How can I get books out of the library?
We have officially moved the collection to our new space in the Monkton Town Offices. In our new building we have the space and air circulation to support patrons in the building again! Stop by during open hours to check things out as normal:
Tuesdays, from 3-7 pm,
Thursdays from 3-7 pm,
Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm
and
Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
Can I still request porch-side pick-up?
Yes! We are perfectly happy to deliver items to the parking lot for any who feel more comfortable with Porch-side Pick-up .
Where do I return my books?
If you can’t make our open hours, drop your returns through the book drop at our old location. We’ll ferry items to the new building until the new book drop can be established.
Will you be extending your open hours now that you’re in the new space?
We really, really want to increase our open hours. That said, we also know that budgeting is tight and town taxes have been effected enough just by the cost of new building. We are currently looking into ways to expand operating hours without further burdening the town with increased cost.
What can I do to get books while I wait to check new things out?
If you’re open to reading digitally, the Overdrive is still going strong, and most of Vermont is pouring its resources into developing the collection. Not sure how to access Overdrive? We’ve got some tutorials available here, as well as the main help page here. If you get properly stuck, email in and our Assistant Librarian will do her best to help you out.
There’s also plenty of reading you can do through free services like Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archive‘s Open Library, and fan-sites like A03 and ff.net.
If you prefer audio, we have a whole series of blog posts about free podcasts you can listen to.
Do your kids like graphic novels? There are increasing amounts of graphic novels on Overdrive. Or maybe they’d like to try some of the manga available at CrunchyRoll.
Check out other book sources (and ideas in general) in our Social Distancing Resources tab.
What if I have questions you haven’t answered here?
Stop in to ask, email us at russellmemlibrary@gmail.com, or even leave us a phone message at 453-4471. We’ll answer you as quickly as we can.
How many books can you check out at a time?
As many as you’d like! We don’t have a formal limit.
How long can you check books out for?
Short answer: two weeks for our books, until the due date listed for ILLs.
Long answer: Most books circulate for two weeks at a time. Unless there’s another patron looking to borrow that specific book, we don’t worry too much if you keep our things beyond their due date, but ILL books don’t belong to us, so we will ask you to bring those back on time. There are a few books, most of them in the cabinet behind the front desk, that never leave the library because they’re too fragile/rare to be allowed outside, so no due dates to worry about there.
Do I have to live in Monkton to have an RML Library Card?
Not necessarily. We have several patrons who visit only for the summer, and we’re happy to provide them with library privileges. If you are a member of any Homecard library, you can use your Homecard to check books out from our collection.
Can different members of the same family get different library cards?
Of course! We actually encourage separate cards for everyone in your family, especially if you access ebook and audiobooks through our Overdrive system.
How much does it cost to join the library?
It doesn’t cost anything!
Do you have any late fees?
Not as of yet. We may follow up with phone calls and emails if you keep our passes out too long, though.
How do I renew my books?
Right now we don’t have an automatic or user-friendly way for you to renew things yourself, but you can always call, email, or stop in to talk to a librarian about renewing your items. We are happy to renew just about everything.
How can I tell what I have checked out?
Again, we don’t have any system you can log into to check, but you are absolutely welcome to contact us via phone, email, or in-person visit to ask. We would be happy to provide a list of the titles you have on your account.
What happens if I damage or lose a library book?
If the damage is minor and the book is still readable, chances are we’ll let you off the hook; everyone makes mistakes sometimes. If you’ve lost the book completely, we’re happy to accept a replacement copy of the item or a donation roughly equivalent to the cost of the lost item.
Do you take book donations?
Short answer: Yes, but only if approved by the head librarian (Deb).
Long answer: During the month of June, we accept all resaleable donations of books for the Strawberry Festival and poke through those donations looking for good additions to our library. Outside of that magic window, all things have to be approved by Deb, usually in an appointment made with her ahead of time.
How can I help support my local library?
Most any interaction you have with us helps. This includes, but is not limited to, checking things out from our collections (online as well as physical), coming to our programming, following and engaging with us on social media, spreading the word about our events, accessing our online resources, reading our blog, and generally just stopping in to chat. We’re here to serve the ENTIRE Monkton community, not just the readers.
Do you have movies for rental/check-out?
Because of our space constraints, we do not currently have any films in our collection. We also do not have access to media through Kanopy, mostly as we are too small to justify the subscription expense. If there’s a particular movie or TV show you really, really want access to, you could try ordering it through ILL, though we ask you keep media ILL requests to one at a time.
Do you check out anything other than books?
Actually, yes. We have several passes for free or discounted entry into locations around the state, as well as a collection of board games that circulate just like books.
When is the Strawberry Festival?
Traditionally it’s held on the last Sunday of June.
See more info on the Strawberry Fest here.
Russell Memorial Library 