Dear Editor,
I enjoyed Emma daRosa’s piece, “My summer working with the public library.” It reminded me of when I was a Vassar College (VC) student and I visited the downtown public library. I felt like I was on another planet. Suffice it to say, I am a lifetime fan of public libraries.
Often students are assigned to watch videos for class, hopefully free, but sometimes there is a fee. I have college age students myself so I am always on the lookout for ways to save money.
We used to be able to walk to Arlington Elementary School, and just across the street was the library. But now it has moved to Boardman Road. It is a nice facility, but hard for VC students to get to.
But nowadays you can obtain a local library card online, you do not need to visit the library in person, just go online to the Poughkeepsie Public Library District (PPLD) website. Vassar students are eligible. Once they have obtained their account, it enables (from that page):
This library card barcode can be used to access all the PPLD e-Library services including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, streaming videos and databases without having to come to the library!
Hoopla is one of the services offered. There is a wide array of videos, ebooks and audiobooks to enjoy. And if you are having trouble finding something at our lovely VC library, the interlibrary loan service amongst the regional libraries is quite good, and they will send books to the branch of your choosing.
I hope this information can help a few students.
— Baynard Bailey ‘90.