26 May Library Hacks for Busy Parents
We get it. Life is hectic. Between work, school drop-offs, and all the other daily chaos, finding time to stop by the library can feel impossible. But here’s the good news: we’ve got some library hacks to make accessing our materials easier, faster, and stress-free, no matter how busy your schedule gets.
Collection Kits
Ever wish someone could just grab the books for you? Good news—we can!
We offer a free service called Collection Kits, originally designed for teachers but available to anyone with a PGTPL or Evergreen library card.
Let’s say your toddler is obsessed with a specific subject. Instead of searching the shelves yourself, just fill out a simple form and we’ll pull a curated stack of books for you.
Tips for filling out the form:
- For the “School” section, just put “Home” or “N/A.”
- For “Educator Name,” use your own name.
- Let us know the reading level you want (picture books, early readers, chapter books, etc.).
- Share your topic of interest (e.g., dinosaurs, kindness, or just a variety).
- You can even request specific titles. We’ll add them if they’re available or place them on hold for you if not.
PGTPL To-Go
No time (or energy) to wrangle kids out of the car? Use PGTPL To-Go!
Here’s how it works:
- Place a hold on your items through the Evergreen Catalog or call us at 317-839-6602 for help.
- Once your holds are ready, fill out the PGTPL To-Go form.
- Park in the designated spot, call the number on the sign, and we’ll bring your checked-out items right to your car.
This works for everything from regular books to Collection Kits, Library of Things items, video games, VOX books, and anything else you can check out.
Home Delivery
Can’t make it to the library at all? We’ll come to you!
If you live in Guilford Township, you can take advantage of our Home Delivery services. Choose from one-time Collection Kits, where we handpick books based on your child’s interests, or sign up for monthly recurring deliveries to keep a steady stream of new reads coming to your doorstep. It’s a great option if your family is home sick, prepping for a trip, welcoming a new baby, or just juggling too much to swing by the library.
To request a kit, just fill out the same Collection Kit form on our website and include your delivery info in the “Special Requests” section. Want to set up monthly deliveries for your whole household? Email us at childrensroom@plainfieldlibrary.net and we’ll get you started.
Mobile Library Access
Hold the power of the library at your fingertips!
Our free digital apps bring books, music, and videos straight to your phone or tablet:
- Libby and Hoopla offer ebooks and audiobooks for all ages.
- TumbleBooks features animated picture books for kids.
- Kanopy Kids streams kid-friendly films and shows.
- Plus, we offer tons of other online databases to explore.
Want to learn more? Check out some of our past blog posts to discover all the perks your library card unlocks!
- Library Apps for Kids
- What are TumbleBooks?
- What is Mango Languages?
- What are VOX Books?
- PGTPL Database Spotlight: Scholastic GO!®
Written by Madelyn K., Youth Services Librarian
