As part of the state's Phase 2 reopening, libraries were eligible to reopen as of last week but area libraries are approaching the process differently.

But what is the same for the libraries is less furniture, more Plexiglas, and a desire to continue serving their communities as best they can. And everyone has to wear a mask or face covering.

For many, the phased reopening process began earlier this month with curbside pickup, allowing patrons safe access to print materials after nearly three months of depending on e-books and other online services.

Lisa Timothy, executive director of the East Lyme Public Library, said the library will reopen its book holds and reservations for rooms and tables next week, and the building will reopen July 6, when many members of the regional Libraries Online Inc. (LION) consortium will open. The library will continue to offer curbside pickup — she said they're highly recommending it for patrons over age 65 — and the library's home delivery service has been expanded to include anyone who is immunocompromised.

Wendy Connal, director of the Bill Memorial Library in Groton, said its contact-free book pickup service has been popular, and one of the library's rooms has been converted into a quarantine space for books before they're sanitized and reshelved. The state library and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend returned books be quarantined for 2 to 3 days.

Ahead of its opening, also slated for July 6, shelves, furniture and computers have been rearranged or removed to facilitate better spacing for patrons. Connal said the 130-year-old circulation desk is a common bottleneck spot so check-out will instead be conducted from a new staff station in the reading room.

The Salem Free Public Library is electing to continue offering curbside pickup and online summer reading while remaining closed to the public for the time being, and the Raymond Library is planning to reopen July 7.

Construction challenges

Stonington Free Library has been undergoing a major renovation project, which assistant director Micayla Hall said is complicating reopening efforts. The coronavirus pandemic pushed back the completion date a few weeks but she said it would be difficult to welcome even a limited number of patrons into the building when there are plastic partitions up to contain debris and protect construction workers and library staff.

Hall said the library is hoping to partially reopen in mid-July, with capacity restrictions and signage around the building for proper spacing. Stonington's patron computers are laptops, which she said makes it easier to separate users and sanitize equipment after it's used. 

East Lyme is awaiting the installment of a new carpet, which was also delayed due to the pandemic. Timothy said she hopes most of it is installed before the library reopens, but specific sections of the library may have to close for a day or two as the work is completed.

Summer reading

Like other library programs, summer reading programs for children and adults have gone virtual, with signups available on library websites. Rebecca Scotka, children's and young adult librarian at East Lyme, said the library is using Readsquared, and families can choose whether they want to track how many minutes, pages or books their children read. Through the platform, children can also earn points for other literacy-based activities such as reading outside or having a storytelling session with a friend.

She said this year's state summer reading program theme, "Imagine Your Story," fits well with fantasy books, which are popular with kids. One young adult selection she was especially excited about was "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins, a prequel in the Hunger Games franchise.

Maris Frey, director of youth services at Stonington, said she tried to keep all the best parts of their normal summer reading program. This year's program is a "give back summer," where the donors that normally support performers at the library and in-person activities purchase gift cards to local businesses. Those are then added to the library store along with other prizes that kids can buy with the Dragon Dollars they earn for logging their reading time.

In addition to promoting reading and maintaining what the kids have learned, Frey said the program also teaches decision-making skills as the children decide whether they want to spend their dollars as soon as they get them or save them for a larger prize later or the basket raffle.

A cautious reopening

Ahead of its reopening Monday, staff at Bill Library in Ledyard attended a training on the new cleaning and spacing protocols and shared a video on social media on what patrons coming in could expect, from the Plexiglas shields at the circulation desk to the modified seating plan.

Gale Bradbury, director of Ledyard Libraries, said the patrons that came in Monday were patient and happy to be able to use the library. She said staff were still getting used to the new protocols, including the new cleaning schedule throughout the day. Gales Ferry Library was scheduled to open Tuesday, and both facilities will return to their regular summer hours.

Groton Public Library, which also opened Monday, will be running on a modified schedule, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week, and director Jennifer Miele said that restarting their Saturday hours was a priority. She said the library had a line out the door Monday morning, with about 35 or 40 people coming in and out during the first half hour.

Miele said she wasn't sure how patrons would react to the new rules and protocols, but she said they have been respectful and happy to be back in the stacks. She said the library would see how this week goes and reevaluate based on what services patrons are asking for, such as allowing computer users more than an hour per day.