The San Diego County Library will begin offering in-person service at most of its 33 county library sites starting Thursday. County libraries have been closed to the public for several months because of COVID-19 social-distancing orders and concerns about crowds.
In-person service will be available from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, confirmed Donna Durckel, group communications officer for the county libraries. The midday closure will allow for a thorough cleaning of public spaces. Patrons will be required to wear a facial covering. Social distancing will be maintained.
Customers will be able to enter on a first-come, first-served basis. Services will include browsing and checking out materials, using printers, making copies, and using study furniture; Customers will also have access to public-use computers, access to free high-speed Wi-Fi, and access to the library’s collection of more than 1 million items.
Door-side pickup will be available on Mondays and Fridays. Branches are accepting returned materials, and due dates for county library items have been extended to Dec. 31.
Some county locations, such as Potrero, remain closed because of the wildfires. Call your county branch to assure they are open for this service. Locations and hours of operation for county libraries are listed at sdcl.org.
Some city libraries, including Carlsbad and Escondido, recently began offering drive-by and walk-up pickup services that involves selecting books online and checking them out virtually. The libraries notify customers via phone or email when the books are ready for pickup.
The Oceanside Library will be transitioning on Monday to limited in-person service at its Civic Center and Mission Branch locations, using a “Grab and Go” system. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Self-service pickup will be available inside the libraries, using the self-check kiosks. Patrons should bring their library card numbers. The number of patrons allowed in the building at one time will be limited.
