7969-R3_ML&P_TownOfBuxton_2020-2021_Web

Berry Memorial Library 93 Main St. Bar Mills, ME 04004 (207) 929-5484 www.berrylibrary.com berrylibrary93@gmail.com The year of 2021 has been a fairly good one for the Library, albeit still a very different one from PRE-Covid years. Our Library building was open to patrons for all of 2021, but with Covid protocols and restrictions still in place. We continue to require masking and also offer disposable masks and hand sanitizer for patron use. We are willing to offer contactless pickup for patrons who might want it, but most patrons come into the Library building now. The current Library hours are the following: Mondays: 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.; Tuesdays: 4 – 7 p.m.; Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Library continues to offer FREE internet access, both Wi-Fi and also public access computers for patron use. As of this writing, we have just received 3 PC computers for patron use. One is a new one that was purchased from ARPA grant funds which we received this past year and the other 2 computers are re furbished computers donated to our Library from the Buxton Town Office. We are very grateful for these additions! Photocopying and printing services are available for $.20 per page. We also offer Inter Library Loan service. All of these services are offered only within Covid protocols. This past year we added CloudLibrary to the services we offer to patrons. This is a FREE electronic book borrowing service available through the Maine State Library. The Library pays a fee each year, based on their town’s population. The only thing a Library patron needs to access this service is their Library card number. This is particularly helpful for those patrons who are not comfortable coming into the Library be cause of Covid, or who might be confined to their home. Also, the Library offers print books for all ages, audiobooks, and a small collection of DVDs. This past year, we have tried to add a good number of Large Print titles to our collection. This is particularly helpful for patrons who are visually impaired. The Library has a website (www.berrylibrary.com) In addition to posting announcements on the site, our automated card catalog can be accessed by any computer or device through our website. Our website is also where CloudLibrary (mentioned above) can be accessed. We also maintain a Facebook page, which we use to announce upcoming events, new acquisitions,,and present stories for children. This past summer, even though the pandemic was still with us, we collaborated with 4 other area libraries in offering a summer reading incentive program for children. We once again received a grant from the Nar raganset Foundation to help us obtain new children’s books, programming supplies, and discounted admis sions to area museums and parks. Also, with some of our collective grant funds, we offered an in-person outdoor program for kids and their families at the park in Waterboro. On a warm evening last August, we had “Mr. Drew and his Animals, Too” come and present a wonderful program that many children who had participated in summer reading at our libraries, along with their families, enjoyed very much!

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