All posts by rgray
Reopening September 8
The Van Horn Public Library is pleased to announce that we will be returning to our regular hours and offering regular library services beginning on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. While patrons will not be required to have appointments to come in and use the library, the following changes are being made to keep both patrons and staff safe and healthy:
- 10 patrons will be allowed in the library at any given time. Please come to the main door upstairs to be enter the building. While the door is locked, ring our new doorbell to talk to library staff and be let in. Please note that you may be asked to wait before entering if we are at capacity. If you have mobility issues, please call ahead and we will open the elevator door for you.
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Library phones are no longer able to be used by patrons.
- Social distancing and masks that cover the nose and mouth are required.
Library staff will be sanitizing high traffic areas every hour. Curbside service is also available if you do not want to enter the library.
We ask that anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or people living with someone with symptoms, remain at home and do not come to the library.
Hours of operation starting 9/8/20
Monday and Friday: 12:00 – 6:00 pm
Tuesday and Thursday: 12:00 – 8:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Please note – Due to the ever changing nature of the pandemic, these new procedures may change without notice. Please check our website and Facebook page for the most recent information on our hours and services.
Masks required
Due to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-81, masks/face coverings are required for everyone entering the library. We have disposable masks available if you forget yours at home!
Thank you for helping keep everyone in our community safe & healthy!
Magazines online
The following magazines are now available through Libby or on your Overdrive app:
- Cosmopolitan
- Car and Driver
- The Economist
- Food Network
- Good Housekeeping
- HGTV
- Men’s Health
- O The Oprah Magazine
- Wired
- Women’s Health
Look for Libby in your computer or mobile device’s app store to access these magazines with your VHPL card!
Closed Friday
Open for appointments
Are you going through VHPL withdrawal? We are happy to announce that today is the first day we are open for browsing appointments!
Make your appointment today by calling us at 507-356-8558! Appointments last 30 minutes and are on the hour from 11am-5pm. We are not able to allow people to loiter in the library at this time, so please be prepared to leave as soon as you find and check out your items.
We strongly encourage all patrons to wear face masks while in the library, as a courtesy to other patrons who may be at higher risk and to library staff. We have hand sanitizer near the entrance and ask that patrons please use it when entering the building.
Curbside service continues to be available if you don’t need to browse, but already know what you’d like to check out.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding. We look forward to seeing you!
Reopening Plan
Have you been wondering what the library has planned for reopening? Take a look at our phased reopening plan! Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan is on the last page, so read all the way to the end.
We are looking to hit Phase 4 on Monday, June 29, and allow up to three families/individuals to look for books at any given time. Appointments will be available on the hour from 11am-5pm, and can last up to 30 minutes. Only 10 patrons will be allowed inside the library at any given time.
If you want to reserve your time for a library browsing appointment, please call the library at 507-356-8558 or email us at pipl@selco.info.
We are looking at the possibility of returning to our normal hours in mid-July if everything goes well, so stay tuned here on our website or on our Facebook page for updates.
Please note that any and all of this may change based on public safety concerns or appointment demand. Thank you for your patience!
Story Time Cancelled
Today’s story time is cancelled due to the rain and wet. We look forward to reading with you next week at 10am on the library lawn.
Summer Reading FAQs
Heidi recorded a video and answered a bunch of questions about Summer Reading on Facebook today. Check it out and learn more about our programming this summer!
Computers
Thank you all for your patience with library services during this challenging time due to COVID-19. We have been hard at work to develop policies that allow you, our patrons, to access library services. To that end, we are happy to announce that we are able to come in and use our computers!
Starting Tuesday, May 26 we can allow up to 3 people at a time to come in to use our computers. The following guidelines must be followed:
- Use of computers is available by appointment only.You must call (507-356-8558) or email the library to make your appointment at least 30 minutes before you would like to come in. Appointments will be made on a first come, first served basis.
- Appointments are available on the hour every hour from 11AM to 5PM and last for a maximum of 45 minutes.If you need more time, you are invited to make another appointment, but will have to exit the library in the meantime.
- Door hardware, computer stations and printers will be disinfected after each appointment slot.
- Appointments are ONLY to use our public computers.We are unable to allow the public to access our book or DVD shelves safely at this time. We hope to open for browsing appointments in the not-too-distant future, but we do not have a timeline for this yet.
- Please enter the library from the main door upstairs and exit from the youth library door. If you need to use the elevator to gain access, let us know so we can let you in.
- Social distancing rules of being at least 6 feet apart will be strictly enforced.
- For the safety of our patrons, VHPL staff will wear masks when patrons are present. For the safety of VHPL staff, we strongly encourage that computer users do the same.
- Computer help from staff will be severely limited due to social distancing requirements.
Refusal to follow these guidelines may result in the patron being asked to leave the library.
We are happy to start offering this service to our community. Please contact the library if you have questions.