In the midst of our community’s transformation into at-home offices, classrooms and entertainment centers, we are in need of our libraries now more than ever. In addition to the system’s already varied digital services, some new resources and arrangements have been implemented to specifically help the community cope with the trials of quarantine life. These include:
1. Tutor.com
GCPL has partnered with the Gwinnett County Public Schools to purchase a subscription to Tutor.com, providing K-12 tutoring to Gwinnett’s 180,000 students while they are distance learning. Students can access this via the library’s website at gwinnettpl.org.
2. Free Temporary, Virtual Library Cards
The ebook vendor, OverDrive, now accepts GCPL’s online registration cards (temp PACREG) for immediate access to their content. Anyone can get a temporary library card online at gwinnettpl.org and gain access to all GCPL digital offerings.
3. Chat with a Librarian
GCPL’s Customer Contact Center, while not able to take phone calls, is fielding emails and website chats Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit gwinnettpl.org to chat or email with a librarian.
4. Ancestry.com
Until recently, you had to physically visit a GCPL branch to have free access to Ancestry.com. Now, you can access this powerful genealogical database online via gwinnettpl.org.
Other digital offerings available to GCPL card holders (if you don’t have one, see #2 above!) include online access to newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, ebooks, audio books, college and career planning, business resources, scholarly journals, skills courses, language learning and much, much more! Simply visit gwinnettpl.org/digital-resources to unlock a trove of free, quality tools to supply your time at home.
“Here at GCPL, it is our mission to support your informational, educational and recreational interests with convenient, creative, customer-friendly access to materials and services,” said the library’s Executive Director, Charles Pace. “Just because our physical branches are closed doesn’t mean we can’t continue to serve our community. These are just a few of the ways we have already begun adapting to the current climate, and I can promise more is on the way!”
