BY JESSICA CARRUBA
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyday life for Americans on an unparalleled scale.
During this time of anxiety and uncertainty, the Levittown Public Library remains committed to keeping its community connected, engaged and most importantly, safe.
The library is currently closed and the public is advised to check its website, www.levittownpl.org, for a future opening date.
Administrators are making decisions based on CDC recommendations and New York State and Nassau County mandated closures, with the well-being of patrons and staff at the forefront.
“We will do our best to serve our community during this difficult time,” library director Trina Reed said.
Special accommodations have been made to ensure residents have access to services
during this period. For instance, late fees for items currently checked out will be waived and all library cards that were set to expire have been renewed through December.
Moreover, the Levittown Public Library, along with other public libraries throughout Nassau County, is offering a digital library card to those residents without an existing library card.
The digital library card provides access to an abundance of resources, including e-books, audiobooks, live tutoring, digital magazines, language courses, streaming video, test prep and more.
To apply for digital access, those interested can visit nassaulibrary.org/digital-card-application.
Though the brick and mortar building is not available, Levittown Public Library cardholders have a treasure trove of digital resources at their fingertips. Nassau Digital Doorway, for example, is the gateway to e-books and e-audiobooks.
Libby, a free app, works in tandem with Nassau Digital Doorway, allowing readers to utilize electronic books, including audiobooks, via their mobile devices.
Not sure what to read next?
Consult with NoveList, a database that provides read-alike suggestions and gives users the ability to browse titles based on genre and other appeal factors; NoveList K-8 Plus is specially focused on children and allows users to search for books with age/grade parameters.
RBDigital is another database that brings one of the library’s most popular sections straight into our homes: magazines.
It includes over three dozen genres and well over 100 titles, including many lesser-known and niche magazines that readers never knew they needed. Instructions for both Nassau Digital Doorway and RBDigital are available on the library’s homepage.
TumbleBooks, a major provider of electronic content for all ages, has temporarily unlocked their collections for public libraries to share with their communities.
It’s likely that readers are most familiar with the company’s content for children, such as electronic picture books, puzzles, games and more.
TumbleMath focuses on books that help explain various mathematical concepts for children that are in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Teens can consult TeenBookCloud for a wide selection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, graphic novels and more. For adults,the RomanceBookCloud includes a collection of more than 1,700 romance e-books.
Lastly, AudioBookCloud is an all-ages audiobook database. Links to all databases are provided on the library’s homepage.
Parents and caregivers are now in the unexpected position of homeschooling their children. For extra support, www.Tutor.com is on hand to provide live help and one-on-one assistance from virtual tutors.
For younger children, parents can rely on the library’s Sesame Street database and classic characters like Big Bird and Elmo to supplement the work they’re already doing at home to teach basic concepts, such as numbers and letters.
In addition to providing copious reading materials, the Levittown Public Library also offers access to Kanopy, a free movie streaming platform.
Users add their library card numbers, create accounts and can begin streaming a variety of contemporary and classic films.
Titles also include documentaries, foreign films and Kanopy Kids, an entire collection devoted to content for children.
Reed says she and her staff “look forward to the day we can reopen our doors and come face to face again as a community.”
Until then, the public is encouraged to remain connected with the Library, despite the distance.
Librarians are on standby to answer reference questions from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, via chat or email at info@levittownpl.org.
Staff members are working from home to produce content to keep the community engaged and informed.
Be sure to follow the library’s social media accounts, especially Facebook and Instagram (@levittownpl), for all updates.
