Six Greater Sudbury Public Library locations will open Aug. 7 under a phased reopening plan that balances public health with resident services.
Branches will open for half days during the first phase with processes in place for physical distancing, enhanced cleaning and quarantining of heavily used library materials. Chelmsford, Lively, Main, New Sudbury, South End and Valley East. Hours are from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“The importance of libraries to the mental and emotional health of our community has become more apparent than ever through these days of change and uncertainty,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “Curbside collection of library materials, for example, has been extremely popular since we began offering this service in June. On average, 1,000 residents have been picking up 4,000 items each week.”
In accordance with instructions by Public Health Sudbury & Districts, residents are required to wear a face covering or non-medical mask when visiting any indoor city facility. Branches will have an occupancy limit unique to each location. Patrons are asked to complete their visit in a timely manner to open access to others.
Each branch will resume municipal services provided by Citizen Service Centres, including sales of GOVA Transit ride cards, pet registration tags and garbage bag tags. Additional services, such as licensing, that require one-on-one interaction between public and staff at Citizen Service Centres in Chelmsford, Lively and Valley East will be available by appointment.
Some regular library materials will not be available as they cannot be properly sanitized, including newspapers, puzzles and games. Staff will, however, copy newspaper articles on request, at no charge.
Curbside pickup will remain available at Chelmsford, Lively, Main, New Sudbury, South End and Valley East libraries between 1-3 p.m., Monday to Friday. Libraries will close to interior access by the public at these times. Residents can browse the digital library at sudburylibraries.ca or call the branches to place a hold on books, magazines, DVDs and other library materials.
“As our community begins a cautious restart from the isolation of the pandemic, the Greater Sudbury Public Library has been anxious to return to the personalized service that our residents expect and need,” said Michael Bellmore, chair of the Greater Sudbury Public Library Board. “Our staff has been working very hard to put health protocols in place for the protection of everyone. I ask patrons to respect these new processes so that we can continue to deliver services indoors and in a greater number of locations in the near future.”
As part of new protocols, exterior drop boxes should be used for returns rather than returning materials to the front desk of the library. All returned items and items in close contact with patrons inside the library, such as books read at a table, will be quarantined for 72 hours. Late fees remain waived until further notice.
Information about health and safety protocols, available services and online reservations are available at sudburylibraries.ca/covid-19-update
For COVID-19 updates and information related to City services, visit greatersudbury.ca/covid or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
For the most up-to-date local information on COVID-19, visit the Public Health Sudbury & Districts website at phsd.ca/coronavirus.
