Closed for Memorial Day
The library will be closed on Sunday, May 27 and Monday, May 28 for Memorial Day.
Category: General News
General News
Library marks one year of passport acceptance
During the month of April, the Sikeston Public Library marked its one-year anniversary as a passport acceptance facility.
“The response has been amazing,” said Ron Eifert, library director and one of the passport acceptance agents, “so much more than we ever expected.”
The initial idea to become a passport acceptance facility came from a neighboring library which had achieved great success with the service. After three months of training and testing during the first three months of 2017, the library was certified as a passport acceptance facility and processed its first passport in late April 2017.
Since its certification, the library has processed almost 200 applications for passports over the past 12 months.
When the library first started processing passports, the staff saw it as a service for the Sikeston community. They quickly realized that the appeal was much wider. “We have processed passports for residents of five or six surrounding counties,” Eifert said. “So many people from around the area work in Sikeston, or attend school here, and they find it easier to complete the application process here than anywhere else.”
“It’s been interesting, listening to the stories people tell about the travel plans,” Eifert said. “We have helped people prepare for mission trips and family trips. It’s been fun to help people apply for a passport so that they can go on a trip that was a gift or a prize.”
Libraries have begun the transition from books-only facilities, to facilities where programming and other services are available. “Passport acceptance is part of our efforts to keep the library vital to the people in our community,” Eifert said. “It has been satisfying for us to know that we have helped people with this service, and to hear them say that the process was a lot less difficult than they expected.”
There are two passport acceptance agents at the library, and the service is available for 33 hours each week. Acceptance times are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 am-noon and 1-5 pm; Tuesday, 10 am-noon and 1-7:30 pm; and Friday, 10 am-noon and 1-5:30 pm. The library usually has one weekend a month where a passport acceptance agent is available. Additional hours are available by appointment.
For more information about the passport acceptance process, please call the library at 471-4140, or visit the library’s website at sikeston.lib.mo.us. For application forms, information on documentation required, fees, and a wealth of other passport and international travel information, visit the only official website for passport information at travel.state.gov.
Volunteers begin tax prep assistance on Feb. 1
The library is pleased to announce that tax preparation assistance will be available again this year at the library.
Volunteers from the AARP Tax-Aide program will be in the McAmis Community Room (main level) at the library from 12:30-4 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning on Thursday, February 1. They will assist taxpayers by filling out and filing simple tax returns. They will be filing both federal and state forms, including the Missouri PTC forms.
All tax filing will be done on a first-come, first-served basis; appointments will not be taken. Please be sure to bring all tax-related paperwork that you have received, including W-2 and 1099 forms for work performed, receipts for rent paid, and proof of Social Security income.
The library is not trained to give tax advice; instead, we rely on this great group of volunteers who have the training and experience to make sure that your tax filing is done correctly and thoroughly.
Winter weather closings
Winter weather has arrived in southeast Missouri! With inclement weather comes the possibility of library closings, delayed openings, or closing early.
If you wonder whether the library is open, you can always call us at 471-4140. If we are closed, a message will greet you and inform you about operating hours.
You can also visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/SikestonPublicLibrary for the latest on changes in our operating hours due to winter weather conditions. You do not have to have a Facebook account to visit the library’s Facebook page.
Library hosts anti-bullying program
The library is proud to present performer Tim Collins at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9, in the Draughon Room (lower level of the library).
Standing By, Standing Up examines the serious realities of bullying, cyberbullying, and exclusion, but also identifies hopeful outcomes and ways that students can prevent violence in their schools, and in their lives.
This program is made possible by a Spotlight on Literacy grant through the Missouri State Library, with funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Cozy up with an e-book!
One of our best-kept secrets is our electronic offerings. Through MoLib2Go, a consortium of approximately 100 Missouri libraries, we offer e-books and downloadable audiobooks.
With your library card information from us, patrons can set up an account to download as many as 10 e-books and audiobooks at a time. Once your time with the item expires, it is automatically returned for the next patron to borrow. You can even renew items, if no other patrons are on a waiting list for the item.
What device can you use for MoLib2Go? Just about any device with internet access can be turned into an e-reader. Most smartphones — whether they run iOS, Android or Windows — can function as an e-reader. Tablets ranging from iPads to Samsung to bargain basement tablets can also work. You can even read on your laptop or desktop computer.
If you’re interested in trying e-books, or you’re just done with spending money on downloadable materials, visit the circulation desk to receive all the information you need to get started with MoLib2Go.
Library to be closed on December 10
The library will be closed on Sunday, December 10, for software upgrades.
Along with other members of the Missouri Evergreen consortium, we are upgrading to the newest version of the Evergreen operating software, and the system will be unavailable.
Library patrons will be unable to log into and manage their library accounts throughout the weekend, and access to MoLib2Go will be impacted as well.
Library to be closed for Thanksgiving
The library will be closed on Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24, to observe the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be open normal hours beginning Saturday, November 25.
Bobby Norfolk returns!
The Sikeston Public Library is excited to announce the return of Bobby Norfolk to the library at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, in the Draughon Room (lower level).
Bobby Norfolk’s latest living history performance takes us on a fascinating journey through the heyday of the Negro Baseball Leagues, a time when this 
country was segregated by Jim Crow laws, and America’s “National Pastime” wore two faces, the whites-only
Major Leagues and the upstart Negro National League. In this powerful and riveting performance, Bobby brings to life an important but sometimes forgotten era in baseball history, telling passionate, humorous, and often unbelievable stories of exploits both on and off the field, focusing on the St. Louis Stars own James “Cool Papa” Bell, and the Kansas City Monarch’s Leroy “Satchel” Paige. Bobby invites his audience to experience the harsh discrimination, adversity, and eventual Hall of Fame triumph for some of these players. Historical slides and period music enhance this emotional performance, illustrating the clash of race, sports and culture.
This program is presented through a Spotlight on Literacy grant, supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
Introducing LIBBY — a new way to manage your electronic items
For our e-book readers…there’s a new and improved way to browse, check out, and read e-books through MoLib2Go. Libby is a more user-friendly app that has just been made available to the general public. We at the library have been testing the app in its beta stages for weeks; we really enjoy using it, and hope that you will too!
Libby is available in the app stores for Apple, Google and Microsoft. Try it for yourself, and let us know if we can help you with setup or any questions you might have.