By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Now that school is getting underway, it's important for students of all ages to know the resources they have available at the Hutchinson Public Library.
"We have extended our hours on the wi-fi," said Charlene Childs - Reference Services Assistant Supervisor. "People can actually access the wi-fi from our parking lot in the evening even while we're closed. Those people who do not have wi-fi can access it if they need to."
The extended wi-fi hours outside of the building are from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. It's also possible to get an internet connection to take home for a short period from the library through a mobile hotspot.
"We do have hotspots that are available for one week checkout," said Darcie Canfield-Riggs - Youth Services Librarian. "We have been providing those for a couple of years now. They're very popular. We have a list of people that put them on hold to check out each week. They're through T-Mobile."
There are also still computers in the library to use.
"We have fourteen on the public services side that are available," Canfield-Riggs said. "We have seven on the children's services side reserved for children to use daily."
The library is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday.
"We do have our services mostly available that we had before," Canfield-Riggs said. "You can check out books. You can check out DVDs, audiobooks, magazines. In the children's department, we have what are called vox books, which are read along books that have a player inside of them, so someone reads the story to you while you're reading the book."
For those who need to do more in-depth research, there are people there to teach you.
"We do have the databases that you can access from home," said Amanda Stephenson - Reference Services Supervisor. "We have researchers that are there to help students learn how to do the databases, as well as printing of articles. We have the archives, where we can get historical magazines and access older materials and we can also do interlibrary loan of materials from other libraries."
The library is also looking to continue to work with the youngest learners.
"Currently, I'm not going out to daycares and preschools, but I have in the past to do story times, said Amy Johnson - Children's Outreach Coordinator. "I am offering a virtual option for daycares and preschools and then I also offer for daycares, delivering books to them monthly so that they have books so that if they can't come in here, I take the books to them."
All you need to access all of these resources is a library card.
"They can come in to the library and bring a current picture identification with proof of address," Childs said. "Even if their license has a different address on it, if they are living here, if they can bring something with their current address that's been through the mail with them, they can come in and get a free library card."
If you have any questions about what the library offers, feel free to go online to hutchpl.org or call them when they are open at (620) 663-5441.