interaction with staff, and you are set for a summer of reading and fun.

All directions are included in the log, so I won’t go into many details, but there are three things to keep in mind. One, this is on the honor system, as most Summer Reading programs are, so, if you participate, we expect you to be honest with us about your reading accomplishments. Two, if you are an overachiever, you can get more tickets at the Curbside Pick Up. Three, if you do not complete all 600 minutes of reading, you can still turn in tickets for the tasks that you did complete, including the Bonus Challenges. So, if you are super busy, you still have a chance at a prize.

When finished, you can turn in your whole log at the Book Drop or at our Curbside Pick Up No Contact Table. The log will also include the Summer Walking Program, so you can track everything in one book this summer.

The log will also be available for download, so you can print your copies off at home, and you can mail in your completed forms to 525 N. Walnut St. Dover, Ohio, 44622.

It is our hope that this Summer Reading program brings the whole community together. We very much hope that you enjoy it and that, wherever you are this summer, you take the time to read.

-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager

Hope & Restoration

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Greetings from the Dover Public Library!  Please know that we miss you and are working to put the systems and procedures in place to be able to serve you again. As you can imagine, there is no game plan for a situation like this.  A lot of what we do is dependent on guidelines and mandates from federal, state, and local health authorities, so we have learned to be flexible and patient because things often change by the hour.  Please know the safety of our staff and of our patrons is paramount.  The restoration of our services to the community will be a gradual one and there will be a learning curve as the public learns how to use the library in the pandemic age.

This week we began Curbside Pickup for our library patrons. This is actually Phase 3 of our reopening plan. The library will be providing this service with limited hours throughout the month of May. The hours are as follows: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM and Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 PM-6:00 PM.  Complete information on how Curbside Pickup works can be found here.

In a nutshell, patrons can call the library at 330-343-6123 to request materials, use the request form on our website, or use their account to order specific materials. A librarian will pull your materials, check them out to you automatically, and have them ready for you to pickup at our Community Room door, which is located at the rear of the library. 

Please know that this is a no-contact service. We will not be handling your library card, taking money, or making any transactions back and form. We will simply verify who you are and put a bag of your library materials in your trunk.  All returns need to be placed in either of our book drops, which are located at the front and rear of our building. 

Often I receive questions about what we do to ensure the safety of our patrons in light of the fact that library materials are changing hands.  The library follows all necessary CDC guidelines on the handling of library materials.  Returned items are quarantined for 72 hours to ensure the safety of our staff.  Items are then cleaned and then checked in off your record.  Please don’t worry about fines because we are fine-free during this difficult time.  If you have any questions about our Curbside Pickup service, please don’t hesitate to call or email me at director@doverlibrary.org.

Phase 4 of our reopening plan will feature limited access by patrons in our building.  What will this look like? There are still many unknowns, but you can expect to see counter guards in place at our checkout desks, signage enforcing social distancing requirements, staff wearing gloves and masks, and the removal of much of our furniture.  The idea for this phase is for the public to come in and browse and to pick up their holds quickly and then leave.  We know that so many people depend on libraries for their computer and Internet access.  We will more than likely be doing this by appointment.  Cleaning will be very visible and rigorous.

Phase 5 will feature full-service library access as you know and love, including the full array of programs you know and love.   

Please know that all of these phases depend on mandates and guidelines from our health authorities.  There is no timeline for each of these phases because we simply need to see how things go.

Thank you for your time and patience! If you have any questions about our Curbside Pickup service, please don’t hesitate to call or email me.  We all need to be safe and smart and keep proper perspective.  With your help, we can do this!

-Jim Gill, Director