The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will begin curbside pickup for physical materials at four library locations beginning June 3, as the first step in a phased-in return of staff and services.
Patrons can place holds and check out books, movies, WiFi hot spots, and other library materials, for pickup at one of four library locations: Main, Austintown, Boardman, and Canfield.
Curbside-pickup hours will be 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
“We are excited to be getting books, movies, and WiFi hotspots into the hands of our patrons again,” said Library Executive Director Aimee Fifarek. “It has been a long road to this point – working with professionals in Ohio and across the country to establish safe practices to restart library services. Rest assured that this is just the next of many steps, as we travel back to full library service with safety in mind.”
Patrons with full-service library cards can begin now to place holds on materials now for curbside service. Holds can be placed through the Library’s website, by emailing or by calling 330-259-3399. Patrons also are advised to remove holds they no longer need by using one of these methods.
How curbside pickup works:
- Patrons place holds for curbside pickup.
- Library staff will call to schedule pickup times.
- When patrons arrive to pick up materials, they will pull their vehicle up to the indicated spot and call the phone number listed on the curbside pickup signs at that location to let staff know they have arrived.
- Patrons will be asked to describe their vehicle and give the license number to ensure materials go to the right person.
- Patrons will open their trunk and then remain in their vehicle for contact-free pickup.
- Library staff, wearing masks and gloves, will place the materials in the patron’s trunk.
Patrons who do not have a mobile phone are asked to make arrangements in advance with the Library staff member who calls to let them know their materials are ready.
Walk-ups are allowed to pick up materials through curbside pickup after making arrangements in advance with the Library employee who calls to let them know their materials are ready.
Patrons who need to have their materials picked up by another person at curbside pickup can make arrangement with the Library employee who contacts them. Staff will need the identity of the family member who will be picking up materials, and a description of the vehicle being used and its license number, to ensure that the materials are given to the right person.
Special-delivery service for patrons who cannot come to a library is also underway. Library employees are contacting special-delivery patrons to arrange service through U.S. Mail. Items returned through the mail are being placed in quarantine for 72 hours. Special-delivery patrons can call 330-792-3869 to request materials.
The Library has spent time preparing for distribution of physical materials by closely following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, the Ohio Library Council, the Ohio Department of Health, and other authorities.
Directives resulting from this pandemic are constantly evolving. Materials returned before the book drops and libraries were closed are considered safe and have been returned to shelves for circulation.
The Library is awaiting a study being done at the Battelle Institute in Columbus on COVID-19 safety precautions concerning the life of the virus on books and materials. For these reasons, the Library’s procedure will be to quarantine any returned items for 72 hours until advised otherwise. For the safety of staff and patrons, Library employees handling materials will wear masks, maintain social distance, stagger shifts, wash hands, and self-perform daily symptom assessments.
At this time, all library buildings remain closed to the public. Only essential Library staff has been in buildings and other library employees have been working from home. Employees working inside PLYMC library buildings are performing tasks such as processing new books and materials and performing maintenance inside and on the grounds. Staff is observing safety protocols such as social distancing and wearing masks.
The Library continues to offer a full array of virtual services at LibraryVisit.org… and on social media.
Reference questions are being answered by librarians at 330-259-3399. Online offerings are available at LibraryVisit.org…, where patrons can download or stream e-books, audiobooks, magazines, music and movies, or take a class, and more.
The Library can be found on social media on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.
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