UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries will host an open house 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, at its Cato Park Library Annex II location for University Park campus and State College area community members to learn about its new off-campus library pickup and return service.
The new service provides a daytime option during the work week for library users, including community members, to direct requested library materials for pickup without needing to visit the University Park campus, including free access to a small parking lot. In addition, a metal book-return bin positioned outside the Annex building is accessible 24 hours a day, providing a convenient off-campus location for library users to deposit their borrowed items.
“We have opened this new service location to give off-campus students, faculty, staff and local residents an easy-access location to pick up and return books, including leisure reading titles, multimedia resources and other items available to borrow through the University Libraries,” Verne Neff, University Libraries Annex manager, said. “We realized we had an opportunity to use one of our existing facilities to add an alternative pickup and return location for our library users who may otherwise find coming to Pattee Library and Paterno Library or our branch libraries less convenient.”
The Library Annex II, located in Cato Park at 3110 Research Drive beside the CATA Bus Depot and near the intersection of West College Avenue and West Whitehall Road, will be open weekdays for users to pick up requested library materials. Pickup hours are 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 8:30–11 a.m. and 1:30–4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Staff will provide building access to the public during those hours via doorbell request at the front entrance.
Borrowing privileges with the University Libraries are available to all Penn State faculty, staff and students as well as residents of Pennsylvania through Penn State’s land grant public service mission. A valid Penn State ID or resident borrowers card must be presented whenever borrowing materials from the University Libraries. Penn State employee and student ID cards serve as their library borrowers cards, whether they choose to carry a physical ID card or use a mobile phone version.
Pennsylvania residents may register for borrowing privileges and a borrowers card with the University Libraries by first creating a Penn State Account. A Penn State Account tracks items borrowed and allows commonwealth residents access to digital library resources on site at any Penn State library University-wide. Once that account has been confirmed, residents may then bring their Penn State Account ID plus a viable Pennsylvania driver’s license or resident ID card to any Penn State library to complete registration and receive a borrowers card.