We often hear people say, “I didn’t know the library offered that.” Our services reach far beyond books!
Did you know you can check out a solar power pack, an engine code reader, a metal detector, to name just a few items from our Library of Things? Or that we sponsor a weekly coffee meeting with our local Veteran Service Officer; and twice monthly Mt. Carmel Veterans Services helps coordinate legal assistance, behavioral health services and more for veterans and their families. The monthly DMV2Go processes motor vehicle transactions without a trip to Canon City. The Virtual Legal Clinic allows patrons to speak privately with a volunteer attorney for general legal guidance. Three times a month you can bring in a phone, laptop, or other device and receive help with email, digital photos, and apps. (We also offer one-on-one walk-in appointments during regular open hours.) Use our telehealth kits in the library in the privacy booth, or check one out to use at home. We provide free notary services. Workforce Colorado comes quarterly with job resources for employers and job seekers both. We offer high-quality printing/scanning/faxing for very reasonable prices. And did we mention free movie streaming in English and Spanish?
We also have events for all ages. Look for the annual Senior Fair in October, co-sponsored with Landing Well and the Custer County Consortium on Aging. This event brings together resources that support healthy aging in place in Custer County. A weekly Dungeons & Dragons gathering gives teens and adults a chance to practice storytelling, teamwork, and imagination in a welcoming group setting. Younger patrons and their families have their own
programs: Mama Baby Café offers a relaxed place for new parents to connect, while the weekly Adventure Quest helps school-age children learn how to play role-playing games (RPG). There is an open-to-everyone writers group, and musical instruments to check out that come with free lessons! Even if no program is scheduled, the library’s everyday services are available, such as free public computers, internet access, and wi-fi. Use any or all of these services for schoolwork, job applications, virtual appointments, government forms, and staying connected with family and friends.
Back-to-school is happening now! Don’t forget the library can help with homework and research, reading practice, and access to trustworthy information. Outside of school, library cardholders of any age can access research tools covering a wide range of subjects from health and alternative therapies, to science articles, to information on that obscure auto repair you’re trying to do, plus lots more. Access these resources from home or in the library. And coming back full circle to reading, we have thousands of ebooks, e-audiobooks, and magazines waiting for download to your device. And this is only a brief snapshot of Beyond Books!
Whether you need information, technology, assistance, a meeting place, or simply a welcoming space, your library is here for you. Stop in to “check out” all West Custer County Library has Beyond Books!