October 26, 2021 – Flagler County Public Library is amping up convenience for patrons with 24/7 contactless access to reserved materials at the Palm Coast main branch with the installation of secure, electronic HoldIT lockers purchased through a state CARES grant last year.

“We are so excited that these lockers are now in place and ready for use,” said Library Director Holly Albanese. “There were some supply chain delays that slowed things down, but we are thrilled to have them so we can offer this expanded service to our residents.”

Using the lockers, located outside the front door under the portico, is as easy as one two three:

  1. Reserve items online using the “Library Catalog” tab from the left-hand navigation menu on the Library homepage (https://www.flaglercounty.gov/departments/library).
    1. Choose “Palm Coast HoldIT Lockers” as the pickup location.
    2. Notification when the items have been secured (there is a four-day deadline for retrieval).
  2. At the Library, scan the library card at the locker kiosk to remove the reserved items.
  3. Don’t forget to close the locker when finished.

There is a video demonstration on the Library’s Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/FlaglerCountyPublicLibrary.

“It’s a very simple process,” Albanese said. “The convenience these lockers offer is unparalleled, as patrons can pick up their materials 24/7 and don’t have to be limited to our open hours for curbside.”

Flagler County Public Library in September 2020 received a $36,000 state CARES grant to enhance residents’ safety through the provision of more contactless services for the community. The lion’s share of this grant money was used to purchase the lockers.

The application was made on behalf of Flagler County by the Northeast Florida Library Information Network. The NEFLIN library cooperative serves 24 counties, and its board selected only four recipients of the 21 submittals it received for CARES grant assistance – one of which was Flagler County.

“We miss the crowds at the library that we had pre-COVID, but we continually adapt and incorporate new technologies for the benefit of our residents,” Albanese said. “We provide the highest level of service we can, and are pleased to bring new innovations to the community.”

For more information, call 386-446-6763 and select option 1.

Media Release: Julie Murphy, MPIO Flagler County