The Eugene Public Library Is Serving The Community

May 1, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment, Community Awareness, Education, Non-Profit

Book shelf in library

An Epicenter for Creativity, Culture, and Education in Eugene

During a time when many businesses have had to close their doors, the Eugene Library is adapting gracefully. Their efforts to offer their services virtually is serving to educate, entertain, and keep our community connected.

The Eugene Public Library Has Their Virtual Doors Open

The Eugene Library has been focusing on inclusion and access, making it their goal to serve the Eugene area as best they can with their online resources. They’ve expanded their services to all folks in the general Eugene area. They have also pushed back library returns and are waiving late fees. Right now, you can also apply for a library card from your home.

Troubleshooting Technology

The Library’s phone and chat services have remained open and have stayed quite busy. There were around 1500 calls to the Library during April. Many of the calls have been more in-depth than usual. Folks have called in to learn how to access the Library’s resources on their tablet or other technology.

E-resources Galore

Accessing E-books, E-audio books, Magazines, and More

  • To access e-books, the Library recommends using apps such as Library 2 go, Libby, and OverDrive.
  • For access to e-audio books, using Hoopla is recommended.
  • Use RBdigital to access 75-100 different magazines at any given time, including National Geographic.
  • Stream culturally significant movies such as Schindler’s List, Moonlight along with great kid’s media and courses using Kanopy 

Dynamic Databases Available Online

With a Eugene Library card, you also have free subscriptions to a host of websites.

  • Lynda.com has a suite of online videos created by professionals who are experts in their fields. It’s a useful site to develop your professional, software, and creative skills.
  • Use Mango languages to learn a new language.
  • Brainfuse has different learning resources for kids, such as flashcards and live feedback from online tutors.
  • A few resources usually offered on-site and are now accessible remotely are ancestry.com, ALLDATA, and the Foundations Directory.

A Well-loved and Appreciated Library

The community in Eugene is a group that really loves and appreciates their Library.

  • 2.7 million items come into and out of the Library each year
  • 1.1 million people go into the Library per year
  • 16-17 uses of items in the Library per person for each person in Eugene
  • 20% increase in their collection since 2016

Supporting the Eugene Community

The Eugene Library is a place that invites every single person in the community. It’s a place where anyone can learn and pursue what interests them. It’s also an integral player in early literacy and is actively working to improve the 3rd-grade reading levels in Lane County. The Library also has been working with the Eugene Chamber of Commerce to support them with videos and help them with other business endeavors as they adapt during this time.

To learn more about the organizations and services offered in the Eugene community, check out our other blog posts.