South Valley Magazine April 24-30

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN

A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times

APRIL 24, 2020

MORE THAN A GOOD BOOK Library’s digital resources booming under lockdown P2

ATREASURE TROVE OF RESOURCES

Local libraries provide much-needed relief during lockdown

APRIL 24, 2020

BY KIMBERLY EWERTZ

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I

n this time of uncertainty, one resource remains intact—local libraries, a life-line for the community that provides information, resources, entertainment and a much-needed source of relief.

“We are hearing from people who seem to just need a way to connect, stay connected, and unplug from a constant state of worry,” said Diane Roche, director of communications and marketing for the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD).

All that is required to access the SCCLD website, which is available 24/7, is an internet connection and library card, or eCard, or student eAccount, for unlimited access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, virtual programs, streaming movies and music, eMagazines, newspapers, study resources and much more.

No library card—no problem. All Santa Clara County residents with a valid address, (no PO Box), can apply online and instantly receive a library eCard. According to Roche, 4,000 new eCards were issued since January and more than half of those were issued in the past 30 days.

Patrons who never explored the online library are finding it quite a treasure.

“Patrons are very happy to have so many different types of online resources available to them,” Roche said. “They are exploring resources they didn’t realize we had.”

The library staff are on hand seven days a week from 10am-6pm, via email or chat, to provide account support and guidance to countless online resources. Video tutorials demonstrating how to navigate the website are available as well.

“We have seen an increase in the number of views of our tutorials from 2,662 in February, to 11,315 in March,” Roche said.

Local libraries want the community to know they are making every effort to continue to serve their patrons—even if it has to be done remotely. ➝4

APRIL 24, 2020

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A TREASURE TROVE OF RESOURCES

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APRIL 24, 2020

STREAMING SERVICE A library card is all that is needed to stream movies from the Santa Clara and San Benito libraries’ websites.

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Morgan Hill Community Librarian Heather Geddes can’t wait to see everyone back at the library.

“All of us at the Morgan Hill Library deeply miss seeing our patrons and hope everyone is staying safe and healthy,” Geddes said.

“We are working remotely from our homes to develop online library services and prepare for when our building reopens.”

A Storytime Online section has been recently added to the SCCLD website as a way to provide enriching opportunities for young children and families. The beloved Storytime program is available online 11 times per week, mornings and evenings, including one in Mandarin and one in Spanish.

“During storytimes, librarians tell stories, sing songs, and more, as an early learning initiative that also engenders a love of reading in the youngest members of our community,” Roche said, adding that the storytimes have been averaging roughly 1,600 views per week.

Additional features of the Storytime Online include daily blog

posts for kids, teens and adults, storytime seedling podcasts, readings by actors, astronauts, children’s book authors, zoo webcams and more.

With the mandate of long-distance learning lasting through the end of the school year, SCCLD’s partnership with public K-12 school districts within the library district has provided 90,000 students with a student eAccount— providing Pre-K-6 access to ABC Mouse, Sesame Street eBooks, Brainfuse, National Geographic Kids, and Scholastic.

Students in grades 6-12 have access to online tutors, homework help, research articles and videos, test preparation resources, online writing labs, learning and test preparation resources, and research materials.

A proponent of life-long learning, SCCLD offers online classes for students of all ages through Lynda.com, Great Courses, Treehouse for technology learners, ESL resources, and Rosetta Stone.

An additional resource, Learning

Express, offers lessons in reading, writing and math to help those preparing for the U.S. Citizenship exam.

In addition to countless educational resources, numerous entertainment options are available as well. Kanopy, a streaming video service that offers critically-acclaimed movies, documentaries, and award-winning foreign films has added additional credit-free content for viewers to enjoy, and KanopyKids continues to offer unlimited viewing as well.

The annual Summer Reading Program is off and running, encouraging kids to read all summer long. The program—which runs through May 31—is open to kids ages 0-12, and requires five hours of reading and online activities to win prizes from their local library.

While the libraries remain closed, no library materials need to be returned, and no late fines will be incurred for any materials returned after the libraries reopen.

For information, visit sccld.org.

The San Benito County Free Library may be physically closed as well, but it is offering a wide range of online services.

Most of the resources require a San Benito County Free Library card. Those who do not already have a library card can sign up for one at sbcfl.org/my-account/get-alibrary-card. After signing up, a library staff member will be in contact within 24 hours of registration with the library card (barcode) number. A physical library card will be mailed to the address used to register.

EBooks, audiobooks, streaming movies, music, classes, tutoring and many more services are available with a San Benito County Free Library card.

For information, visit sbcfl.org/ covid-19/educational-resources.

Library patrons can also call 831.636.4107 or email library@ cosb.us Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm, or Saturday and Sunday from 1-5pm.

APRIL 24, 2020

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HOME OF THE WEEK

Thank You to our Wildflower Run Sponsors!

GATED COMMUNITY This San Juan Bautista home is located in

California Poppy $2,500

Unobstructed valley views

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Major In Kind Sponsors

APRIL 24, 2020

Mariposa Lily $500

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With our gratitude this year to our runners and walkers who hung in there with us and continued to support us and our causes when we switched to a virtual race.

Thank you as always to local businesses for their generous donations,as well as our AAUW Morgan Hill members, friends, and many volunteers.

the Rancho Larios subdivision.

San Juan Bautista home in gated community

T

his Rancho Larios subdivision home has plenty of views, thanks to having no neighbors in the back.

Located at 563 Calle San Antonio in San Juan Bautista, the 3,398-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and three baths.

The kitchen includes granite countertops, double oven, built-in refrigerator, butler’s pantry, breakfast nook and a built-in desk. The

master bathroom is equipped with granite counters, a full granite shower and soaker tub. Owned solar panels power the home.

The landscaping features quartzite pavers that wrap around all the way to the front of the house.

The home, built in 2002, is listed at $975,000 by Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Real Time Realty. For information, visit tinyurl.com/r6vdd4x.

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