LEWISTON — Your librarians want readers to know they are here for you, and along with other staff members take great pride in making the library a welcoming community hub, a space where people from all different backgrounds, ages and walks of life can come together and learn. Unfortunately, this strength and core function of the library is exactly what made it necessary to close the building to protect the community it serves.
Social distancing should not mean social isolation, however, and library staff are determined to bring the library resources to homes in all the creative and innovative ways 21st century technology allows.
“The library is currently set to reopen on April 27th,” notes Marcela Peres, library director. “Any updates to this will be communicated on the lplonline.org and at the City of Lewiston website, as well as through all of its social media channels. Staff is still monitoring library emails, voicemails and social media messages, so please do reach out for assistance during this difficult time.
Current and upcoming activities include:
* Daily read aloud of “The Golden Compass” Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. — The teen librarian will read “The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman on Facebook and Instagram Live. If you would like to follow along at home or read ahead, the entire “His Dark Materials” series and all of its companion novels are available to borrow for free with your library card from ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/lewistonpl/Featured
* Outdoorsy Stories program will livestream every Thursday at 11 a.m. — Picture book read alouds from the great outdoors, rain or shine, with stories from the woods, fields, rivers, and driveways near home. Picture books will be broadly aimed at ages 3 through 7, but we encourage everyone to join in.
* Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” series every Monday and Friday at 2 p.m. Kids get to choose the location of the livestream and can submit their own listening photos to be entered into a raffle to win a brand new boxed set of Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series.
* Camp NaNoWriMo starts in April — Join a virtual writing camp! Kids and teens can work on any type of creative project! First drafts or revision, scripts or stories, or poems or essays –all are welcome. Set a goal and get writing. Sign up information on the library website.
This is a good time to renew your library account. Several online resources require an active library card to use. Update your card, or sign yourself up for the first time through the website. Anyone living in, paying taxes in, or going to school in Lewiston/Auburn can apply for a free library card. If you have any questions about your library card, email lplcirc@lewistonmaine.gov.
If your child does not have a library card, staffncan sign them up for a limited-access card over the phone, and they’ll be able to access all online resources for kids. Call at 207-513-3133 for more information. Renewal of your child’s library card can be handled by phone.
Although the library’s physical location is closed, patrons can stay connected with the librarians, who suggest the best way to help is to keep your library card updated, follow on social media, and attend virtual programming. Anyone living in, paying taxes in, or going to school in Lewiston/Auburn can apply for a free library card.
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