- Kern County Library is flipping open a new page for the new year.
- From the Zip Book program to opening locations, the library hopes to draw in readers.
- The Southwest branch library opens on Monday while the Holloway-Gonzales branch library opens on Tuesday.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Kern County Library is unwrapping its free Zip Book program.
“It’s like Christmas all over again,” said Fahra Daredia with the Kern County Library. “Zip Books is a program that is funded by the California State Library and it’s a great way to build a user based collection. So any books that are not in the library system here in Kern County, we’re able to order them.”
Daredia says the program not only expands the library’s collection, but makes books more relevant to the community accessible.
“We’ve all of a sudden have such a vivacious group of readers,” said Daredia. “We’re glad to have this program again that way, you know, we can continue building our literacy rates here in Kern County.”
Here’s how it works–
- Request books that the library does not own through an online form.
- Zip Books are shipped directly to you from Amazon.
- When finished reading, return the book to any Kern County Library to potentially add it to the library’s collection.
So what books can we expect to hit the shelves?
Daredia says Kern County has a big following in both urban fiction and graphic novels.
“I think [the program is] gaining popularity now because people have been waiting for this program to come back,” said Daredia. “And so now that it’s getting popularity, people know that we have it.”
On top of building their shelves with the Zip Books program, the Kern County Library is opening up in your neighborhood.
Last January, the Southwest branch library closed as part of the “building forward” grant.
“Our libraries are so well loved and so they haven’t had a chance to kind of be more modernized. And so this grant gave us the opportunity to modernize some of our libraries,” said Daredia.
On Monday, the Southwest location opens its doors with a fresh, new look.
“People will be able to see a more modernized version of the library that they loved,” said Daredia.
The Holloway-Gonzales branch library, which had been closed since August, is also reopening on Tuesday.
“Some life critical safety measures that were needed for that facility, more modernization, flooring, a more open space, and just… kind of reconfiguring the library,” said Daredia. “But I’m really excited to see that one too, because that one… was one of our oldest libraries as well.”
The Zip Books program runs through June 30, or until all of the funds are used.
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