The Jacksonville Public Library plans to reopen to the public on June 1st. In a release from Library Director Chris Ashmore yesterday, the library will take a scaled approach to reopening to foot traffic. Ashmore says the scaled measures will occur with incremental easement of physical distancing measures as advice and state health regulations allow.
Seniors 60 and over will have special early hours from 9-10AM Monday through Saturday for the current time. A mask or face covering will be required to be worn inside the library. Six feet social distancing measures should be attempted at all times. The library will have a maximum occupancy of 50 patrons at a time. Only the west entrance will be open for entry. Patrons are asked to limit their time in the library for only 1 hour per day. The library will close at 6PM rather than 9PM Monday through Thursday. Groups should be limited to 4 or fewer. There will be limited public computers for usage. The children’s play area, conference room, meeting rooms, and the Special Collections Room will remain closed for the time being. Most chairs in public areas are being removed to encourage the limited browsing time. All returned materials will be quarantined for 72 hours before being returned to circulation.
Ashmore says as more restrictions are lifted, the library will relax more of these rules as time goes by. If you have any further questions, contact Ashmore at the library at 243-5435.