The Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library will be re-opening to allow the public in the building starting Tuesday, August 11 at 12:00 noon. The Library is excited to welcome everyone back. We are hopeful that patrons will bear with the changes that have been made to our services as we work to keep staff and public safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first stage of re-opening, Library hours will be Tuesday, 12:00-8:00 pm and Wednesday to Friday, 12:00-5:00 pm. All patrons are asked to wear a mask to enter the Library, and to follow social distancing guidelines and directional markers while in the building. Library capacity will be limited to a total of 20 individuals at a time, not including staff, with a maximum visit of 30 minutes daily. A Library staff member will check in with every patron upon arrival to the building.
As the Library re-opens on August 11, the final day for patrons to collect items for curbside pickup will be August 7th. From the 11th onward items on hold will be placed on the holds shelf located on the main level to be collected by patrons in the building and checked out at the Circulation Desk. Due dates will revert to the regular 1 week for DVDs and 3 weeks for all other library materials.
The Library will have a limited number of public computers available for use. Visitors will need to stop by the Information Desk on the Main Level to get a computer pass. Public printing and photocopying will be available with staff assistance. Regular cleaning of high touch surfaces will occur throughout the day.
All library returns should continue to be made to the outside book drop. Once full, the book drop will be quarantined for 96 hours before staff check in items. To account for this, the Library will continue to waive fines for all overdue books. In response to government guidelines, all items removed from the shelves in the Library, but not borrowed are also required to be quarantined for 96 hours prior to re-shelving. Baskets will be made available to collect these items.
The Library asks that patrons be aware that the Carnegie level will be off limits for a least 2 weeks starting on August 11 to accommodate for lighting work taking place. Items requested from the Library's non-fiction collection will need to be pulled by staff. Due to limited access, some items may not be available until after the lighting work has been completed. Public computers will be limited at this time and there will be no access to the Microfilm readers.
The Board and Staff of the Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we negotiate this challenging time together.
source: media release, OSNGUPL
