Story provided by Stillwater Public Library
The Stillwater Public Library (SPL) is having its annual drive-thru shredding event on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 9 to 11 a.m. Community members may bring two copy paper-sized boxes of documents to be securely shredded onsite. The service is provided free of charge, but donations will be accepted to help pay Shred-Away, the certified document destruction company that assists the library with the event.
The Identity Theft Resource Center predicts that identity fraud will increase in 2022. They state that resolving pandemic-related fraud, like government benefits scams, will take years. Community members can help protect themselves by destroying unneeded personal documents and keeping necessary information such as birth certificates and social security cards in a safe and secure location.
The library has a list of approved links at library.stillwater.org/annual_shredding_event.php to help the community learn more about what to keep and what to shred. This page is also where the official shred date is listed each year as soon as it has been scheduled.
Emily States, adult services librarian, understands that it can be challenging to decide what to dispose of.
“We suggest checking with your attorney or accountant for the final say about which documents you need to keep and which ones you should shred,” States said. “But the resources on our website should provide you with some assistance.”
Vehicles will line up in the library’s north parking lot and continue to the Prairie Arts Center (PAC) lot. Library staff and volunteers will be on hand to help direct traffic and assist with lifting boxes of documents, which will be shredded immediately. Staples and paper clips do not need to be removed from documents before shredding.
States appreciates Shred-Away, the City of Stillwater’s Traffic Department, Prairie Arts Center and the Stillwater Farmer’s Market for working with the library to make this event a success.
“We are beyond grateful to everyone that helps us organize a safe and efficient public service,” States said. “City Traffic loans us cones and blockades, and PAC, which hosts the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, shares their parking lot with us. It truly is a community effort.”
For more information about the drive-thru shred, call the Help Desk at (405) 372-3633 x8106 or email askalibrarian@stillwater.org.
The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St. Library hours are Monday- Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.