Can I still get books from the Pahrump library while it’s closed?

Just because the Pahrump Community Library’s doors still remain closed to the public due to a months-long sprucing up doesn’t mean residents have to miss out on the joy of browsing through books in person. Whether chilly, blustery, drizzly or otherwise, staff are set up outdoors twice a week for the library’s “Curbside Pickup” program, where library card-holders can find an assortment of media to enjoy.

“All formats of books are available for checkout,” announced a notice from the library issued Wednesday, March 5. “Small print jobs, faxing and scanning are also available.”

Anyone interested in taking advantage of these services can swing by the library on Tuesdays between 2 and 4 p.m. or Thursdays between 10 a.m. and noon.

The Pahrump Community Library closed its doors on Dec. 16 last year in preparation for a renovation that includes new paint, new carpeting and restroom upgrades, the first such improvements made in nearly 25 years. To prepare for the overhaul, all of the books, movies and other materials in the library had to be removed from their places and packed up for their protection. However, books are still making their way to the library’s return box and those are the primary content available at Curbside Pickup.

“These are all the returned books and we have a section here of new releases from January, February and March,” Pahrump Community Library Interim Director Shanna Gibbons detailed for the Pahrump Valley Times. “We have all kinds of material, from children’s and fiction to classics and westerns, as well as audio books and movies.

“We also offer Kanopy, which is an online streaming service with movies, documentaries, TV, along with the Libby app, which offers digital books and audio books, all accessible for free with your library card,” Gibbons noted. “And we offer Rosetta Stone, too!”

Those who may not have a library card at the moment are still able apply for one by visiting the library’s website or dropping by the Curbside Pickup.

“You can just come out and browse willy-nilly,” library staffer Tony Collier remarked, while fellow staff member Kit Hickman added, “We’ve also got printing services too.”

Utilizing an application called Princh, library patrons are able to upload all of the documents they need printed, provide a name for their printing job and send it over to the library. “When you come to pick it up, it’ll already be here in our computers, ready to print. It saves time and makes it more convenient,” Hickman said.

Princh is available for download through app stores and can be accessed online at print.princh.com

Use printer ID 110759 for black and white print jobs or printer ID 110760 for color jobs and pay using one of the available options.

As to where the renovation stands today, Gibbons said things are steadily proceeding and the library is nearing a final contract for the project.

“On Monday, we’re going to get the contractor for the carpet, so as soon as that’s done and the paperwork is through, that will get started right away,” Gibbons reported.

She said there is no set date for reopening the library but she and her team are hopeful that everything will be complete some time in May. “After the renovations are done, we have to put 3,000 boxes of materials back on the shelves!” she remarked, adding, “Thank you for your understanding.”

The Pahrump Community Library is located at 701 East Street. For more information visit PahrumpLibrary.org or the Pahrump Community Library Facebook page.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com