Champaign Public Library Will Be Ready “As Soon As the State Gives the Go-Ahead”; Urbana Free Library Announces It Will Also Open June 26
The Champaign Public Library has plans in place to reopen when the state of Illinois moves into Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, presumably on June 26.
Pritzker said last week that Illinois will need to wait 28 days from the start of Phase 3 and “regions that meet the metrics could move into Phase 4 possibly as early as Friday, June 26.”
Champaign Public Library director Donna Pittman told chambanamoms.com on Wednesday that the library will be ready to go as soon as the state gives the go-ahead.
“It feels good to get back to a little more of a normal stage, with adjustments. The new normal, as they say,” Pittman said. “We look forward to working with people and seeing them in person again.”
There will be precautions and limitations, of course:
- Patrons will be required to wear masks, if medically able. Social distancing policies will be in place.
- Seating is limited and has been rearranged to facilitate social distancing. “It will look a little different,” Pittman said. “Limiting the number of people at tables should help limit the number of people in the building because there won’t be a place to sit.”
- Fewer computers will be available and they will be limited to one hour per person. They will be sanitized after each use. “We’ll have a plan for sanitizing all of the high-touch areas in the building,” Pittman said. “After someone uses a computer it will be sanitized, the keyboard, the mouse. Bathrooms, elevator buttons, all things that are high-touch areas will be sanitized.”
- Checkout kiosks will be cleaned after each use.
- The children’s play area will not be open.
- In-person programming will not resume until September. Online programs will continue, utilizing reservations and Zoom.
- The library will operate under normal hours.
- Curbside delivery, in place since May 15, will continue. The library had previously announced that it will begin accepting returns on June 14.
- Summer reading programs continue through August 31.
Also announced on Wednesday night via social media, the Urbana Free Library building is tentatively planning to reopen on June 26 for basic services.
“We are excited to welcome the community back to our building and are still working out details that will keep staff and patrons safe. As more information is available, we will continue to post here an on our social media channels,” says an announcement on the Urbana Free Library website.
The Champaign Public Library unveiled its plan a few days after the Mahomet Public Library announced it is open with reduced services and special hours.
For more on what is open and closed for family fun in the Champaign-Urbana area during the summer of 2020, check out our listings here.
This new installation awaits the return of Champaign Public library patrons.