By Ken Striplin
City Manager
Did you know that September is Library Card Sign-Up Month? There’s no better time than now to get a library card if you have not yet done so already.
Even though the physical doors of the Santa Clarita Public Library remain closed, a library card can virtually open up a world of endless resources available to support a variety of needs and interests during these challenging times.
Children getting back into school, teens looking for new fall activities, adults wanting to dive into a new book collection and many others can get the resources and support they need simply by having a library card.
Back to school resources offered by the Santa Clarita Public Library support individuals from pre-kindergarten through college-level courses.
Residents looking for free live tutoring, homework help and writing support can utilize HelpNow.
Those looking for exam preparation via practice exams, eBooks and tutorials should try out Learning Express.
Parents can also find support through the Parent-Teacher Resource Center, which provides a collection of materials geared towards successful homeschooling. Whatever your schooling needs look like, the library team continues to make sure they are providing relevant and helpful resources for all ages!
Another excellent library resource and the best way to keep track of all upcoming fall programming at the library is through their event calendar on SantaClaritaLibrary.com/Events. There you can find and register for events for all ages, including Random Reads Book Club, Teen HangOUT, Zoom Craft-a-longs, Game Night and many others.
The extensive online programming offered provides a great way to connect with others in the community while staying safely apart.
Residents can use their library card to check out books and pick-up Grab-and-Go Craft and Activity Kits to use for featured online programs as well.
I am grateful for the library staff’s creativity and innovation in bringing new and fun virtual events to our community.
A new and convenient option, available to library cardholders, is the 24/7 hold locker system. The locker systems are located at the Canyon Country and Valencia library branches and allow residents to pick up items they have placed on hold at any time.
Once your items on hold are ready, head to your designated branch and follow the system’s touch screen prompts to retrieve your items. This is a simple, safe and convenient way to continue enjoying physical library materials during this time.
COVID-19 and health guidelines may have temporarily changed the way in which services are delivered through the Santa Clarita Public Library, but every resident should feel as if they are getting the same or an increased level of support from the library team.
Make sure you and your entire family take part in Library Card Sign-Up Month at SantaClaritaLibrary.com or by emailing [email protected] and enjoy the vast collection of materials, resources and programming available to you.
Ken Striplin can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal.
