Though the building remains closed to the public, the Loveland Public Library is now offering curbside pickup for book lovers who are eager to get their fix.
Patrons select the books they want and once they’re available they can schedule a time to pick them up. Library staff puts the books in a bag that they push across a table to patrons.
“It’s a very labor intensive way to get a book into somebody’s hands but we’re so glad we’re able to do it,” said library director Diane Lapierre.
Pickup hours are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Because books are not circulating between libraries right now, only titles in the Loveland library are available. Library staff is taking extra precautions to ensure that they are not transmitting the virus during the process, Lapierre said, including putting returned books in quarantine for three days before they can be recirculated.
Two months ago curbside pickup wasn’t an idea that Lapierre had even thought about for the library, but she’s glad they were able to make it work. She credited the library staff for coming up with such a creative way to keep people engaged.
Along with curbside delivery, the library has also expanded its range of online materials and is holding numerous virtual events, including book discussions and children’s storytime. The annual summer reading program will be held online this year beginning June 1. On Saturday, May 23, the library will be giving away signs during pickup hours that people can put in their front yards to show they are participating in the program.
The library has seen a lot of engagement from its online programs, especially children’s storytimes, which get hundreds to thousands of viewers, Lapierre said. The library may continue to offer some virtual programs even after the reopening to connect with people who are homebound or otherwise unable to make it to the library, she said.
Though many of its offerings can be moved online, a major service the library provides is free computer access for people who don’t have internet at home. Not being able to offer that during the pandemic has been challenging for Lapierre, who noted that during times of hardship library usage tends to increase.
“Knowing that people don’t have a way to get online to apply for benefits or search for work or connect with family that lives far away, not being able to offer that is hard,” she said.
Her first priority for when restrictions loosen will be to determine if the computer lab can be reopened in a limited capacity, even if the rest of the building has to stay shut.
In Colorado, libraries are under the same restrictions as gyms, museums and other facilities that are currently required to remain closed. The library is adhering to all state and county guidelines and will not reopen until it is safe to do so, Lapierre said.
The closure has dealt a blow to library staff. In April non-benefited library staff were furloughed as part of a citywide furlough of 280 government employees, and last week some of the library’s benefitted workers were furloughed or had their hours cut.
“We’re missing all the staff that aren’t part of our team right now and hoping when we can reopen the building and get up to more in-person service we’ll be able to bring furloughed staff back,” Lapierre said.
To learn more about curbside pickup, go to lovelandpubliclibrary.org or call 970-962-2665.
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May 21, 2020 at 09:25AM
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Loveland Public Library now offering curbside book pickup - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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