Community Library Resources For Chaffey Students
By Angel Gomez
Resources are hard to come by for any student. Accessing resources can be challenging for many students, often feeling like an impossible task.
However, there are programs in the community that can help out quite a bit. One of these programs is in the Rancho Cucamonga Libraries, these being the Paul A. Biane Library and the Archibald Library.
Libraries are essential to providing students with textbooks and reading materials that their teachers may assign, and although the Chaffey Library may provide resources, they will not always have what students may need or perhaps want.
Students like myself have already acquired reading materials from Paul A. Biane Library, that otherwise were not available in the Chaffey Library at the time. By simply reaching out to nearby resources, students are able to make their lives fundamentally easier. "We’re providing the community with resources they deserve," stated by Library Assistant Tristan Sessler.
However, reading materials are not the only resource that these libraries provide. The Rancho Cucamonga Libraries have recently introduced a program called the "Library of Things."
This program allows anyone with a Rancho Cucamonga Library card access to a variety of materials such as household items ranging from baking pans and crock pots to mobile hotspots and compact heaters.
If students are interested in this program, they will only need an ID with their current address to obtain a Rancho Cucamonga Library card, enabling them to gain access to these resources.
Items as such not only can be beneficial for students pursuing their workload but also may allow them to pursue their hobbies as well. Materials that are provided are as follows, but not limited to: projectors, musical instruments, Bluetooth speakers, sewing machines, board games, canon cameras and garden wear.
Arguably, libraries make people's lives easier, as accredited by Wayland Library. In their article, “7 Reasons Libraries Are Essential, Now More Than Ever” Author Sadie L. Trombretta goes on to say “More so than a community center, town hall, or public park ever could, libraries connect their communities in a way that benefits everyone. They pool local resources.”
While these resources can benefit the Rancho Cucamonga community, they also can assist students in Chaffey clubs by providing access to expense-free materials that would have previously come out of their budget. Now, before resorting to club budgets, students may test out a multitude of materials for events in the club without purchase.
Although, the libraries do have policies pertaining to how long equipment may be kept, and compensation rules if any items should be damaged. Once checked out, any items or books may be kept for up to three weeks unless the items are not placed on hold by another patron of the library, otherwise, they can be renewed and kept for up to 12 weeks.
Additionally, any damaged items will result in a charge matching the price for that item. With that being said, handle these items with care; doing so will not only benefit yourself but also other patrons of the library who may want to borrow them as well.
If any items are turned in late there are no late fees at the Rancho Cucamonga Libraries. However, if exceeding 30 days of the original due date patrons have yet to return an item, it will be marked down as lost and then charged to the library account of said patron. Additionally, patrons will be unable to check out other items until the lost item is returned or paid for. But if returned, the charge will disappear and I must reiterate there are no late fees. Zero.
There are no consequences to turning items in late, just ensure that items that were checked out are eventually returned.
The Rancho Cucamonga Libraries stand as an invaluable resource for students and the wider community.