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Library Hours
Monday 10:00am-7:00pm Tuesday 1:00pm-6:00pm Wednesday 1:00pm-6:00pm Thursday 1:00pm-6:00pm Friday 1:00pm-6:00pm Saturday 10:00am-1:00pm Sunday CLOSED |
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305 Locust Street NW
PO Box 187 Blairstown, IA 52209 Phone: (319) 454-6497 Fax: (319) 454-6495 |
Update on Current State Proclamation 05/13/2020
To our amazing community and library patrons:
Today, May 13th, Governor Reynolds announced that the remaining 22 counties in Iowa will be able to reopen more services as of 5:00pm on May 15th. Her proclamation also included libraries. While we are eager to see everyone again, we recognize that getting to this point will require additional precautionary measures. Part of the Governor’s proclamation includes that we limit our capacity to 50%, ensure proper distancing measures, and increased hygiene practices.
Because of these measures, we are not able to open right away. We are still working to get proper cleaning and hygiene products for both staff and patrons. While we have placed orders, we are unsure of what the timeline is for us to actually receive these items. Priority for these items is currently being given to the healthcare industry, and we completely understand and support that decision. In addition to those supplies, we are also trying to secure some protective barriers for the front desk and again, this is taking time to acquire. We are committed to making sure that we can do everything within our power to have a safe and healthy environment for all of us.
In the meantime, we will continue to offer materials pick up services on Saturdays from 10:30am-1:00pm. You can take advantage of this by simply emailing Molly at director@blairstownpubliclibrary.com or calling the library at 319-454-6497 and letting us know what you would like to check out. You can give us specific titles and authors, or we can certainly just grab some items we think you’ll like.
You can also access our digital library at www.blairstownpubliclibrary.com. We have a special “Stay At Home” resources page full of lots of great online sites for kids, including STEM activities, online storytimes and more. Be sure to check it out regularly, as we are always adding new resources to it.
Beginning June 1st, library staff will have regular hours in the library on Mondays from 10am-3pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1pm-6pm, and Saturdays from 10am-1pm. **The library still may not be open to the public at this point.** That being said, staff will be available to pull materials for patrons to pick up, answer reference questions, print off forms for people to pick up, etc. We will also begin offering drop off services for those in town who are unable to come to the library to pick up materials.
June 1st will also kick off our Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story.” While this year’s program is not what we originally had planned, we are excited to still be able to offer weekly themed packets for all ages to enjoy. Each weekly packet will have a unique offering of puzzles, games, crafts, STEM activities and more. Even though we may not be able to gather at the library for summer reading, we can still offer something for everyone to participate in.
Finally, I just want to thank the community of Blairstown and our library patrons for their understanding and continued support throughout all of this. I recently hit my 5-year anniversary with the library on May 4th, and while I would have loved to celebrate with everyone, it was still a nice moment of reflection on why I love this job and why I love being a librarian. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. We could not do this without you all.
Molly Rach
Library Director
Today, May 13th, Governor Reynolds announced that the remaining 22 counties in Iowa will be able to reopen more services as of 5:00pm on May 15th. Her proclamation also included libraries. While we are eager to see everyone again, we recognize that getting to this point will require additional precautionary measures. Part of the Governor’s proclamation includes that we limit our capacity to 50%, ensure proper distancing measures, and increased hygiene practices.
Because of these measures, we are not able to open right away. We are still working to get proper cleaning and hygiene products for both staff and patrons. While we have placed orders, we are unsure of what the timeline is for us to actually receive these items. Priority for these items is currently being given to the healthcare industry, and we completely understand and support that decision. In addition to those supplies, we are also trying to secure some protective barriers for the front desk and again, this is taking time to acquire. We are committed to making sure that we can do everything within our power to have a safe and healthy environment for all of us.
In the meantime, we will continue to offer materials pick up services on Saturdays from 10:30am-1:00pm. You can take advantage of this by simply emailing Molly at director@blairstownpubliclibrary.com or calling the library at 319-454-6497 and letting us know what you would like to check out. You can give us specific titles and authors, or we can certainly just grab some items we think you’ll like.
You can also access our digital library at www.blairstownpubliclibrary.com. We have a special “Stay At Home” resources page full of lots of great online sites for kids, including STEM activities, online storytimes and more. Be sure to check it out regularly, as we are always adding new resources to it.
Beginning June 1st, library staff will have regular hours in the library on Mondays from 10am-3pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1pm-6pm, and Saturdays from 10am-1pm. **The library still may not be open to the public at this point.** That being said, staff will be available to pull materials for patrons to pick up, answer reference questions, print off forms for people to pick up, etc. We will also begin offering drop off services for those in town who are unable to come to the library to pick up materials.
June 1st will also kick off our Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story.” While this year’s program is not what we originally had planned, we are excited to still be able to offer weekly themed packets for all ages to enjoy. Each weekly packet will have a unique offering of puzzles, games, crafts, STEM activities and more. Even though we may not be able to gather at the library for summer reading, we can still offer something for everyone to participate in.
Finally, I just want to thank the community of Blairstown and our library patrons for their understanding and continued support throughout all of this. I recently hit my 5-year anniversary with the library on May 4th, and while I would have loved to celebrate with everyone, it was still a nice moment of reflection on why I love this job and why I love being a librarian. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. We could not do this without you all.
Molly Rach
Library Director
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Materials Pick Up Available Beginning April 18th
Beginning this Saturday, April 18th, the library will be offering a pick up option for library users. We will only be doing pick ups on Saturdays at this time. Here's what you need to know:
1. To place an "order" for materials, you can call the library at (319) 454-6497 and leave a message with your name, phone number and the number of titles or genres you would like. You can also email Molly your "order" at director@blairstownpubliclibrary.com. 2. Staff will pull materials for people on Saturday morning, check them out, place them in bags and attach a name to the bag. 3. Bags will be placed on a table in the entryway near the book drop. You can pick up your materials anytime between 10:30am-1:00pm. All you need to do is grab your bag and go! We ask that you still respect social distancing guidelines as set out by the CDC and the Iowa Department of Public Health. Please do not congregate in the entryway or outside of the building during our pick up times. 4. NO PATRONS WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE LIBRARY DURING THIS TIME. As per the Governor's proclamation on April 7th, all libraries are closed to the public until April 30th. We are not allowed to let anyone in the library right now except for staff. 5. You can return books in the drop as well. We will be isolating and sanitizing all materials that get returned to us. Because of this, there may be a small delay in when certain materials will be available. We thank you for your understanding as we navigate this time together. We hope that even this small service will help. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Molly at director@blairstownpubliclibrary.com. |
COVID-19
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Iowa Workforce Development COVID-19 Resource Page
www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov Unemployment Benefits during COVID-19 Outbreak |