All,
Thanks for all your hard work as we progress through the various fun stages of COVID and our library systems and procedures morph to accommodate different levels of openness to the public. Below is a brief refresher on how to talk to patrons about library services that are being offered right now. I find it useful to talk about what we are here for right now and what types of library activities are paused due to COVID. I really like the term grab-and-go because I think it’s language familiar to patrons because of restaurants, so the implications make sense.
What We’re Here For:
Library services are intended as grab-and-go type services. We have 30-minute browsing appointments and 1-hour computer use appointments. Computer appointments also encompass other services like copying, scanning, faxing, notary appointments, and test proctoring.
And then, of course we have curbside services for pickup of holds, print jobs, and tax forms.
At this time, we’re still not open for hanging out, meeting others to use the library as a communal space, or even just reading the newspaper in a comfy chair. Library furniture is partitioned off, play items in the Youth Services Department are put away, and study rooms and meeting rooms are not available. Again, right now, in-person library services are intended to be a grab-and-go service. Molly will be sending info about language and steps to use when talking to patrons about holds so staff has an easier time determining where a patron’s library items might be.