UKIAH LIBRARY PATRONS ENJOY LIMITED REOPENING
Curbside pickup also available three days a week
More than a year ago, the Ukiah Library closed its doors to patrons. Given the risks of the coronavirus pandemic, it was deemed unsafe for the popular center to remain open for bookshelf explorations or community events. On Tuesday, March 30, the library finally reopened its doors to the public.
At this time, in accordance with statewide safety protocols, the library is still operating with limited services. It is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Patrons are asked to keep their visits short. Curbside pickup is available three times a week by appointment: Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The library is accepting returns as well, which are quarantined before being placed back on the shelves. Although the public computers are not currently available, patrons have the opportunity to use the copy machine or ask the staff to print something for them. Standard safety protocols such as limiting capacity, wearing masks, and social distancing have also been implemented.
As well as adhering to these in-person regulations, the library will continue offering its virtual programs and events. Included in this list is the Social Justice Book Club, run by Branch Librarian Melissa Carr.
Carr notes that she established this club with a “book to action focus,” with the goal of “(putting) forth some sort of action to improve the community in any ways that we can.”
“We’ve read a lot of great books. The first that we read was Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped from the Beginning.” We also read “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla Saad. This month we’re reading “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson.”
The Social Justice Book Club meets every first Thursday at 7 p.m. on Zoom and is only one of many virtual events hosted by the library.
“Another program that I do is the LOBA Poetry Series,” Carr says. “Right now we’re doing strictly an open mic, where people can come and read poems of their own and poems of others.”
The LOBA Poetry Series is hosted on the last Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Zoom links to join this and the Social Justice Book Club can be found on the library’s website and Facebook page.
In addition to these adult-oriented events, the library also offers online programs for children and teenagers in its efforts to involve the entirety of the Ukiah community.
“This pandemic has been hard on everyone, but for young adults this hits them on another level,” says Teen and Tween Services Librarian Katrina Griffiths. “Isolation can be brutal for young folks; it is extremely important for them to know they are not alone.”
To combat the challenges of isolation for teenagers, Griffiths has established several online platforms to reach Ukiah youth and to connect them with the library.
She routinely hosts programs on Instagram Live, where teens can watch Griffiths try new science experiments or make book recommendations.
“One of the most engaging was a Foodie Finds event, the Tik Tok Layer Quesadilla,” she laughs. In Foodie Finds livestreams, Griffiths demonstrates how to make a variety of snacks and treats. “It was based on a Tik Tok sensation video how to make a multi-layered quesadilla.”
Even though these virtual meetings do not offer the same personal connection that in-person events do, Griffiths wants Ukiah teenagers to know that the library is supporting them through these difficult times.
“Teens are super busy these days, the main idea is to let them know the library is here for them,” she says. “The bright side of all of this is exploring new avenues to say hi and share stories.”
Hosting virtual events and managing curbside pickup services have kept the library’s staff busy for the last year. In fact, several librarians were temporarily deployed to administer COVID-19 tests and take temperatures at county buildings.
“We’ve been here, we just haven’t had our doors open to the public,” Carr says.
The Ukiah Library has had a year unlike any other. Its reopening to the public represents a hopeful future for the community as a whole.