The Rockport Public Library has submitted the following statement:

On Monday, June 1, the Rockport Public Library will be open to the public again! This is great news but please read the new rules carefully. As you can imagine the building was not designed with social distancing in mind. While the library will be open and happy to serve you there are many new rules and restrictions which are intended to maximize safety for both the patrons and the staff.

We will still be offering curbside pick-up for anyone who wants to use that service.

Patron Limit

Based on the size of the building we can only have 5 patrons in the library at one time. Every person counts toward this limit, regardless of age. If one family member can come into the building to pick items for everyone in the household, we urge you do so.

Time Limit

Since we can have so few patrons in the building at one time, we have put a time limit on visits. We ask that you keep your visit to the library to 30 minutes or less.

Masks

For the safety of the staff and other patrons we are requiring that anyone that comes into the building wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth. We know this is not the most fun thing to do. However, many of our patrons are in high risk categories and we all must work together to keep the Library safe for everyone.

Browsing

We encourage you to browse and read book descriptions but please do not put a book back on the shelf after you have touched it. If you touch a book and don’t intend to check it out, please place it on one of our quarantine carts. Any item that has been touched needs to go into a 72-hour quarantine.

Public Computers

While the pandemic is ongoing, we will only be offering one station for public computing. This is so we can clean the computer between each use. The 30-minute time limit is in effect for using the computer. If you need an exception, please see a librarian.

Social Distancing

Please follow all social distancing guidelines in the Library and maintain a 6-foot distance from other people. Some rooms have specific occupancy limits due to the inability to practice appropriate social distancing in those rooms.

Entrance and Exit: Now One Way

The front door by the book drop is our entrance. The side door with the ramp is our exit. Please use the front door to enter the building and the side door to leave. If you have any mobility issues do not hesitate to use the side door with the ramp to enter the Library. The area around the desk is tight; by having a specific entrance and exit we can better maintain social distance around the circulation desk.

Donations

The Library will not be taking any book or magazine donations at this time. We will let everyone know when we will resume taking book and magazine donations.

Cleaning

We will be cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces at the Library multiple times a day. We encourage you to use our hand wash station and we will have hand sanitizer for patrons to use.

Hours

Our hours have been reduced to the public. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This is to give the staff extra time to process curbside pickup orders and for cleaning of the building.

While we will do everything in our power to make the Library a clean and safe place for everyone, we cannot guarantee a germ-free environment. We urge you to take precautions both in the building and with items you have checked out, such as hand washing and not touching your face. We have increased our loan period to 21 days in case you want to quarantine items in your home for 72 hours before enjoying them.

We hope to get back to normal as soon as we can. Until then please help us help you by following the new rules. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to ask. We know this isn’t fun, but if we all work together, we can provide services and keep patrons and staff safe.

Rockport Public Library
236-3642
rpl@rockport.lib.me.us