|
|
Due to the Governors’ announcement this afternoon, the Library will remain closed through May 4. We understand that this is an inconvenience in the short term, but know that it will protect our public and our staff during this difficult time.
|
I want to take a moment to thank you all for your patience during this unprecedented public health emergency. I am pleased to announce that, effective tomorrow, the entire Library staff will be beyond the window whereby they could have been infected with COVID-19 while interacting with the public at work. No one has become ill, and for that we are grateful.
|
While the staff have been at home, they have been working hard to boot up remote services. Tomorrow, March 26, at 10 am, we will begin offering remote reference, virtual storytimes, etc. The schedule is Monday through Saturday, from 10 am - 6 pm. We hope that these services will help combat isolation and return some familiar faces to your families. There will be no staff on site, per the Governor’s order. This will mean that the staff will not have access to some of our resources, like microfilm, the closed stacks, or various reference materials. They will work through our online reference databases and will provide you the best answers they can. Our online resources will continue to be available 24/7, and can be found here.
|
|
Email and chat reference will address ONLY library reference questions; the Town asks that you please call the Emergency Operations Center for any COVID-19 related questions, as well as for any general municipal government questions:
|
|
“The call center will be staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The number for the call center is 617-879-5636.”
|
Other activities that Library staff are participating in while we are closed include making N95 masks on our 3D printers (which they took home on Monday) and sewing cotton masks on the Library sewing machines. A good portion of the staff have also volunteered to work at the Emergency Operations Center answering calls and helping the Task Force and first responders keep the Town running.
|
I would like to remind everyone that the Library book drops are CLOSED. Please do not leave any library materials or donations outside the Library. Thus far, this has only been a problem at the Coolidge Corner Library, so, if you live in that neighborhood or know someone who does, please help us spread the word. While we are closed, all materials will be automatically renewed, check out periods have been extended to one month, and all expiring library cards will be automatically renewed.
|
|
We are not currently able to submit our weekly column to the Brookline TAB, but we are working on it and hope to have one a week from tomorrow.
|
Please remember that this is a limited public service, we will not be able to book rooms, place holds, or some other regular services.
|
From our Library family to your family: We miss you. We will be back as soon as we can.
|
|
|
|
|