Add the library to the list of services that are adapting in the new phase of ‘reopening.’

When shelter-in-place was enacted, Monterey County Free Libraries – the county’s system of 17 branches and two bookmobile locations – moved online. “Things like storytime, book talks, book clubs – we’ve moved all of that online and onto Facebook, and we’ve really created quality content,” Library Director Hillary Theyer says.

Those services evolved over time as the library system tried to find its footing in an ever-evolving onslaught of Health Department guidelines. First came availability of e-books, then online tutoring, literacy programs and driveby meal programs. They also opened up a bilingual phone line for six days a week to answer questions from the community, and they offer Wi-Fi from parking lots even while their buildings remain closed.

“Libraries are where people find resources in the community. They study there and eat together. They find out and discuss news in a library,” Theyer adds. That mission has not gone away.

As shelter-in-place restrictions lift, libraries were listed by state officials as part of the stage 2.5 reopening, along with dine-in restaurants and barbershops.

Demandwaspentup; at Monterey Public Library, the list of holds was more than 2,000 items long before reopening for curbside pickup on June 11. At MCFL, the list of holds was about 1,500 items long, before resuming library-by-mail on June 12.

MCFL also launched curbside pickup at all branches this week. The details are dependent on the specific location; some library staff may deem a hand-off perfectly safe, while others may pick up packages at the door, Theyer notes.

But there is at least one consistency that all locations will follow. Once books and other materials are received in a book drop, all items will be quarantined for 72 hours before they’re re-shelved or recirculated. Naturally, that will mean a delay for voracious readers. “Our items may move slower, but our staff will move quickly to get to the next person and the next,” Theyer says.

Preparing for reopening meant stocking up on PPE, which too took patience and planning. It took the MCFL two months to adequately stock up. “Now we have everything – gloves, containers, wipes, cleaning supplies – to follow the health guidelines,” Theyer says. “As you know, in the beginning of the pandemic it was really hard to find supplies.”

The next service MCFL is trying to hack in the near future is printing. “Often, the library is the only public printer available in a community,” she notes.

Until the staff figure that out, there is a lot of reading, tutoring and eating to do. “The community relies on libraries for a lot more than reading.”

MONTEREY COUNTY FREE LIBRARIES is available by phone Monday-Saturday from 10am-6pm in English and in Spanish 883-7555, montereycountyfreelibraries.org