“Imagine Your Story,” (June 20 – July 18)
It is a pleasure to announce that in support of our 2020 Children’s Summer Reading Program, we are opening the Children’s Department this coming week!!**
In moving forward toward re-opening the library we are progressing a step at a time and exploring having parents and guardians come directly into the building to personally make reading materials selections available, rather than limit our collection access to remote and contactless or curbside pick-up. Please understand that this opening of the Children’s collection is in support of our local and regional children and their needs, and as such, for now, the main floor will not be open for public access.
Because of the regional and ongoing impact and continued presence of the Covid-19 virus, and in accordance with recommended health and safety measures for the public and library staff, there will be some changes to how we will be able to serve the public as we continue to assess the success of this process, as well as any regional developments regarding the impact of the virus which might necessitate future changes.
To make this transition to opening the library successful, it will necessitate some adjustments and changes in services, and with these changes the continued support and understanding of our community in doing this process as follows:
1. Wearing a face mask is optional, library staff will wear masks, but we respectfully ask and strongly recommend that as possible and practical, members of the public consider wearing a face mask covering mouth and nose for the safety and welfare of yourself and your family, and for the kind and thoughtful benefit of others.
2. The Children’s Department will open to the public for book selection and checkout by appointment, beginning Monday afternoon, June 22, 2020.
–Youth 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult, and the adult and youth, as best as possible, should remain in sight and sound of each other during their visit (there are flexible exceptions to this).
3. For the time being, public access hours to the Children’s Department will be slightly reduced on a daily bases from traditional service hours. Likewise, there will be a temporary limit of 10 books per library card. This is needed to allow library staff to prepare for the arrival of the public, attend to surface and area disinfecting as needed through each day, as well as other typical and newly acquired collection management tasks.
–The Children’s Department area will be available to the public by appointment on, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday between 2:30 – 5:15 PM; and Saturday between 11:30 AM – 2:15 PM.
–For the time being, we ask that families visiting the Children’s Department self-limit themselves to only the most immediate members of the family/household.
–For the time being, we ask that where practical, families self-limit the number of family members coming into the Children’s Department to the smallest number possible.
4. For the time being, it will be necessary to phone the library and ask to speak with Miss Becky in the Children’s Department to make an appointment in advance for a specified date and time (you may also make an appointment during your scheduled library visit for a future date and time).
–To accommodate as many folks as day as reasonably possible, each appointment will be limited to a 15 minute block of time for: dropping off books, making a new appointment, selecting and checking out new books.
–We ask that in being considerate of others, that you keep to your appointment block of time without coming in early or going over late.
–We ask that if you cannot make your appointment that you call ahead and let us know so that the time slot may be made available to others.
–We ask that you understand that if you are late in arriving for your appointment that you will still be limited to when your designated block of appointment time ends, so that we do not infringe into the scheduled appointment times of others.
–Appointments will begin to be accepted starting, Thursday, June 18th, and Friday June 19th between 2:30 – 5:45 PM, and Saturday, June 13th between 11:30 AM – 2:45 PM. (Please call, 765-964-4748, and ask to speak to Miss Becky to make an appointment.)
(**Please note that any of the above can change as needed.)