Nearly half a year after being forced to close its doors to visitors, the Orillia Public Library is reopening.
The library will welcome people back inside Tuesday.
“We can’t wait to welcome back everybody. It’s a community hub. This is their social spot,” said Kelli Absalom, director of information services.
The library will be open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be closed Sunday and Monday. On Saturday, it will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for curbside pickup only.
“Some people still have concerns about going to public places, so we wanted to make sure we gave them that option,” Absalom said.
For those who go inside, there will be a “browse-and-go model,” she said, because there will be no seating available.
However, there will still be computer use available, though not as many as usual.
In the children’s department, there will be a maximum of 10 people allowed in at a time, also for browse-and-go and to report on progress during the summer reading club.
Masks are mandatory inside, as is physical distancing. The library will also be contact tracing.
The library has been getting plenty of calls from people interested in getting back inside to browse the collection.
“People are keen to pick out their own books. There is something to that. It’s a return to normalcy, in a way,” Absalom said.
For more information, call the library at 705-325-2338 or check out its website.
