Branches to reopen with temporary hours June 22

Lorain Public Library System will reopen its six branch locations to the public June 22.

Temporary hours will run 1 to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; with an additional time slot of noon to 1 p.m., Monday through Saturday, specifically for seniors and immune compromised, according to a news release from the Library System.

To protect staff and patrons, everyone will be required to wear a mask/face covering over both their mouth nose for the duration of their time inside the library, the release said.

This requirement does not apply to children younger than the ages of 2 or to those unable to do so due to a medical condition.

“We feel the added safety that a mask could provide is the right thing to do for our staff and members of our communities,” said Jennifer Black, director of marketing and public relations for the Library System. “We know that some people prefer to not wear a mask, that they question their effectiveness and will find this objectionable, but under the current circumstances, we are choosing to err on the side of caution.

“However, that does not mean that those patrons cannot get library materials. We will continue our curbside and walk-up service at all six branches, and we have installed exterior hold lockers at three of our branches so that anyone is able to receive contactless service without entering the building.”

Contactless hold pickup will be available inside each branch as well, according to the release.

A patron places a hold on their desired materials online.

When they receive the notice that their hold is available, they go to the designated Self Holds Pickup section, locate their materials under the first letter of their last name and then can either us a self-service checkout or have a staff member assist with check out.

Rather than having the patron hand their library card to the staff member at the circulation desk, they will be asked to hold it up so that the barcode can be scanned.

“We are quarantining all returned materials for 72 hours,” Black said. “We are asking that when a patron takes an item off a shelf and decides to not check it out, that they place it on a designated cart rather than re-shelve it.

“We have removed the toys from the children’s areas. We are providing hand sanitizer stations, etc.”

All of the materials that regularly circulate will be available; books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, adult bikes and helmets (Main and South Lorain branches), bike locks, blood pressure kits, hots pots (Main, Domonkas and South

Lorain branches), launchpads, Lego and Duplo kits, memory care and early childhood learning backpacks, night sky binoculars, playaways, read-alongs and volleyballs (Columbia branch).

Public computers will be available and have been rearranged to allow for social distancing between patrons.

Use will be limited to one session, up to 60 minutes, per patron per day.

Sanitation sleeves will be provided for each patron to cover the keyboard and mouse while in use.

While not mandatory, computer reservations can be made ahead of time by calling any of the six branches.

In-person programs and book sales have been postponed.

Meeting room reservations are not being taken at this time.

The Library System will have a limited number of masks to provide to patrons who do not have one.