SWPL News

SPL is proud to present acclaimed author Margaret Atwood at 7 pm on Wednesday, June 15 at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad Street) in collaboration with eight other central Ohio Libraries. The event will feature a conversation between the author and Ann Fisher, host of WOSU’s All Sides. Books will be available for purchase through Gramercy Books.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at cbusarts.com. Ticket prices begin at $29.

Collaborating Libraries: Bexley Public Library, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Grandview Heights Public Library, London Public Library, Plain City Public Library, Southwest Public Libraries, Upper Arlington Public Library, Westerville Public Library and Worthington Libraries. 

ABOUT MARGARET ATWOOD
Literary titan Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Handmaid’s Tale, The Edible Woman, The Robber Bride, The Blind Assassin, Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood. With The Handmaid’s Tale adapted into an eleven-time Emmy Award-winning television series, and its sequel, The Testaments, winning the 2019 Booker Prize, Atwood’s sharp eye is more crucial—and prescient—than ever.

Burning Questions, Atwood’s latest release, is a collection of more than 50 essays directing her intellect and humor at our world, covering a roller-coaster period including the end of history, a financial crash, the rise of Trump, and a pandemic.

Atwood is the winner of many international literary awards, including the prestigious Booker Prize, Arthur C. Clarke Award, Governor General’s Award, the PEN Pinter Prize, the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her work has been published in more than 40 languages.

Atwood is also a popular personality on Twitter, with over a million followers.

ABOUT THE EVENT
Tickets for A Conversation with Margaret Atwood are now on sale, available exclusively through cbusarts.com. Participating libraries do not have tickets to sell at their locations. Ticket prices begin at $29.00 each. Some Covid-19 restrictions may apply. Books will be available for purchase through Gramercy Books. The event was originally scheduled for fall of 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19.

ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
This Central Ohio Library Collaboration first formed in 2019 to allow libraries to host large, impactful events in Central Ohio collectively by sharing costs, resources, and expertise. In addition to resource sharing and encouraging partnership on various community-wide initiatives, these collective events enhance and further engage a community of readers and raise the visibility of libraries throughout Central Ohio.

The collaboration’s inaugural event, an evening with travel author and TV host Rick Steves at the Southern Theatre in December 2019, sold out within hours of going on sale. In 2020, the collaboration hosted a community read of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You followed by an online discussion with author Jason Reynolds. 

Borrow a doll

Our historical American Girl doll collection has launched! Kaya, Kirsten, Addy, Kit, or Maryellen can now visit your home. Anyone with an SPL library card may borrow a doll for a period of one week. Each historical character includes a booklet about what life would have looked like for a girl their age living in our local area at the time, plus a journal for you to record your adventures together. Visit the Grove City Youth Services desk to check out and pick up a doll or call 614-875-6716 ext. 502 for more information.

Dolls are available to pick up at Grove City only at this time. A similar American Girl collection will launch at Westland Area Library this fall. 

Record your adventures

We encourage you to write in the journal and/or take pictures of all your adventures together to share with us. Tag and share your photos with us on social media:
Facebook @SPLFranklinCountyOH
Instagram: @southwestpl

Meet the dolls and their eras

The dolls in SPL's collection were selected to reflect similar characters appropriate to our local communities during their respective eras, with the booklets providing a bit of a “day-in-the-life” look had the characters lived locally. 

• Kaya: 1760s
• Kirsten: 1850s
• Addy: 1860s
• Kit: 1930s
• Maryellen: 1950s

With special thanks to:

• Donna Carter, SPL Board Trustee, for her generous sponsorship of the collection
• SPL Information Assistant Chloe Dickson and Youth Services Assistant Dale Buck for their assistance with historical research
• The Grove City Writers' Group, including authors Leanne Watkins, Diane Mechem Kinser, and Janet Shailer, for authoring the booklets

This is no April Fool! Get excited because not only is the library restarting regular hours including Sundays, we will now be open earlier than ever Monday-Saturday!

Beginning Sunday, April 3, 2022, the library’s full hours at both locations will be:

• Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. –  8 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

That means more time for more books, movies, study, computer sessions, programs, and everything else you love about the library. Thank you for your patience for our adjusted hours during the Omicron surge. Come visit us and enjoy all the library has to offer!

When visiting the library:

• Please be considerate of our community. We encourage maintaining social distance. Please feel comfortable to mask at any time. Disposable masks are available at the library’s entrance.
• Please do not visit the library at this time if you or a family member are currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have recently tested positive for COVID-19. Contact the library if you require assistance for any held items.
• No-contact services remain available by request. Please call for assistance.
• Get updates from Franklin County Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

FAQs

Wait, are you really open at 9 a.m. now?
Yes, we are, Mondays through Saturdays! We’ve seen you waiting to come in the doors each morning and observed when you like to use the library the most, early during the day and in the afternoons, so we’ve shifted our hours to better serve you and be here when you need us.

Are you open Sundays?
Yes, we are! We are open Sundays again from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Are in-person programs back?
Yes, they are! We resumed in-person programs for all ages earlier this spring. Check out our web calendar for events.

Are live storytimes back?
Yes, they are! We offer live weekly storytimes inside the library. Storytimes are currently scheduled through April. We’ll take a storytime break in May and be back for Summer Reading.

Is there going to be a Summer Reading Challenge this year?
Yes, there is! We are excited to kick off another Summer Reading Challenge on June 4 this year with the return of live performers. Stay tuned for more info.

Are the meeting rooms and study rooms open?
Yes, they are! Meeting rooms and study rooms can be booked online or in-person.

It’s easier than ever to get high-speed internet on the go—Southwest Public Libraries is now offering hotspot devices with unlimited data for checkout!

Any SPL cardholder age 18 or older may borrow a hotspot device free of charge for a period of two weeks. Patrons can connect up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices to a single hotspot, including mobile devices, laptops, digital cameras, and gaming devices for unlimited high-speed internet access through T-Mobile.

Hotspots are available for checkout at both the Grove City and Westland locations and are made possible through a federal Emergency Connectivity Fund grant.

To borrow a hotspot:

• Hotspots may be requested at an SPL Customer Service Desk or reserved here through the library’s online catalog by any SPL cardholder age 18 or older.
• Hotspots must be checked out and returned at the Customer Service Desk of an SPL branch. Please do not return in the bookdrops.
• There is no fee for borrowing or daily overdue fines. Service will be disabled for overdue devices.
• Replacement fees of $50 for a long overdue, unreturned device or $5 for a missing charger will be assessed.
• Contact Information at 614-875-6716 ext. 503 (Grove City) or 614-878-1301 ext. 603 (Westland) for assistance.
  
  *Please note: devices are not filtered, nor do they store any history or personal information. Parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor minors’ usage as they see fit.* 

Getting started with your hotspot: