Looking Forward to Reopening – Phase 2 for VPL
As we enter our next phase of reopening at VPL, welcoming back our patrons and staff as swiftly and safely as possible is our top priority.
During our first phase of reopening in May, we focused on expanding our digital collections, creating a public computer lab for those without digital access, and piloting a takeout service primarily aimed at families with young children. We wanted to dedicate our limited resources to those who would need the most help during this difficult time.
As the COVID-19 situation in Vancouver continues to improve, we are now moving forward to the next phase of reopening and plan to bring back more services for all patrons across the city.
Starting mid-July, we will be reopening Central Library and four branches (Britannia, Kitsilano, Renfrew and South Hill), offering limited services with strict health and safety measures in place. When we reopen these locations, you will be able to pick up holds, access physical collections in short visits, return materials, and schedule time to use public computers. Central Library will reopen services on three levels: the Children’s Library on the Lower Level, Level 2 and public computers on Level 3. We anticipate reopening other areas of Central Library in the fall.
To ensure the ongoing health and safety of our patrons and staff, we are encouraging short visits to our spaces. We are not yet able to invite you to stay for long periods of time to read books and newspapers, study, or use our WiFi inside. In-person programs for children, teens, and adults will still be suspended, while our digital programming and additional digital support will continue through the summer.
In addition to the locations that are reopening in mid-July, takeout service will be offered five days a week at five branches (Champlain Heights, Dunbar, Firehall, Hastings and Kensington) and will focus on hold pickups to meet the overwhelming demand experienced when the service was launched. We know that picking up holds is a priority for many of you, and although we had technical limitations initially, we are now ready to clear the holds that have been on our shelves since March so you can start enjoying them at home. We will also continue to assemble grab-bags of materials for children of all ages upon request.
We are designing tools to help you plan your visit, rearranging our spaces, expanding our cleaning protocols, training staff, and doing as much as we can to make your future visits to VPL as safe and convenient as possible. As we get closer to our target reopening day in mid-July, we will be posting more information on vpl.ca and sharing updates in our email newsletter.
Thank you for your patience and continued support of VPL. Your positive comments and understanding have been a great support to our staff, who are looking forward to getting back to the important work of delivering library services to you.
Christina de Castell
Chief Librarian
Vancouver Public Library
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