Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Since June, we’ve had two ways of using the library. One is to use our own awesome Hoopla and Overdrive services to download ebooks and digital audiobooks to your smart devices from anywhere. That’s a pretty great service.

The other way has been our Grab & Go service, where you can order books and movies and more, and then pick them up from the library entryway when they are ready for you. That’s pretty great too. And now a few weeks ago we added a third option: You can make an appointment to come in and browse the collection!

It’s been really great having folks back in the building after so long, and on behalf of the staff, I want to say everyone who’s come in so far to browse for being so patient and careful about following our new rules.

Here’s how it works: You can call us at 518-861-7239 to make an appointment to come in and to browse the library collection. At first, appointments will be scheduled between 2 and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and, depending on how things go, we may expand that to the entire day over time.

Visits must be scheduled ahead of time by phone, and walk-ins will not be allowed, even if no other appointments are scheduled at the time. Appointments will be limited to 10 minutes per visit, and to one patron or family (five people maximum) at a time.

Face masks must be worn covering the mouth and nose throughout your visit, and all patrons must use hand sanitizer upon entering the building. Computers and bathrooms will not be available to patrons, but the photocopier and fax machine will be available.

Please be advised that all toys have been temporarily removed from the children’s section, in order to keep the library hygienic and safe for all users and staff. 

Curbside Grab & Go service will remain our primary mode of lending and, when items are requested, we will continue to prefer that method of delivery. Please do not schedule a visit if you are experiencing any COVID-19 or flu symptoms. If you are feeling unwell, or if you are unable to wear a mask for any reason, we will be happy to arrange for curbside delivery.

We look forward to continuing to serve our community in all of the ways that we safely can. We thank you all for your continued support, patience, and respect for these new rules. On behalf of the staff and board, we sincerely appreciate it. 

Try Hoopla!

Back when we were closed, we introduced a new service for digital books, audiobooks, streaming music and movies that you could access from anywhere. It’s called Hoopla, and it’s totally great. At the time, we thought that we would just keep that service until the end of September to tide you over until we reopened, but it turned out to be so popular that we’re keeping it! 

If you haven’t tried Hoopla yet, you should! The Hoopla app can be downloaded onto any smart device, and gives you access to a tremendous catalog on ebook, digital audiobooks, streaming music, movies and TV shows for free with your library card.

Even better, there’s never a waitlist for anything you check out! If you have a card from any of the libraries in Albany or Rensselaer Counties, you can borrow up to five items a month. For more information, check out HooplaDigital.com or AltamontFreeLibrary.org and start streaming today.

If you have any questions about Hoopla or any of our other digital services, send me an email at or call the library at 518- 861-7239 and we’ll do our best to help!