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The Longmont Public Library, which reopened to the public in July after shuttering in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic, is scaling back its in-person offerings.
Starting Friday, public access to the library will be limited to the lobby area, according to a news release sent Thursday afternoon. The children’s and teens’ areas, as well as both computer labs and the second floor will be closed, according to the release. The library’s curbside delivery service will continue with no changes.
Curbside delivery is available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Patrons can place holds on any materials currently available through the library’s online catalog.
In-person services were scaled back in response to Boulder County moving to Safer at Home Level Orange: High Risk status on the state’s dial dashboard. The move to Level Orange, which was previously called Safer at Home Level 3, requires more restrictive COVID-19-related health guidelines, including reductions in capacity at businesses and the number of people allowed at gatherings.
“In keeping with those restrictions, the Longmont Public Library will be rolling back some patron building access to decrease person-to-person contact and potential exposure,” the city stated in the news release.
Patrons who visit the library lobby can check out materials previously placed on hold, get library cards, pay library fines, and shop at the Friends of the Longmont Library’s bookshop.
Two public computer stations also will be available in the lobby on a first-come, first-serve basis for a maximum of 15 minutes per user and patrons can print up to 10 pages per day for no charge, according to the release. “Library staff will make every effort to properly clean the computer stations between users, but cannot guarantee full sanitization,” the city stated in the release.
Library staff will continue to work in the building, answering phones and gathering materials for patrons, and online programming will continue via Webex, according to the release.
The library urged patrons to watch its homepage for updates and announcements and cautioned that “additional modifications to in-person city services and activities may need to be implemented.”
For the most current status on citywide developments, visit www.longmontcolorado.gov/coronavirus.
