I have to admit it feels very odd in the William Bradford Huie Library. There is no laughter of children, no sound of computer keyboards clicking, no patrons asking for copies, no proctored testing. The building is unnaturally quiet, as if the library is holding its breath, waiting for life to start again.  

Of course, I am referring to the extended closure of the library because of the state of emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As of this writing, I can only say we will reopen when it is finally safe – and it will be safe again.  

In the meantime, Patricia and I are developing new programs, weeding our library, ordering new books, rearranging to provide better services and working to bring our patrons as many free digital resources as possible.  

I have a list of 40 online digital resources for parents feeling overwhelmed, students trying to find answers, adults with cabin fever and people feeling isolated. Unfortunately, I cannot give the day and time we will reopen, but I am hoping by the time you read this, we have reopened and everything is back to normal! 

Even though we are closed, there is exciting news to share. One of our most exciting changes has been our newly reorganized friends of the library group, renamed Huie Library League.  It is a nonprofit, charitable organization.  The group already has an active Facebook page, sharing information about library programs, book sales and other library–related material, such as online digital resources. The League will be sharing more information concerning its mission and membership after the state of emergency ends and we are back to business as usual.  

As for our Summer Reading Program, the theme is “Imagine Your Story.” Patricia and I are working on ideas to have a program one way or another. It is an awesome theme, and we are just too excited to totally have to skip it. So never fear; your librarians are here!  

I want to remind parents and students of the wonderful resources available on homeworkalabama.org. This site provides free homework help to students in all grades for more than 60 subjects, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, chemistry and physics. The site also offers free job help. By creating a free account, anyone can obtain assistance searching for a job, creating resume or even having a resume and cover letter reviewed.  

There is also learningexpresshub.com. This site has excellent tutorials for career prep, college admission test prep, computer skills for all levels of experience, GED prep and much more. If you need help getting started or setting up an account, please give us a call, and we will do our best to walk you through it. 

Please check the City of Hartselle website at hartselle.org, City of Hartselle Facebook page and Huie Library League Facebook page for updates.