Parents have a new way to track what books their children check out from the Mat-Su Borough public libraries. According to Borough Community Development Director Jillian Morrissey, public libraries across Alaska are part of the Alaska Library Catalog. Though the ALC is working on an app for tracking, it’s not yet available.
Parents overwhelmingly say they are interested in seeing what their children are reading, according to survey responses. Morrissey says this is what prompted the Borough to explore adding the new feature.
Morrissey says the ALC was unable to modify their system for just the Borough libraries. However, a Borough librarian was able to develop a function that would allow an opt-in system for parents.
For those that choose to get a digital receipt of books for their children or themselves, residents can visit or call their local library to provide an email address. A receipt will then be emailed to the parent each time books are checked out. The new feature applies to all five Borough public libraries.
