Since Gov. Evers put out his “Safer at Home Emergency Order #12” on Wednesday, March 25, the Library has been closed to the public. That first “Safer at Home” order will expire on Friday, April 24th and a new order will take it’s place. In the new “Safer at Home Emergency Order #28” libraries, if they choose, will be able to offer curbside service. What will this mean for us? Customers will still not be allowed to enter the library building, but, they can order books and other library materials that they will then be able to pick up outside (curbside) of the library. Materials can be requested online or by phone before pick-up. The library will collect the items, check them out, package them, and then call the customer to schedule a pick-up time to come and get them. Pick-ups must comply with all social distancing requirements. That means maintaining a distance of 6 feet between people, washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer, covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, not shaking hands, and following all other public health recommendations issued by DHS and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Other updates about the library:
1. All items currently checked out will get a new due date of June 1st assigned to them. That means if you don’t want to use curbside service, or leave your home, but have materials checked out from back in March or April, those items will not be due until June 1st.
2. New items checked out using curbside service will have normal due dates. Any books, magazines, and books on CD will check out for 2 weeks, and DVD’s will check out for 1 week.
3. All items being returned to the library need to be deposited into the outside book drop. The book drop will be emptied once a day and all items will be quarantined for at least 24 hours before being checked in and shelved, or sent to their various locations (to fill holds/send to another library).
4. Holds placed on your account (items you are waiting to get from the library) will begin to be filled starting Tuesday, Ap. 28th. No hold notices will be sent out. The library will call you when your items are ready, and a pick up time will be arranged.
5. If you need help reserving items online (placing holds) on your account, you can call the library during regular hours for help.
6. If you don’t have a computer or internet, you can call the library during regular hours and make your request for materials that way. For example you might say “I’d like 5 mysteries please.”
As this is a new way of doing things at the library, we have tried to think of how best to accomplish this endeavor, knowing that there will be kinks along the way. Please have patience, and realize that things are moving at a slower pace, due to the social distancing requirements, but we will do our best to get things to you in a timely manner.
Lastly I will let you know that lovely things are continuing to come in for our “It’s for the Birds” silent auction. It is looking like the auction will be held online sometime in May, but no definite dates have been set at this time. Stay healthy!!