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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District wants you to know they offer a lot more than books.
The library has several services available for community members, most of which are free with a library card. Mary Cordes, the library’s executive director, explained that many people don’t realize the amount of resources available at the library. From notary services to free TV streaming, all of this can be found at Hayner.
“We have all these services,” Cordes said. “They seem small, but once you start talking about them, it’s, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t know the library offered all of this.’”
The library provides several resources via their online databases. Cordes enjoys Creativebug, a database that provides high-quality instructional videos for everything from knitting to cooking. Biblio+ offers unlimited ad-free streaming of movies and TV shows. The Legal Information Reference Center has legal texts and forms available for download. There are many more databases available, and a library card is all you need to access them.
In addition to these online resources, there are many library services you can find at either Hayner location. The library provides cheap printing, copying, scanning and faxing. They charge 15 cents for black-and-white copies and 30 cents for color copies.
They also offer voter registration and notary services. Cordes encourages people to call the library first if you need these services, but most of the librarians are trained to do this and can help you.
Cordes is particularly proud of the homebound delivery program, a long-standing service where people who can’t travel to the library can get books and materials delivered to them. She pointed out that they can also access all of the online resources using their library card, which is especially valuable for homebound community members.
“It’s huge because some people, if you’re stuck at home and you can’t get out, this is your lifeline,” Cordes said. “Not only do we deliver materials to you, but when you get your library card and we bring you your card, you can access so many things like the databases online, e-books, audiobooks, all of that. So it’s really a vital lifeline.”
While Hayner has a wide variety of services available, they also have plenty of books. The Friends of Hayner Library, a volunteer group, raises money for the library through a weekly book sale from 9:30–11:30 a.m. every Monday at 327 State Street in Alton. They also sell books on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon. Cordes explained that these materials are great quality, and the Friends often sell entire bags of books for only $2 or $3.
“There are beautiful books too,” she added. “I’ve gotten some really great books from the Friends, books I’ve been looking for for a long time and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I found it.’ You never know what's going to turn up.”
Hayner offers many other resources, including one-on-one technical support and information about community resources like food pantries and winter clothing drives. You can find out more about Hayner’s services by visiting their official website at HaynerLibrary.org or calling 618-462-0677.
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