Fort Scott Public Library will be opening to the public on June 1^st. Our hours will be 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Masks are not required, but patrons are encouraged to follow the current CDC recommendations. We will have hand sanitizer and a supply of disposable masks available for those who need them.

Patrons are asked to limit browsing the stacks to thirty minutes. Newspapers and magazines may be checked out for reading at home. We will not have a seating area for reading in the library.

We will continue to have our “curbside” service for those who prefer it.

We realize this service has been popular, as we’ve had 3,730 scheduled pickups of over 13,000 materials. We are renaming it NextDayGrab&Go. If you wish to use this service, place holds on items or let us know what items you need, then arrange with library staff as to what date and time you plan to come pick up your items. We will have them checked out and ready for you to pick up at the downstairs circulation desk. Just tell us your account number when you come in. If you prefer, we can place them in the entryway where we’ve been placing items for patrons to pick up.

Also we will still have our themed book bags available to check out. These include 10 books on a topic either for kids Birth – 1st Grade or for kids 2nd – 5th Grades.

We keep a list at the circulation desks of the topics currently available. You can arrange to check out book bags when you’re here to browse the stacks by letting us know a day ahead of time, or you can schedule NextDayGrab&Go, and we’ll have the book bags ready for you to pick up. The books need to be returned. The bag, and any goodies in it, are for the child to keep.

For a few weeks, we will still be calling everyone with holds available to check out at the library. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will assume you are coming in person to check out items, and they will be located at the upstairs circulation desk. If you haven’t already set your account to receive email or text notifications about holds, staff can assist you. Sadly, T-Mobile and Sprint cannot send library text notifications, so you’ll need to arrange for notifications by email if you have those providers. We will continue to call anyone who doesn’t set their account to receive emails or texts, so don’t worry if you prefer to hear our voices.

Items can be returned in the book drop or inside the library at either circulation desk. If you have items that belong to Fort Scott Public Library that have already been processed as unreturned and are still in good condition, you can return them until June 30^th , and we will remove the charges from your account. If you have items that belong to other libraries that have already been processed as unreturned, we have already paid the owning library for the items, and your account won’t be reinstated until you reimburse Fort Scott Public Library.

We have set up several temporary stations downstairs for wifi use in the library. These stations and the public computers are limited to one hour’s use per day. We will be adding software soon that will make it easier for patrons to remember if they’ve already used the library computers by logging in with their library cards.

Our public restrooms and drinking fountain are available for use. We still are not accepting donations of any materials. Weather permitting, we will continue to place free books on the north lawn.

Library programming continues to be virtual. Follow us on Facebook or check our website fortscott.mykansaslibrary.org to see our program schedule. We are beginning some new programming on the library’s Discord Server, including coloring for all ages, online jigsaw puzzles, and many teen programs. You can sign up for our Discord Server through our Facebook or website.

Coming soon, we will have wifi hotspots for patrons to check out. These devices will allow you to connect devices to wifi from home or anywhere that can find a cell tower.

The library will close at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 4^th and will be closed on Saturday, June 5^th for Good Ol’ Days.

 The 2020-21 International United Miss Kansas Teen Katelyn Burks will be attending this year’s Good Ol’ Days Festival as a part of her summer tour. Burks is excited to kick off the weekend by hosting the Fort Scott Talent Show. Burks also plans to ride in the parade June 4 and sign autographs at the festival June 5.

Burks began her pageant journey five years ago and is eager to represent the state of Kansas at the International United Miss pageant July 2021 at the Seaview Resort in Galloway, NJ.

Burks is a freshman studying communications and marketing at Oklahoma Baptist University where she is building the skillset to spread her platform Connect the Dots: Creating real relationships and connections with those around us.

International United Miss is a scholarship-style pageant system dedicated to the girls and women who represent it. They pride themselves in recognizing the incredible accomplishments of their Queens and competitors, achieved both on and off the pageant stage. The experienced directors (who together have over 35 years of dedication to the pageant community) along with their staff have worked diligently to create a pageant organization focused on the competition aspects that really work the best and that delegates enjoy the most. Beauty is not only on the outside, but the inside as well which is why they have based their system around the aspects of personal judges’ interview, community service and involvement, as well as poise and personality during on stage competitions. 

For more information, visit the pageant’s website at www.internationalunitedmiss.com.

On June 26, a new sport will be added to the offering at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue.

A roller skating rink will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, in the small gym at the center.

The cost will be $3 if one owns their own skates and $5 if skates need to be rented, according to Fort Scott Mayor Josh Jones.

“It was (Fort Scott Commissioner) Pete Allen’s idea,” Jones said. “The sponsor’s are the City of Fort Scott and the Fort Scott Community Foundation awarded a grant for (purchasing) the skates”

“I think it’s great we are trying something new for the kids,” Fort Scott Recreation Commission Director and Buck Run Community Center Manager Tom Robertson said. “To bring back roller skating to Fort Scott is an awesome thing.”

The recreation center is providing staff for the skating rink.

There will be staff to check people in and those to hand out skates, and additionally a safety person on the floor “to help those who fall and for help following the safety rules,” Robertson said.

While aimed at the youth of the city, there might be older residents who would like to try the sport again for nostalgic reasons, Fort Scott City Manager Jeremy Frazier said.

“Any additional options we can offer the community, make it more attractive,” he said.

“I think we can occasionally step in and partner with another entity such as the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation,” Frazier said.

“A lot of people have worked on bringing this to the community,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to Ally Turvey (Fort Scott’s Community Development Director.)”

“We have a pool, parks, a golf course…I think we are serving our community through these,” Frazier said.