The Minot Public Library will reopen Monday, June 8, with limited hours and services.
The library will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The first hour of each day will be reserved for at-risk patrons. Patrons under the age of 16 are welcome from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., but must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
“We are excited to open and help our patrons; however, we are working to keep everyone safe, which means limiting our hours and services. We will basically be a grab and go library,” said Library Director Janet Anderson. “We can’t wait to see our patrons again, but we also care about their health, so we ask everyone to plan their visits to be as quick and safe as possible.”
There will be no public seating, newspapers will not available, donations will not be accepted, Makerspace items will not circulate, meeting rooms are not available, and there will be no inperson programming. Homebound delivery and interlibrary loan services will be available on a case-by-case basis. Two public computers will be available by appointment only for 30-minute sessions. To reserve a computer, patrons should call (701) 852-1045. For information on printing, faxing, scanning and copying, please call 852-1045, or e-mail minottecht@gmail.com.
The library will be deep cleaned before opening and also during afternoon and evening hours. The library will be limited to 50 patrons inside the building at a time. Patrons are asked to heed social distancing recommendations and to consider wearing a mask when in the library. In an effort to ensure people only come to the library if they feel it is safe, patrons will not accrue overdue fines on items due March 15 and later until the library opens for regular hours.
“The library has implemented many changes since COVID-19 came to North Dakota. We have been sanitizing all of the items that are returned by patrons after a quarantine period,” said Adult Services Librarian Zhaina Moya.