Story provided by Stillwater Public Library
The Stillwater Public Library’s (SPL) annual drive-thru shred event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in partnership with Shred-Away Shredding, a certified document destruction company. Cars will line up in the library’s north parking lot and wind through the Prairie Arts Center’s (PAC) parking lot, eventually ending at the paper shredding truck. The event is free, but donations are welcome to cover the cost of the service.
Staff members and volunteers will be on hand to help direct traffic and unload boxes of documents for secure, onsite shredding. Community members can bring two copy-paper-sized boxes and do not need to remove staples or paperclips.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), protecting documents that have personal information is one of the most important steps consumers can take to avoid identity theft. Options include keeping documents safe and shredding them before throwing them away.
Brenna Gilchrist, adult services librarian, advises participants to check with their attorneys and accountants to know what to shred and what to keep.
“If in doubt, check with a professional, so you don’t accidentally shred something that you need,” Gilchrist said. “Also, the library’s website has links to trusted resources to assist that can help, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the FTC.”
The library would like to express gratitude to Shred-Away, the Prairie Arts Center, the Stillwater Farmer’s Market and the City of Stillwater’s Traffic Department for helping to make the event a success each year.
“This event is made possible because of the generosity and understanding of each organization,” Gilchrist said. “From working in the cold to lending traffic barricades and space, each plays a role in making the shred possible.”
Participants can learn more about the shred event and check the library’s resource list by going to library.stillwater.org/annual_shredding_event.php.
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, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.