EDINBURG — The Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library will open its doors to the public beginning Monday, but expect changes to its services and hours as it carries out a four-phase reopening plan.
The library will open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday and will only allow 10 patrons in at a time, officials said in a news release Thursday. Only two family members will be allowed inside at any given time.
Both patrons and staff are required to wear masks while inside the library, and the facility will provide hand sanitizer near the entrance, public restrooms and at all service desks. Library staff will also sanitize areas twice a day and public keyboards after every use.
Some areas and services will be closed to the public, including access to meeting rooms, study rooms, tech rooms, children’s activity rooms, courtesy phones, typewriters and copiers. Public water fountains will also be unavailable and library furniture will be limited to comply with CDC social distancing guidelines. Donations of books and materials will aso not be accepted until further notice.
Public access to the library will be limited to computer use, with only 30 minutes allowed per person for work and printing purposes only. Leisure use of the computers will not be permitted and no time extensions will be granted, officials said. Computers for children will also be unavailable.
Patrons can still access the public WiFi and use wireless printing services from the parking lot, with prints delivered through the library’s contactless curbside service.
Library materials will be inaccessible to patrons visiting the library, officials said. Patrons may borrow materials by reserving them by phone or using the online catalog. Library staff will call patrons when materials are available for pick up through contactless curbside service.
Not all materials will be available due to construction and the library’s quarantine process, officials said. All materials must be returned using the book drop near the front entrance and they will be quarantined for 72 hours before library staff sanitizes and returns them to their shelf.
Books & Bytes Café will be open to one customer at a time, and only prepackaged food and drinks will be sold. All items sold, however, must be taken to go and consumed outside of the library.
For more information about library services, programs and resources, call (956) 383-6246.
