COVID-19

New Extended Hours

A.K. Smiley Library has extended its in-person services.

Our new temporary hours are:

 

We have implemented public health measures to help protect our patrons and employees.  In order to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, please observe the following during your visit.

• Facial coverings or masks covering the nose and mouth are required for all visitors over the age of two.
• Please maintain 6 foot physical distance at all times.
• Restrooms and the Will J Reid coffee bar area are closed until further notice.
• Food and drink, except water in sealable containers, is prohibited.

 

AKSPL Donation Policy

A.K. Smiley Public Library accepts donations

of gently used books, DVDs and CDs

 

Thank you for your support and patience during these challenging times. In an effort to keep everyone safe, the following rules will be implemented:

• Donation drop-off hours will be Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, with the exception of when the library is closed for holidays.
• Please limit donations to 4 bags/boxes per day. If you have more than 4 bags/boxes please call Smiley Library (909) 798-7565 to see if special accommodations can be arranged.
• Because of COVID-19 staff will not be able to assist with unloading donations.
• Please wear a mask, ring the doorbell at the library’s delivery door located on Eureka Street and a cart will be provided.
• Smaller donations may be placed in the donation bin located outside the Assembly Room door on the south side of the library.

Please see our donation map for the delivery entrance and donation bin locations.

In order to serve you in a safe and efficient manner, the Heritage Room has shifted to an appointment only system. Researchers are asked to provide information about their research topic and list specific titles they are interested in accessing when scheduling an appointment. Please review the Library’s catalog to identify titles and shelf numbers to include in your request. All researchers are required to provide their own writing materials; pens are not allowed. No more than two persons are allowed per research appointment.

In accordance with Smiley Library’s COVID-19 reopening procedures, research visits are limited to one hour and researchers are required to wear face coverings at all times during their visit. Hand sanitizer is available for all Heritage Room visitors to use upon entry. Any person feeling unwell or exhibiting signs of illness is asked to remain at home. All surfaces will be sanitized between research visits.

Donations to the Archives, Museum of Redlands, and Lincoln Memorial Shrine will also be accepted with an appointment. Contact Special Collections staff for further information.

Appointments are available during the new hours of operation: Tuesday 2-5pm, Wednesday-Thursday 1-5pm, and Friday-Saturday 1-4pm. To schedule an appointment, please submit a request on our online portal, call (909)798-7632, or email heritage@akspl.org. Appointments are only finalized when confirmed by Special Collections staff.

 

If you crave opportunities to learn during your time at home, partake in the “Resilient Redlands” webinar series that will focus on topics related to Redlands history and the collections of the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. Webinars will take place at 11am on the second and fourth Saturday of each month and will be led by the staff of A.K. Smiley Public Library and Lincoln Memorial Shrine. Watch live on Smiley Library’s Facebook page.

Upcoming Webinars

May 9 – “The Life Elmer Ellsworth of the 1st Fire Zouaves” Register Today

May 22 – “Midcentury Redlands”

Past Webinars

April 25 – “Intro to Redlands History”

May 2 – “From the Shrine’s Collections: Emancipation and Lincoln’s Letter to James Conkling”

May 9 – “The Great Crusade: Reflections on the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II in Europe”

May 16 – “All Aboard for Redlands: How the Railroad Shaped Our Town”

May 23 – “From the Shrine’s Collections: The U.S. Sanitary Commission”

May 30 – “Redlands History in Motion: The Home Movie Preservation Project”

June 6 – “Reflections on D-Day and the Normandy Campaign”

June 13 – “From the Shrine’s Collections: Colonel Chapin and the 21st Connecticut Infantry”

June 27– “California Sunshine: Citrus Label Art of the Redlands District”

July 11 – “Grant’s First Great Victory: The Campaign for Forts Henry & Donelson”

July 25 – “Let’s Take a Walk Around the Block: A Brief Survey of Architecture in Redlands”

August 8 – “Hiroshima-Nagasaki: Reflections on the 75th Anniversary”

September 12 –“Booze, Brews, and Views: Redlands’s Uneasy Relationship with Spiritous Beverage”

September 26 – “Warriors & Patriots: Women of the Civil War”

October 10 – “Pure Gold Archives”

October 24 – “The Smiley Library Children’s Room Centennial: The Couple Behind the Gift”

November 14 – “Redlands and the Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1919”

December 12 –“The Smiley’s and Christmases Past”

January 9 –“The Civil War in Southern California”

January 23 – “Redlands: The Town That Philanthropy Built”

February 6 – “African American literature” by Professor Charles Williams of Chaffey College

February 13 – “Lincoln’s Greatest Decision: Emancipation and the Use of Black Troops” with Smiley Library Director Don McCue

February 20 – “Black Voice News and the History of the Black Press” by Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds

February 27 – “Hidden in Plain Sight: African Americans in the Library’s Historic Collections” with Archivist Dr. Nathan Gonzales

March 13 – “Women of Redlands in World War I”

March 27 – “The Indomitable Florence Billings of Redlands”

April 10 – “Water in Thirsty Land”

April 24 – “Redlands: A Heritage of Greenery”

Watch previous webinars on Smiley Library’s Facebook page and the Special Collections YouTube channel.

These programs were made possible by a generous grant from The Kara Foundation.