Library

Hobart Public Library Expands Collection for Preschoolers

The Hobart Public Library has received a Ready2Read@Your Library grant, administered by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma and supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act.  The Library has received about $1,500 of preschool materials, designed to enhance pre-reading skills for infants, toddlers and preschoolers and has a grant to purchase $2,000 for early childhood literacy skills development.

Professional storyteller Valerie Kimble will be sharing a great interactive story time of stories, nursery rhymes, songs, puppets, and more. Kimble is a certified media specialist, who worked at the Pioneer Library System for 13 years, and has told stories around the region.

Parents and caregivers are invited to visit the library and learn more about the importance of reading with children to help them learn sounds, increase vocabulary, improve comprehension, and grow to love reading.

Library Story-time

Story-time is scheduled for Thursday, February 16^th, 2023 from 10:40-11:00 at the Hobart Public Library for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. For more information contact us at 580-726-2535.

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Hobart Public Library Receives Grant for Pandemic Relief and Recovery.

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) has awarded an $8,268.00 grant to Hobart Public Library to address impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. ODL offered targeted grants to Oklahoma public libraries as part of the agency’s plan for use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Tointigh says the grant will be used to purchase a new study carrel for the public computers to help with social distancing and privacy concerns. The library will also purchase a new wireless projector and books to facilitate education and programming purposes. The library will also purchase two new laptop computers to help bridge the technology divide and help job seekers. The library will also purchase earbuds and Personal Protective Equipment that will help remove the need for disinfect, which frees up staff time and will help keep the library clean.

Jackie Knopp, director of the Office of Library Development at ODL, said grants totaling $1.45 million have been provided to 93 municipal libraries and all eight of the state’s library systems.

“The grants are funding a diverse array of items and projects to protect public health and assure continued services,” Knopp said. “The process allowed for a variety of options so that individual libraries could request grant funds to meet their most pressing needs.”

Knopp said libraries could purchase PPE and easily-cleanable furniture, fund network enhancements and Wi-Fi expansion, purchase connectivity devices for social distancing and remote access to online resources, support video conference capabilities, order health and wellness materials for their collections, and even pay for temporary staffing to help in the recovery process.

The spending criteria was provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and based on ARPA legislation.

In addition to the public library grants, ODL is using ARPA funds to also provide grants to adult literacy programs, museums, and tribal museums and cultural centers. Other ODL-sponsored ARPA projects in the works include High School pilot with six public libraries, the launch of a telehealth pilot program, online resources for homework help, an early literacy program for 30 small and rural public libraries, and procurement scanning stations for selected libraries.

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The Oklahoma Department of Libraries is the official state library of Oklahoma. The agency serves the information and records management needs of state government, assists with public library development, coordinated library and information technology projects for the state, and serves the general public through its specialized collections.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services works to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grant-making, research, and policy development.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service offered by the Hobart Public Library through OCLC Worldshare Interlibrary Loan. This service provides access to library books that are not currently held in our collections.

Library staff will be happy to request a title on your behalf from another library within the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. The lending library will send it directly to your local library for you to pick up to read and enjoy. When finished reading, you will return it by the due date to your local library who will then send it back to the lending library.

If you have questions about the ILL process, ask your library staff for more information.