North Grenville Public Library reopens to the public

0
50

The North Grenville Public Library (NGPL) has opened its doors to the public once again. The library has been closed to the public since the government shutdown of non-essential services in March. On May 25, the library started offering curbside pickup, so that patrons could access their catalogue of books and DVDs. “It started off really well,” says Manager of Service Delivery, Sierra Jones-Martel. “People were starved for books.”

For the past few weeks, the library has also been offering computer services, where patrons could make an appointment to access the computers for a set amount of time. Library CEO, Rachel Brown, says that, while this wasn’t extremely popular, they did have some regulars coming in to use the computers.

The library was included in the province’s Phase 3 reopening; however, it has taken them a couple weeks to get everything organized. As of Tuesday, August 4, the library opened to the public with a limited schedule and with a significant number of precautions in place. They are limiting the number of people in the library to 25, and are requiring everyone to wear a mask when they are in the building. There will be hand sanitizer at the door for people to use when they enter the library, and there will also be extra masks on hand for those that may forget.

They are asking people to keep in mind that they are reserving the first hour of the day for seniors and other high-risk individuals. “That’s when the library is at its safest,” Rachel says.

Computers will continue to be available by appointment only. They now have a limited number of computers on the floor, and each station must be cleaned after every use. “We are asking people to make appointments for one-hour blocks,” Rachel says.

Rachel is happy to be welcoming people back into the library, but wants to make sure it is a gradual transition. At this point, people are being asked not to come to the library to just hang out. The expectation is that they come in, select their books, and take them home to enjoy. “We have a bunch of great new books at the library; but it won’t be the same as before,” she says. “Like all businesses, we want to start slowly and see how things go.”

The NGPL will be open from 10am-7pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and 10am-2pm on Saturday. They will be closed on Wednesday, but will still be offering curbside pick up from 5-7pm. They may also be offering a few hours for curbside pickup on Friday, if needed. Rachel says staff will be using the days they are closed for extra cleaning, shelving, and organizing books, which will be difficult to do with patrons in the library.

While the library doesn’t look as welcoming as usual, everything that is in place is to ensure that they can deliver confident and safe service. “It looks unwelcoming; but we want people to know we are excited,” Rachel says.

She also noted that their Co-ordinator of Children’s and Teen Services, Sue Bergeron, has been offering very successful outdoor children’s programming throughout the Summer. She has hosted story time in the park, and something called a “word walk” through the Kinderwood Trail. They will be continuing with outdoor programs for children through September, and will re-evaluate in the Fall about whether they can start hosting their indoor programming for children and adults at the library again.

Rachel believes that if everyone follows the guidelines, they will be able to offer their services in a way that is safe for both patrons and staff. She is very thankful to the Municipality, as well as the Health Unit, for helping to guide them in the creation of their reopening plan. “If we are following the procedures, we will be fine,” she says.

For more information about library hours and safety protocols visit their website at www.ngpl.ca.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here