Tennessee Public Libraries Continue to Serve Despite Building Closures
NASHVILLE, Tenn.– Despite restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public libraries continue to serve their communities and in partnership with the Tennessee State Library and Archives, are offering several online resources for learning at home, research and entertainment.
“Local libraries provide vital services to their communities,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Thanks to the Tennessee State Library and Archives expansive online resources and the spark of imagination, librarians across the state have found innovative ways to still serve their communities.”
Through curbside pickup services, some libraries are still loaning out books and materials after sanitizing them following CDC guidelines and letting them sit at least 24 hours before lending them again.
In Maryville, children can attend story time with songs and a simple craft project via Facebook Live. The library in White Pine has a cart outside with free puzzles, paperback books and some cleaning supplies available to community members.
While in Pigeon Forge, people who need to file for unemployment can visit the library, don a mask, and enter the library a few at a time to use the computers. Librarians, also wearing a mask and gloves, assist if needed.
Many libraries are still offering free wi-fi. Patrons can access the internet on their smartphone, laptop, or tablet from the safety of their car in the library parking lot. Libraries are also waiving overdue fines for anyone unable to return books and materials.
“Libraries are anchor institutions. In times like these, when the seas of life are rough, we need our anchors,” said State Librarian and Archivist Chuck Sherrill. “Librarians are talented public servants who use their skills to meet community needs. It’s amazing to see their dedication and creativity during this public health crisis.”
Libraries across the state continue to provide online resources around the clock as well. The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) gives Tennessee residents access to over 400,000 magazines, journals, newspapers, essays, e-books, podcasts, videos, homework help and more. Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. offers more than 100,000 digital e-books, audiobooks, and videos to patrons of regional libraries for free. The TumbleBook Library provides a collection of animated talking picture books, read-along books, e-books, quizzes, puzzles, lesson plans, and educational games for children.
For more information on the resources provided by the Tennessee State Library and Archives visit http://www.sos.tn.gov/tsla. To find out what services the Williamson County Public Library System is currently offering call, visit our Williamson County Public Library System Website or Facebook page.
Williamson County and Local Municipalities launch Crisis Text Helpline
It’s okay to reach out for help when you need it. Through the partnership of our municipalities and partners ,we wanted to provide residents with a resource to receive virtual mental health assistance. Simply text “Williamson” to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor.
Brentwood’s Interactive Map – Now Open to All Williamson County Restaurants
Initiative highlights businesses offering online, takeout and delivery options
On Tuesday, March 24, the City of Brentwood launched the “Open for Takeout” initiative to encourage the community to continue supporting local businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic. Due to its popularity, the City has now opened it up to all of Williamson County restaurants. As of Thursday, 31 restaurants have filled out the survey and included their services on the map.
First, restaurant owners need to fill out a survey to indicate if they are offering takeout, curbside, delivery and drive through options while practicing social distancing. We encourage every Williamson County restaurant owner to take the survey here. Once the survey is complete, the information will be automatically placed on this interactive map located on the city’s website, along with several others throughout the county.
The initiative was launched to helped businesses and restaurants while closed following Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order 17 on March 22, 2020 which prohibited the operation of dine-in-only restaurants.
Williamson Ready’s Coronavirus Prevention
Find information about what is happening in Williamson County, prevention advice from the CDC, updates from the Tennessee Department of Health, and more: http://www.williamsonready.org/266/Coronavirus-Disease
Update on Library Services During Closure
In an effort to continue to serve you during our closure, the Williamson County Public Library System has temporarily lifted restrictions on some services. Everyone can access their account until the Library reopens as there is temporarily no fine limit on services. Our patrons will be able to utilize the e-library including services such as Hoopla and R.E.A.D.S. even if they currently owe more than $3 on their Library account.
In order to access these services, your username is the library card barcode number and the pin/password is the last four digits of your library card barcode number. Everyone’s library card barcode number is 14 digits long. E-Library services are available at: https://www.wcpltn.org/232/Digital-Books.
All Library card holder accounts that have expired since January 1, 2019 and accounts set to expire in the coming weeks, will be temporarily renewed through June 30, 2020.
All Library items currently checked out will not accrue fines or continue to accrue fines for the duration of this closure.
If you have a hold waiting at a Branch Library, it is still on hold. Your Branch Library will have it waiting for you to pick up for up to 5 days past the date of our reopening which is still to be determined. The ability to place holds on Library items has been suspended for the duration of this closure.
To receive email updates regarding Library services, subscribe to our e-newsletter at: https://www.wcpltn.org/277/Newsletter-Sign-Up
What’s happening in Williamson County with the Coronavirus?
Keep up-to-date with daily texts from Williamson County Government’s Emergency Management Agency:
Partnership is key to prevention and mitigation of COVID-19
All Williamson County Residents Urged to Take Preventive Measures
The Williamson County Health Department is working in partnership with other local, regional and state officials to implement prevention and mitigation strategies for local communities based on guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by state leadership. Williamson County has a local preparedness plan for pandemics that is practiced at least once a year, and this plan is the basis for the county’s response to COVID-19. Local leaders are making decisions based on the needs and best interest of Williamson County citizens.
“We’re working to ensure that everyone in Williamson County that has a clinical picture consistent with COVID-19 can be tested,” said Cathy Montgomery, Williamson County Health Department Director. “We need all Williamson County residents to join the effort to prevent further spread of this illness in our communities.”
It is important to note the testing process for COVID-19 is not like that of something like a rapid flu test, with results provided on the spot. Testing for COVID-19 is conducted in the laboratory, so tests themselves are not distributed to health care facilities. Rather, health care providers take samples from their patients and submit them to a laboratory for testing.
Many health care providers can assess patients for COVID-19 and collect samples to submit for testing. People who have concerns about their health should contact their regular health care providers, who can assess their risk and determine if they should be tested. People who don’t have insurance and have concerns they may have symptoms of COVID-19 can contact the Williamson County Health Department for consultation and to talk through potential options for assessment.
Most people, particularly those with mild or no symptoms, do not need assessment for COVID-19. Public health authorities are prioritizing testing of people in high-risk categories: contacts of confirmed cases; people in occupations with exposure to large numbers of contacts; health care workers; nursing home residents; severely immunocompromised patients; critically ill patients; pregnant women; and people who have traveled to areas with high case counts.
Anyone concerned about their health should first contact their regular health care provider. If you feel you need treatment, call the health care provider or facility first, so they can arrange for your arrival if you need to come in, and can accommodate you while reducing risk of exposing other people to illness.
There are lots of things everyone in Williamson County can do to help flatten the curve and reduce the impact of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water (or alcohol-based hand rub) for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing
- Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
- Stay home when you are sick
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with your arm or a tissue
- Clean and disinfect objects (e.g., cell phone, computer) and high touch surfaces regularly
Some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness including older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or lung disease. It’s extra important for people in these groups to take actions to reduce their risk of getting sick with COVID-19:
- Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others
- When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often
- Avoid crowds as much as possible
- Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel
- During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed
For a list of assessment sites, please visit https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/remote-assessment-sites.html.
For additional information, please visit www.tn.gov/governor/covid-19.html, www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
Williamson County Public Library Closed as of March 16 until further notice
The main priority of the Williamson County Public Library System is the health and well-being of our employees and patrons. With that in mind, the Library Board of Trustees and Dolores Greenwald, Director of Library Services, are immediately closing the Library facilities until further notice.
Customers who have items checked out during this time will not be charged fines.
While staying at home, please take advantage of our ebooks and online resources such as Hoopla, Reads, TumbleBooks and more. Visit our website https://wcpltn.org for the Library’s 24/7 resources.
How To Use The OverDrive App
Just because the Library is closed doesn’t mean you won’t have access to a vast number of great FREE books until we reopen. With the OverDrive app, you can choose from thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks for all ages to download to your mobile device from the Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. database. Read on to learn how! Also check out our blog articles on how to download eBooks, eAudiobooks and comics, stream movies and TV shows, and listen to music with the Hoopla app, or download magazines using the Flipster app.
The OverDrive app can be used on your iPhone/iPad, Blackberry, Android phone, tablet, Kindle Fire, Nook Color and Nook HD with the OverDrive Media Console app.
GET STARTED WITH THE OVERDRIVE APP
Go to the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Amazon Appstore. Install the free OverDrive Media Console app 
to your mobile device.
After you’ve downloaded the free app, you’ll be prompted to sign up for a new OverDrive account. You’ll be given the option to create your account with your library card number, Facebook, or email. We strongly recommend using your EMAIL ADDRESS as demonstrated below.
After you’ve created your account, Overdrive Menu Page opens and you’ll be prompted to ADD A LIBRARY. Click on ADD A LIBRARY.
Enter zip code 37064 in the search box to find Williamson County Public Library’s R.E.A.D.S website and then click SEARCH.
Find the name of your branch on the list and click the name to select it. For the main library, click on Buffalo River Region – Williamson County Public Library, Franklin.
You will only have to complete the above steps the first time you access R.E.A.D.S. using the OverDrive app. After that, you will simply click on the OverDrive app icon on your device and sign in to your R.E.A.D.S. account.
SIGN IN TO YOUR R.E.A.D.S. ACCOUNT
After you click TENNESSEE READS, the R.E.A.D.S. home page opens. Click SIGN IN.
You’ll be prompted for your library name. Choose WILLIAMSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY or the name of your branch (BETHESDA, COLLEGE GROVE, FAIRVIEW, LEIPER’S FORK or NOLENSVILLE) from the dropdown menu. Then type in your library card number and PIN and click SIGN IN. Your PIN is the last 4 digits of your library card number unless you have recently changed it.
YOUR R.E.A.D.S. ACCOUNT
After you click SIGN IN, the Tennessee R.E.A.D.S. site opens. Click on the 
icon to go to your LOANS page, which shows all the items you have checked out. You can touch the icon to view your LOANS at any time.
Click on the menu icon
to access your ACCOUNT, which includes links to your HOLDS, WISH LIST, RECOMMENDATIONS, HISTORY and SETTINGS.
Click on SETTINGS to choose your default lending period. We recommend choosing 21 days, the longest lending period allowed. You only have to set your lending period once.
FIND AN eBOOK OR eAUDIOBOOK
To browse for books, click on the menu icon to search by SUBJECTS or COLLECTIONS (broad categories such as eBooks or eAudiobooks).
Click the SEARCH icon 
to begin a search. Click in the SEARCH box for a quick keyword search or click on ADVANCED for additional search options such as Title, Author, Subject, Format, Availability, or other criteria.
After your search results are displayed, you can touch a book cover to get a description. eBooks are designated by a book icon underneath the cover image, while eAudiobooks have a headphone icon. The word AVAILABLE above the cover means the book can be checked out immediately, while WAIT LIST indicates the book is currently checked out and can be placed on hold.
PLACE A BOOK ON HOLD
If the title you have selected is already checked out, you can be placed on the wait list for that title. Touch PLACE A HOLD.
In the pop-up that opens, enter and confirm your email address. Then click PLACE A HOLD.
When a title you have on hold becomes available, you will receive an email. You’ll have three days to borrow the title. You can then sign in to your R.E.A.D.S. account and go to your HOLDS menu to borrow the title.
BORROW A BOOK
To borrow an eBook or an eAudiobook that is available, click BORROW underneath the cover image.
A screen will appear confirming the loan period. You may click on the down arrow to change the loan period. Click BORROW. On the next screen, click GO TO LOANS.
Click DOWNLOAD EPUB ebook if you’re checking out an eBook or MP3 AUDIOBOOK if you’re checking out an eAudiobook. If you are using the OverDrive App on a Kindle Fire, Nook Color or Nook HD, you still need to choose the EPUB eBook format for eBooks.
After clicking DOWNLOAD, you’ll see that the title is being added to the OverDrive App.
OPEN AND READ OR LISTEN TO YOUR BOOK IN THE OVERDRIVE APP
In Tennessee R.E.A.D.S., you can find, download, or place a book on hold, but to read or listen to your book, you must go to your OVERDRIVE APP BOOKSHELF. After you’ve added the book to your app as described above, click the OVERDRIVE MENU ICON . The app will usually be in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, although the location may vary depending on which device you’re using.
Click on BOOKSHELF on the OverDrive “My Libraries” box.
The OverDrive Bookshelf opens. Tap on a BOOK COVER to open it and begin reading or listening.
RENEW YOUR LIBRARY BOOK
Renewing R.E.A.D.S. titles works differently than renewing physical books. Renewing a R.E.A.D.S title doesn’t extend your lending period. Instead, the title is borrowed again for you immediately after your current checkout expires. If there are existing holds, you will be placed on the wait list.
On your LOANS page, select the REQUEST AGAIN button under the title you’d like to renew. This option does not appear until three days before the title is due to expire.
As soon as your current lending period ends (or your hold on the title is available), you’ll receive a notification email and have three days to borrow it. Sign in to your R.E.A.D.S. account and go to the HOLDS menu and select BORROW next to the title. Go to your LOANS page and download the book again.
RETURN A LIBRARY BOOK EARLY
Go to the OverDrive BOOKSHELF. Touch and hold the cover of the book you want to return.
Click RETURN TO LIBRARY.
Click RETURN.
That’s it! Enjoy your digital reading!
Stuck at Home? Here’s Free Online Media to Binge from the Library
By Amy Shropshire
While the Williamson County Public Library is currently closed to the public, fighting off the spread of COVID-19, several changes have been made to the existing library policy.
- We are no longer circulating physical materials. Patrons will no longer be able to place or pick up holds. Holds that have already been placed will be held for when we re-open and not expire.
- No late fees will be assessed for materials currently checked out. Materials are still currently returnable through the book drop, but keeping them will not incur any fees until after we re-open to the public.
- Patrons with recently expired cards, or cards expiring soon, have all been renewed until June 2020.
- Fines will no longer be an impediment to accessing online resources. All patrons with an active and renewed library card should be able to access online materials such as Tennessee READS and Hoopla.
- At present, staff will return calls and emails for patrons having technical difficulty accessing online resources and/or help answer queries.
So many people at home will need resources for both education and entertainment value, and we can still provide these resources through online media.
Here are some important things to remember when creating an account through our online resources.
- We are part of Buffalo River Regional Library, so that will be the name you search for when creating an account.
- The default PIN number is the last 4 digits of the library card number.
- All library card numbers must be entered with no spaces to access online resources.
For example, Tennessee READS is a great online resource that offers over 100,000 e-books and audiobooks available to our patrons. You can download e-books and audiobooks to a computer, mobile device, and/or tablet. You can access Tennessee READS by downloading the apps, Overdrive and Libby, or you can access it through the library website.
Hoopla is another great resource if you are looking for more audio-visual media such as music, movies, and television shows. Not to mention Hoopla also has a comic book selection as well. Just remember to select carefully, because Hoopla is limited to 3 checkouts per month.
Another perk about Overdrive, Libby, and Hoopla are the accessibility features, which include:
- dyslexic font
- adjustable font size
- adjustable audio speed
- Hoopla has closed captioning
RBDigital also carries a variety of popular e-books and audiobooks if you can’t find something in Tennessee READS or if you run out of checkouts.
If you are looking for magazines, try Flipster! Flipster is an easy-to-use digital magazine newsstand that has new and back issues. Flipster is accessible via a web browser or the Flipster app which is made specifically for Apple devices, Android devices, and the Kindle Fire tablet. You can also download magazines to read offline, anytime, anywhere.
For something new and different, try the curated lists of the Indie Author Project. Published by Library Journal, the India Author Project pulls together lists by genre of the most talked about independently published work that often escapes notice. You might find your new favorite author there.
Whether you’re keeping up with your educational goals of if you’re wanting to learn something new, EBSCOhost is the online resource for you. EBSCOhost provides a plethora of materials from classics to educational nonfiction. Try our collection of EBSCOhost e-books and audiobooks available for checkout.
Speaking of educational resources, we have computer practice resources and databases full of new learning opportunities you can spend your time on. For example, GCFLearnFree has plenty of tutorials including basic money management, resume writing, computer skills, and technology help to name a few. GCFLearnFree also provides courses on communication skills and the sharing economy too. Feel free to browse their collection of tutorials as well as our other computer training options.
Staying at home is also a great time to finally publish that book you’ve always wanted to write, and we have the resources for that! Create your own independently published book through Pressbooks, and submit your work to the Indie Author Project, both of which make your work shareable.
While some of us may be stuck at home for public safety, this is the perfect opportunity to do the things you’ve never had time to do before. So stay home and read, learn, and create!
Additional Links:
Overdrive app for Android devices
Overdrive app for Apple devices
