FREE at-home access to Ancestry extended!
MeLCat is back August 10!
Good news! MeLCat is coming back! Beginning Monday, August 10, you may start placing requests through MeLCat. The service has been suspended due to COVID-19, but is now ready to roll!
PLEASE NOTE: EXPECT DELAYS! ALL materials that come into VBDL via MeL are required to be quarantined for 96 hours (4 days). There are no exceptions to this rule. Please plan accordingly when placing requests.
REMEMBER: Please remember to check the VBDL.org catalog before searching for an item through MeL. If we have it, you will get it quicker! Questions? Contact the nearest VBDL location or email info@vbdl.org.
1 June 2020: VBDL RECEIVES CARES GRANT
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 June 2020
For more information, contact Director Dan Hutchins, 269.423.4771, ext 4103; dhutchins@vbdl.org
VBDL RECEIVES CARES GRANT
DECATUR, MICHIGAN – – – – Van Buren District Library is the recipient of a $5,000 emergency CARES grant administered by Michigan Humanities.
According to Director Dan Hutchins, funding for the grant was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan.
With CARES Act funding, VBDL was able to continue delivering educational and literacy programs to patrons of all ages while the library was closed. The offerings included early childhood education, employment search assistance, and self-education and enrichment, which advance VBDL’s mission “to provide equitable access to a world of resources, reading, and lifelong learning.”
During the shutdown period, VBDL lost an estimated $22,276 in penal fine revenue and $4,230 in copying faxing receipts. Total estimated losses equal $26,506. Hutchins says the $5,000 provided by Michigan Humanities helped greatly to alleviate those losses.
During the shutdown period, Library staff were able to, thanks in part to the Michigan Humanities grant:
- Produce 38 educational videos that were watched by 5,941 people
- Install outdoor Wi-Fi access points at five of our seven locations to provide Internet access to those who do not have it in their homes. These Wi-Fi access points were used by 2,346 individuals during the state mandated stay-at-home order.
- Continue to provide remote access e-resources including e-books, audio-visual content, and online tutoring to people living in the Library’s service area. The Library circulated 10,170 electronic items and hosted 51 remote tutoring sessions during the state mandated stay-at-home period.
Access to VBDL’s online resources are available 24/7 at VBDL.org. For more information, contact the library at 269.423.4771 or email info@vbdl.org
Van Buren District Library is headquartered in Decatur with branches in Bangor, Bloomingdale, Covert, Gobles, Lawrence and Mattawan.
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VBDL’s #BlackLivesMatter Reading List for Young Adults
24 July 2020: VBDL NAMES NEW BANGOR BRANCH LIBRARIAN
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24 July 2020
For more information, contact Director Dan Hutchins, 269.423.4771, ext. 4103
PHOTO: VBDL Bangor Branch Librarian Yvette Salomon-Hamilton
VBDL NAMES NEW BANGOR BRANCH LIBRARIAN
DECATUR, MICHIGAN – – – – Van Buren District Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Yvette Salomon-Hamilton (right) as the new Bangor Branch Librarian.
Salomon-Hamilton succeeds Bobbi Martindale, who retired recently after 32 years as a valued VBDL staff member.
Assuming the leadership role in Bangor is a dream fulfilled for Salomon-Hamilton. “When I was eight years old, I visited the old Bangor Library. They were playing ‘The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe’ on a TV. I checked out the book, read it and was hooked on libraries from then on.”
Salomon-Hamilton comes from a strong family of migrant workers, who settled in Bangor more than forty years ago.
“When I went to Decatur to interview for this position, I drove past the migrant camp where I stayed as a little girl. And now, through hard work and patience, I reached my goal of being the Bangor Branch Librarian.”
Salomon-Hamilton, who brings a background in business management and retail to the branch, believes that close collaboration with the schools and local businesses will help build the role of the library as the heart of the community.
“I know we’re kind of on pause right now,” Salomon-Hamilton says, “but great things are coming. We just know it.”
VBDL Bangor Branch is located at 420 Division Street and is open Monday through Wednesday, 9:00am to 7:00pm; Thursday and Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm; and Saturday, 10:00am to 3:00pm.
Van Buren District Library is headquartered in Decatur with branches in Bangor, Bloomingdale, Covert, Gobles, Lawrence and Mattawan.
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Join the (Online) Discussion! Share your favorite Classic!
Share your favorite classic novel during VBDL’s Online (ZOOM!) Book Group! Join us Monday, August 10, 7:00pm, for a fun-filled discussion that’s open to all!
Follow the information below and join us August 10!
VBDL is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: VBDL Online Book Club
Time: Aug 10, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
http://ow.ly/82sX50AMo4Q
Meeting ID: 813 7026 5202
Passcode: 583295
For more information, contact VBDL Branch Librarian Anne Cox: acox@vbdl.org
7 JULY 2020: VBDL SCHEDULES LIMITED CAPACITY BOOK SALE
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7 July 2020
For more information, contact Director Dan Hutchins, 269.423.4771, ext. 4103
VBDL SCHEDULES LIMITED CAPACITY USED BOOK SALE
DECATUR, MICHIGAN – – – – Van Buren District Library announces a limited capacity Renovation Used Book Sale, July 20 – August 1, at Webster Memorial Library, Decatur.
According to Library Director Dan Hutchins, Webster Memorial is set to undergo a major interior renovation in the next few months. In order to prepare for the project, staff are assessing materials in order to get rid of the old to make room for the new.
Subsequently, the library has an immense quantity of adult nonfiction and fiction, and some children’s books that need good homes.
Shoppers need to be advised that Webster Memorial’s Community Room will be set up for social distancing and the library is counting on shoppers to wear masks. If the room’s capacity is reached, shoppers will be asked to wait outside.
Sale hours are listed on the VBDL.org calendar: https://www.vbdl.org/events/.
In exchange for the books, shoppers are asked to make a donation to The Friends of the Van Buren District Library. For more information, email info@vbdl.org or phone 269.423.4771.
Van Buren District Library is headquartered in Decatur with branches in Bangor, Bloomingdale, Covert, Gobles, Lawrence and Mattawan.
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