Library News and Updates

Living with COVID – March 21st, 2022

Our COVID-19 protocols are changing on March 21st, 2022.

In accordance with updated guidance from the Province of Ontario, face masks will be encouraged, but no longer mandated inside the library building.

In support of our vulnerable patrons, staff will continue to wear masks until further notice.

We’ve been through so much the past 2 years. Let’s continue to move forward together with kindness, compassion, and empathy. ❤

Exit Strategy – November 2nd, 2021

We’re so excited to be able to take some more steps towards back to normal!

Most of our furnishings have returned, providing comfortable seating by the fireplace and a table to work from.

Our new books and audiobooks are back in their usual space in the main library, along with our new board game collection.

The arrows have been removed from the floor, but we are still working hard to ensure safe access to our services.

Masks and physical distancing are still required in the library.

We hope to see you soon!


Roadmap to Reopen- Step 3 – July 16th, 2021

The Province moved into Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen on Friday, July 16th, and that means there are a few changes for our library.

– Capacity limits have increased so we will no longer be greeting people at the door

– Baskets are still available for browsing convenience, but are no longer mandatory to keep track of patrons

– Physical distancing and masks remain mandatory and we ask that you please continue to sanitize as you enter the building

– Programming is still virtual for the most part (other than our StoryWalk locations), but if all goes well, there will be an in-person Family Fun event in August!

We look forward to continuing to serve our community in a safe manner.


Roadmap to Reopen – Step 2 – June 30th, 2021

The Province of Ontario will enter Step 2 of the Roadmap to Reopen Plan on June 30th, 2021, and that means the library can re-open to the public again!

And even better…in light of low cases and high vaccination rates in our area, we’re able to provide more services!

What’s New:

• individual tables with plexiglass screens for laptop/study use (1 hour)
• Patron PC time-limit expanded to 1 hour
• lower level available for laptop/study use for a longer period of time (courses, exams, research, etc.)
• lower level available for one-on-one tutoring and meetings or online meetings during library hours

NOTE: please contact us to reserve your space.

What Remains the Same:

• friendly greeting when you walk in the door
• mask and physical distancing protocols
• limit of 6 patrons in the library at a time in main library
• hand sanitizing and cleaning protocols

We look forward to seeing you soon!


Temporary Province-Wide Shutdown / Roadmap to Reopen

UPDATE: June 11th, 2021:
The library remains closed to the public until Step 2 of the Provincial Roadmap to Reopen (currently scheduled for July 2nd, 2021).

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Borrowed library items that have been returned to the library will again be processed in a timely manner for access by other library users.

In accordance with updated guidelines issued by the Government of Ontario, and in consultation with the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit, Madoc Public Library has discontinued quarantining of returned materials. If you feel more comfortable, you can quarantine materials at home before use.
Library staff will continue to follow all COVID-19 guidelines and orders to ensure a safe library environment for staff and patrons. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this change in protocol, please contact Tammie at 613-473-4456 or ceo@madocpubliclibrary.ca.

Emergency Brake – Temporary Province-Wide Shutdown

~ April 1st, 2021

The Provincial Government announced a temporary shutdown for all of Ontario beginning April 3rd at 12:01 am. The restrictions will be very similar to the Christmas shutdown.

What does this mean for library services? The good news is that we won’t have to shut down completely, and our hours will remain the same! All of our services will be contact free for your safety.

In-library browsing and computer use will be temporarily suspended, but Porch Pick-up Service will be available: https://madocpubliclibrary.ca/index/porch-pick-up-service/

Printing services will be available through email.

We are mandated to ensure mask use and social distancing at all times. As always, you can contact library staff during our open hours with any questions or concerns you may have. We are happy to help!

And in other good news, we’ll be introducing some Boredom Busters that you can borrow through Porch Pick-up to help you through! Stay tuned to our social media and website for more details, coming soon.

We hope you and your loved ones remain safe and well, and we pledge to continue doing our part to keep it that way for as long as necessary.


Update: February 10th, 2021

Hastings and Prince Edward Counties have transitioned out of the Provincial Temporary Shutdown and Stay-at-Home orders, and entered the Green zone.

Which means….

Image of 1 person, excited and clapping.  Text: OMG, THE LIBRARY'S OPEN! AGAIN!

Temporary Provincial Shutdown

~ December 22nd, 2020

The Ontario Provincial Government announced a Temporary Provincial Shutdown, beginning December 26th, 2020 at 12:01 am.

What does this mean for library services? The good news is that we won’t have to shut down completely, and our hours will remain the same!

All of our services will be contact free for your safety. In-library browsing will be temporarily suspended, but Porch Pick-up Service will be available. https://madocpubliclibrary.ca/index…/porch-pick-up-service/

We are mandated to ensure mask use and social distancing at all times.

Full information regarding the shut down is available here: https://files.ontario.ca/moh-provincewide-shutdown-en…

As always, you can contact library staff during our open hours with any questions or concerns you may have. We are happy to help!


OMG - THE LIBRARY'S OPEN

July 17th, 2020

We’re super excited to announce that the library will reopen on Tuesday, July 21st for Grab and Go service!

Saturday hours, computer access, photocopy, and Interlibrary Loan services will also resume on Tuesday!

The library will still be quite different for a while to ensure the health and safety of our community, but it will be so nice to see all of you again!

Here’s what we’re doing to help keep you safe:

• Protocols- following government and public health recommendations, restrictions, and mandates
Guidance – a staff member will greet you at the door to help you navigate the changes in the library.
• Shopping baskets with timers – provided on entry to help ensure physical distancing
• Returned items – placed in dropbox and moved to quarantine at the end of the day – items stay in quarantine for 1 week before being returned to the shelf (note: items will remain on your account for an additional week after return)
• Physical Distancing measures – floor markings to indicate direction and waiting spaces, limit of 6 visitors in the building at one time, removing seating areas
• Timed visits – Patron visits are limited to ½ hour for the time being to give everyone a chance to access while respecting capacity limits
• Public Computers – 2 physically distanced computer stations are available for public use for ½ hour at a time – stations are sanitized between use
• Hand sanitizer – available at front entrance, service desk, and throughout the library
• Enhanced cleaning –high-touch surfaces are sanitized every 2 hours throughout the day
• Mask policy – all staff will wear masks in public areas.
• Self-monitoring – staff will self-assess before work, and will stay home when they do not feel well
• Porch Pick-up and external Wi-Fi access remain available

Please help us keep our community safe by:

• Self-assessing for symptoms of COVID-19 and staying home when you do not feel well
• Wearing a mask
• Sanitizing your hands using the dispenser in front lobby before entering
• Maintain physical distancing in the library and while waiting to enter
• Watch for signs and follow directional floor markings
• Respect areas that are closed to the public (staff workspace, computer kiosks, seating areas)
• Limiting unnecessary touching of surfaces and materials
• Accompany and supervise children under 12 years of age to ensure physical distancing
• Consider sending one family member to pick up materials for everyone
• Respect time limits
• Be kind – staff are adjusting to all these new protocols, procedures, and mandates too!

We are happy to answer any questions you may have about our services during the pandemic.
https://madocpubliclibrary.ca/index.php/staff-directory/

~Tammie


Update on Library Services – May 20th, 2020

We’ve been providing little updates and hints of things to come, but with so many changes happening now, it’s time for a full update.

The dropbox is open! You can return your materials at any time, but please do not feel like you need to rush! Due dates are still extended, and fines will still be waived. And we completely understand that you may need some extra time to remember where you hid the copy of (insert your child’s favourite movie here) that you have now watched 367 times (sorry about that!).

A 6-phase plan for re-opening the library has been developed to work in tandem with the Ontario Government’s phased re-opening plan. The health and safety of our community members and staff has been prioritized at every step. Library staff are currently in the building ensuring all protocols are in place to prepare for futures phases and answer your phone calls. Phase 3 – with Contact-free Library Porch Pick-up service – will be coming very soon, and we will be so happy to see your faces through the front door! Watch our website and social media for an upcoming detailed announcement!

The library building is still closed to the public, and all programming and use of the meeting space is on hold. We are not accepting donations of books and other materials at this time.

Our summer program will be virtual this year, but we still have big plans! The TD Summer Reading Club is ramping up their online programming, and we will have our own unique virtual programs to go along with it.

Your library experience will be quite different for a while, but we are happy to be working towards being able to safely serve you in person again! In the meantime, remember that our virtual services are always available. We even added an online chat feature to our website to serve you better!

Take care of yourselves, and each other,
Tammie


COVID-19 – Update on Library Services
April 7th, 2020

Dear Patrons,

In order to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the library is closed to the public and staff until further notice. We will determine a date to re-open once the Provincial Government deems it safe to do so.

We know you are missing your library. We miss you too! We hope to see you very soon!

In the meantime, we are working to update our website to make the information you need easy to find, finding ways to communicate with all of our members, and helping to keep everyone entertained and informed on our social media.

Please reach out to us if you need assistance, or just need to connect with someone.

Tammie:
ceo@madocpubliclibrary.ca

Leigh Anne:
frontdesk@madocpubliclibrary.ca

Victoria:
info@madocpubliclibrary.ca

You can now call the library at 613-473-4456 and leave a message. A staff member will call you back as soon as possible.

Take care, stay home, and stay safe,
Tammie, Leigh Anne and Victoria


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COVID-19 – Update on Library Services – March 24th

Dear Patrons,

In order to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the library is closed to the public and staff until at least April 7th, 2020.

Please disregard any notifications of overdues you may have received. No overdue fines will be issued at this time. The dropbox will be closed off. Please keep any library materials at home until further notice. Privileges have been restored to blocked patrons so they can access online resources, ebooks and audiobooks.

Library Staff members are working from home to stay connected with you.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates, activities and more:
https://www.facebook.com/madoclibrary/htt
https://www.instagram.com/madoc_public_library/?hl=en

Download ebooks and audiobooks or check out one of our many online resources on our website:
https://madocpubliclibrary.ca/index.php/online-resources/

Email Library Staff with any concerns or questions, or if you just need to talk. We are here for you.

Tammie:
ceo@madocpubliclibrary.ca

Leigh Anne:
frontdesk@madocpubliclibrary.ca

Victoria:
info@madocpubliclibrary.ca

We wish everyone the best during this challenging time, and we look forward to seeing everyone when we re-open.

Take care of yourselves, and each other,
Madoc Public Library Staff


COVID-19 – Update on Library Services – March 15th

LIBRARY CLOSURE

After careful consideration of the latest developments, we are closing Madoc Public Library to the public, effective immediately.
We know the library is important to our patrons, and we apologize for any inconvenience may cause, however, the health and safety of our community must remain our primary concern.

We plan to re-open Tuesday, April 7th at 3:30 pm, but we will be monitoring this ever-changing situation closely and are prepared to act accordingly in the best interest of public health. Any updates will be posted on our Facebook page and website.

Materials can be returned to our drop box. Fines will be waived during the closure.

If you are unable to visit our branches in person, please note that our digital services are always available! Download ebooks or audiobooks or use our online resources from the comfort of home with your library card. For help using any of these services, you can find our contact information here: https://madocpubliclibrary.ca/index.php/staff-directory/

Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure the continued health of our community.

Sincerely,
Tammie Adams
CEO


COVID-19 – Update on Library Services – March 13th, 2020

Centre Hastings Public Library is closely monitoring information about the coronavirus (COVID-19), and working closely with the Municipality of Centre Hastings to help ensure the health and safety of our community members.

At present, the library remains open as scheduled, but we will be continually assessing the situation as events rapidly evolve. Any changes to library service will be posted on our website and Facebook page. While the level of risk for residents of Hastings County remains low, we are currently taking the following proactive measures to help reduce the risk of exposure to vulnerable individuals.   

Library facilities:
We have enhanced our cleaning and sanitizing measures by increasing the scope of disinfection of heavily touched surfaces including door handles, railings, and computer equipment.  Hand sanitizer is available at the front desk, and a new dispenser is being installed in the lobby.  Information about COVID-19 and good hygiene habits are posted on the library bulletin board.

Library Programs:
All programs have been cancelled for at least three (3) weeks.  This includes all March Break programming, ongoing clubs, and special events.  We will be following Municipal protocol, and also using back-to-school dates as a guideline for reinstating programs. Please visit our website or Facebook page to check the status of library programs.

What You Can Do:
Please don’t come to the library if you’re not feeling well. We will gladly extend checkouts and waive late fees for anyone who doesn’t feel like being out and about.  If you get sick while you have borrowed items at home, please wait one (1) week after symptoms subside before returning them.

If you are unable to visit our branches in person, please note that our digital services are always available! Download ebooks or audiobooks or use our online resources from the comfort of home with your library card. For help using any of these services, you can find our contact information here: https://madocpubliclibrary.ca/index.php/staff-directory/

For more information on how to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Virus, please read this Government of Ontario Information Sheet.

Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure the continued health of our community.  

Sincerely,
Tammie Adams
CEO

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