Half of Vancouver’s 21 public library locations will have reopened to the public since the COVID-19 pandemic forced large-scale shutdowns of its facilities this March.
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 8 five branches, including Mount Pleasant, Kerrisdale, Marpole, West Point Grey, and the Terry Salman, will again be available for in-person book borrowing and returns. Currently, most of the remaining branches offer VPL 'Takeout' service, but no browsing the stacks.
Opening the five branches up is in an effort to meet the increased demand that has come as a result of the pandemic, said VPL Chief Librarian Christina de Castell.
“We’ve heard from many of our patrons just how much they miss their neighbourhood libraries,” de Castell explained.
“Meeting our communities’ needs during this time of uncertainty is our priority and we’re looking forward to safely restoring library services to all neighborhoods across the city.”
Though VPL’s in-person programs continue to be suspended, it will increase hours at its central location (350 West Georgia St.) to be open Mondays starting Sept. 14.
During the pandemic, library patrons are being asked to limit their time inside branches to 30 minutes as well as maintain two metres of physical distance between social groups.
Additionally, VPL book loan periods have been extended to seven weeks and fines continue to be suspended.We're excited to share more reopening news! 📘 On September 8th Kerrisdale, Marpole, Mount Pleasant, Terry Salman and...
Posted by Vancouver Public Library on Tuesday, September 1, 2020
