Show us your heart, Aloha! Join us for Giving Tuesday Now on Tuesday, May 5!

Giving Tuesday Now is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 – in addition to the regularly scheduled Dec 1, 2020 Giving Tuesday – as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.

You can show you generosity in a variety of ways during Giving Tuesday Now–whether it is helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, every act of generosity counts. One easy way to spread the joy with everyone who passes your home is to show your heart! Cover your windows in hearts and messages of unity for all to see. Cut outs, coloring pages, sticky notes, use your imagination!

You can also share your heart by partnering with the Aloha Community Library Association on Giving Tuesday Now – or any day! Your financial donation to ACLA will change people’s lives. Here’s how.

• Even though our doors are closed, the library is still the heart of our community! Our services are available 24/7 online. Storytime, e-books, resources for job seekers, mini concerts, health and wellness information – all available at any time, whenever you want to visit.
• We provide updated resource information in our library windows, and access to our Wi-Fi in the parking lot from 7am-9pm daily, for those who do not have internet access. We are exploring other ways to connect, too.
• As a local employer, we are committed to keeping our staff safe and steadily employed.
• We are coordinating efforts with libraries across the county to build a gradual reopening plan with safety for everyone at its heart. We miss you. We’ll see you again when we can keep everyone as safe as possible.

Partner with us today, on Giving Tuesday Now, or any day, to help the Aloha Community Library Association change lives for the better! Visit https://alohalibrary.org/support-us/donate/ to give today.

Thank you for your support!

We’re working hard to adapt our service model, and since online programming is becoming our main way to connect with you, we need your feedback! Please take a minute to share your thoughts on how you use the library and how we can best serve you, both right now and in the future when we’re able to reopen. Your answers will help us make decisions about what services to offer, how to make them accessible to you, and how best to stay in touch with our patrons.

The survey will be available from Sunday, April 19th through Saturday, April 25th. Take it online at tinyurl.com/ACLsurvey2020, or call (971) 245-7734 to complete the survey over the phone!

Are you using your stay-at-home time to read? Tell us about it. We are kicking off the Great Spring ACL Read Along! All ages, all reading levels welcome. All online, so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home.

Here’s how you can read along with us:

• Read a book (in any form – e-book, audiobook, and yes, even physical books made of paper!), magazine article, collection of poetry, whatever you want. Just keep reading!
• Write a short review of what you read. Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
• Email your review to info@alohalibrary.org
  • Subject line: Read Along Review
  • Include your review, your name, and your age (or if you prefer, just let us know if you are older or younger than 18 years old).
  • Your review should include the name of the book or article and the author’s name.
• Each Friday from April 10 – May 15, we will draw two names – one under-18 reader and one 18 and over reader. Each will win a $20 e-gift card for Powell’s Books! Though Powell’s physical stores are closed, their online sales shelves are still open. Winners will receive e-gift card prizes in their email inbox (prizes will be sent to the email address used for submission of reviews)!
• Send as many reviews as you’d like, but please make sure you really read the material. Yes, more entries give you a better chance of winning, but the reading and sharing of ideas are the important parts.
• We will compile the reviews submitted each week, then publish the list on our website and social media pages. You will start the weekend with a list of recommendations from your neighbors! We’ll throw in some of our staff reviews, too.

In one fell swoop, we can keep our community reading, support our local bookstore, and our lucky winners will be able to get new reading material to stay busy!

Sound like fun? We hope so! We miss chatting with our amazing patrons. We can’t wait to hear from you!

In order to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Aloha Community Library will close to the public from March 15 until further notice. We will continue to monitor the guidance of public health authorities and make plans to reopen when advised that it is safe for our staff and community to resume our regular schedule.

This has not been an easy decision, since we know that our neighbors have come to rely on us as a resource for entertainment, gathering, study, and for some, shelter. For others, library staff are their main source for connection and conversation. We have altered our cleaning schedules and service format over the past couple of weeks to try to keep up with public health guidelines. At this time, the best gift we can give our community is to take a role in preventing spread of the virus to those we care about so much.

As a member of Washington County Cooperative Library Services, we will work with our partner libraries across the county to establish temporary policies to ensure that no one is penalized for overdue materials. Updates will be provided at alohalibrary.org as decisions are made. Current information about the operational status of WCCLS libraries and additional COVID-19 response information can be found at wccls.org/covid-19.

Services on Saturday, March 14, will remain limited. No seating or public computer use is available. Only collection browsing and check out of materials will be allowed. We will be open during our regular hours, 10am-5pm.

Until we can welcome everyone back to our library, please stay healthy and safe. Check alohalibrary.org, facebook.com/alohalibrary, and instagram.com/alohacommunitylibrary for local updates and to see what we’re up to. We will see you all soon.

As an added precaution for the health and safety of our patrons and staff, all library programs are canceled indefinitely. Please check our calendar for future updates and reschedules, and to see a listing of our virtual offerings available through facebook.com/alohalibrary and our official YouTube channel.

Thank you for your understanding.