Elmhurst Public Library will reopen to the public on Monday, June 15. This next phase of service provides direct access to the collections. Online reservations for library visits open on Wednesday, June 10.
Reservation details:
• Reservations can be made up to one week in advance
• Every person entering the building needs a reservation
• Visits are for one hour in the building
• Announcements are made 15 minutes before the end of each hour to allow time for checkouts and orderly exiting
• Mask are required
The one-hour time limit makes the Library collection available to browse and checkout, and helps limits the time spent in the building to promote distancing. Please stay in your car until it is your time to enter the building. Lining up outside of the Library is discouraged.
Things to expect when the Library reopens:
• Reservation system for visits: 60 people per hour for one-hour visits
• Required masks for staff and patrons
• Social distancing signage and furniture setup
• Drive-up window will be available
• Continued curbside pickup option
Things that will not be available for a while:
• Drop-in visits
• Extended stays
• Cafe service
• Meeting and Study Rooms (visit elmlib.org/videochat for information about virtual options)
• In-person events (check elmlib.org/athome for more information about Summer programs)
Create! – Kids’ summer reading program
On June 20, online registration begins for the Library’s Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is designed to encourage kids’ curiosity and spark their imagination. The program runs June 20 – August 1 and is completely online. There is no pre-registration. Reading programs are also available for Adults, Adults with Disabilities, and Teens. More info at elmlib.org/summer.
Library staff continues working from home during closing
Since closing its doors March 13 in the wake of shelter-in-place orders, the Library continued to serve the community virtually through online resources that include e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, movies, and music.
Programming shifted to entirely online, with a combination of live programs held over platforms like Zoom and FreeConferenceCall, and prerecorded programs posted to the Library’s YouTube page – elmlib.org/youtube.
Staff, working from home, continue to be available by phone, text, or video chat to answer reference questions, or help patrons reserve virtual meeting rooms.
Curbside pickup, returns in quarantine
On May 18, the Library began curbside pickup so that patrons could pick up materials without entering the building; the following week, the Library began accepting returns of some of the 44,000 items that were checked out. Items remained in quarantine for 7 days before they were returned to shelves.
For ongoing updates, visit elmlib.org. Subscribe to weekly emails at elmlib.org/email.
