Community Corner
Library Amps Up Virtual Programming
'We're thinking outside the box on ways to keep our patrons engaged.'
With the extension of the State of Illinois’s stay-at-home mandate, the staff of the Plainfield Public Library District has been busy developing programs that patrons and members of the public can access virtually from home.
“We take great pride in offering top-notch programming in our building and throughout the community. That’s obviously all been put on hold with the current quarantine, so we’re thinking outside the box on ways to keep our patrons engaged,” said Director Lisa Pappas.
The library is utilizing a variety of computer software and websites. For example, when patrons register for Virtual Trivia Night, they will be emailed a link and password to join the event on a website. The trivia program will occur every Thursday in April at 7 p.m. with a new set of 25 questions for each game. Winners will receive gift cards to Plainfield businesses.
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The library’s historical presentations are very popular with patrons. A current offering is a video presentation by actress Jenny Riddle called Famous First Ladies. Once registered for the program, viewers will receive a link and password to view the video on a website at their leisure until April 10. In the video, Riddle dramatizes, in character, the personal lives of three remarkable first ladies: Mary Todd Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jackie Kennedy.
Another program, Unlocking the Secrets of Your Family Tree, will be conducted as a webinar using the videoconferencing app Zoom. This popular genealogy program is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. The program’s Zoom details are available on the library’s online calendar.
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“With so many people staying at home, now is a great time to research your family’s genealogy,” said Pappas. “It’s amazing what you can find online and in your attic. This program will help point you in the right direction.”
Library staff members are in the process of planning more virtual programs over the next few weeks. The library’s website and Facebook page are regularly updated as programs are added.
“We miss seeing and interacting with our patrons,” said Pappas. “We hope these virtual programs will help fill the void until the library can reopen.”
