March 25, 2020
Dear Howard County Library System customers,
Following Governor Larry Hogan’s orders on continued social distancing and urging residents to stay home, Howard County Library System is closed until further notice. The health and safety of our community and our staff remains our top priority. HCLS branches and offices will reopen when guidance indicates that it is safe to do so.
Please keep and enjoy all materials at home until we reopen. Fines are waived while we are closed.
Branch closure does not mean a shutdown of operations. During this closure, the ever-innovative HCLS team is working remotely to assist customers, develop online classes, plan opportunities for virtual connection and engagement, bolster our eContent, and move forward with planning and other behind-the-scenes work to benefit our customers when we reopen.
We invite you to visit our Coronavirus page for information on how to reduce your risk to exposure of COVID-19 and to access resources for:
You may also wish to join one of our new reading challenges: Play, Create and Learn (for ages 5-13) or Social Distance Reading Challenge (for teens [ages 14+] and adults). Both can be accessed at hcls.readsquared.com. New activities are added each Thursday, so keep reading and checking in.
Additionally, please explore and use our vast collection of free, online materials that are easily accessible from home with your library card, including:
- eBooks and downloadable audiobooks
- streaming music, TV, and movies
- specialized research tools
- online classes for personal and professional development
- national and international newspapers and magazines
All you need is your library card and PIN. For friends and family who may not yet have a library card, encourage them to apply online and use their temporary number for immediate access. Additionally, HCPSS students may continue to access eContent using their A+ student accounts. It’s all available 24/7 at hclibrary.org.
We will continue to monitor the ongoing situation before reopening. Any updates will be posted on our website as well as on our social media pages. We are grateful for your continued support and patience as we continue to evaluate and adjust our operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each doing our part, we will get through this. We look forward to welcoming you back into our branches at that time. Until then, please take good care of yourselves and one another.
Sincerely,
Tonya Aikens
President & CEO
