The library is known for being kid-friendly.
A variety of activities will be happening at the William R. “Bill” Ellis Memorial Library in Port Aransas this fall, as long as newly cropping-up COVID concerns don’t interfere.
National Library Card Signup Month is in September, and the program’s spokesman is Wonder Woman, according to Stefanie Bara, the library director. As such, the library will acknowledge a local “wonder woman” each week.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the library will host a reception honoring the Port Aransas Friends of the Library organization. National Friends of Libraries Week is Oct. 18 to 24.
The library will observe International Games Week Nov. 8 to 14. The week is an initiative run by volunteers from around the world to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational and social value of all kinds of games.
Located adjacent to the Port Aransas City Hall complex at 710 W. Ave. A, the library has been completely renovated since being heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
The library has about 8,000 titles – including books, DVDs and audio CDs – in its physical collection. The library is accepting book donations as it continues to rebuild its collection that largely was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Library officials are accepting book donations, but they ask that at least two boxes of books at a time be donated, for reasons involving efficiency and logistics.
At press time for this edition, the library had limited services available in order to avoid the spread of COVID.
Folks with current library cards can go into the library and check out books. Anyone who has a library card but hasn’t visited the library since January will need to have their information updated, and that can be done over the phone at (361) 749-4116.
Many card holders are reserving titles online at ellismemorial.biblionix.com and then picking up their books curbside.
For COVID-related reasons, cards aren’t currently being issued to people who don’t have them, but those folks may sign up for e-cards, which gives the card holder access to the library’s digital collection, which has far more titles than are in the physical collection. The digital collection is available 24 hours a day to card holders.
The library normally has computers available for the public to use to access the Internet, but the computers aren’t available right now for reasons related to COVID.
The library’s hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The facility is closed Sunday and Monday.
Hours are subject to change. Contact the library for updates, and check weekly editions of the South Jetty.
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