With the health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) librarians are “thinking outside the box” to continue meeting the needs of county residents.
The library buildings themselves are not currently open to the public, but that does not mean the libraries’ resources are not available. Many of FBCL’s electronic resources can be accessed from home through the libraries’ website. eBooks, e-audiobooks, magazines, music, research databases, and even streaming movies are available through the website.
When the libraries were completely closed in April, staff were still hard at work adjusting to a new “virtual” norm. Adhering to the “Stay Home Stay Safe” order, library staff working from home created numerous Story Time videos, online tutorials for eBooks, virtual Book Talks, and even videos on legal resources. The videos are posted on FBCL’s website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page, so they can be viewed by library users from the comfort of their homes at any time.
Students and families, who are now “schooling” from home, can access the libraries’ online Homework Help service – Brainfuse – through the FBCL website. Brainfuse’s Homework Help service provides live, online tutors who offer assistance in a broad range of subjects in both English and Spanish for students in grades K through 12, free of charge.
For Fort Bend County residents who found themselves at home with an expired library card – or without ever having had one – FBCL began the process of creating an e-Card option, with an online registration application, for Fort Bend County residents. The e-Card, which should be operational by mid-May, will enable the public to access the libraries’ online, electronic resources from home. Check the FBCL website or Facebook page for updates on the launch of the e-Card.
FBCL re-launched the Books & More! Curbside Pick-Up service in early May, so that library users could resume checking out physical materials. The service is available at all locations during specific hours.
The Books & More! Curbside Pick-Up service enables readers to request books through the libraries’ online catalog, or by calling the library. After the order is placed, staff pull the requested materials from the shelves and notify the patron when their order is ready. The patron then drives up to the front curb of the library, and the books are brought out and placed in the patron’s trunk of their vehicle, so social distancing is observed.
Library users must have the standard library card to check out physical materials. The standard library card can only be obtained in person after the library buildings re-open.
These resources are free and available to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).