Bags full of library materials ordered online or by phone await ‘curbside’ pick-up.
CRESWELL — While picking up your Friday evening restaurant or grocery takeout order, why not feed your mind as well and pick up some weekend reading matter at curbside too?
Creswell Library’s new “takeout” service for library materials began March 20 – and with about 40 families using the service each week, the public seems enthusiastic about the opportunity to pick up carefully handled items from the library parking lot.
“Quite a range of materials is being checked out – lots of children’s books and homeschooling resources, but also lots of mysteries, best-sellers and movies,” said library director Su Liudahl.
With the library closed to the public in response to COVID-19 guidelines, this curbside service is a way to continue delivering library materials to patrons.
“Since you can’t come in and check the books out, we will bring them out to you,” said youth and community librarian Nick Caum.
To place an order by each week’s Tuesday deadline, log in to the library catalog from the library’s website (creswell-library.org) to place a hold on your desired items using your library barcode number and the PIN you chose when setting up your library card. If you have any problem logging in or using the catalog, call 541-895-3053.
Gloved library staff pull the requested materials and bag them for pick-up between 4 and 6 p.m. on Fridays.
“The deadline for requesting materials is Tuesday so materials can sit untouched for a full three days before pick-up,” Liudahl said, noting that the library is also switching to paper bags “since the virus stays viable for a shorter period of time on paper than plastic.”
When you arrive on Friday to pick up your order, stay in your car and call the library. Gloved-and-masked staff will place your bag on a table where it can be retrieved before the next person’s bag is brought out. Please wait until staff has left the table to retrieve your items.
Items are not due until the library reopens; if you want to return items before then, you may do so using the library book return.
Please do not pick up or return items if anyone in your household is unwell and wait at least a week after everyone has recovered.
If you or someone you know is homebound and would like to order materials, call the library and explain the circumstances. A limited number of deliveries may be possible.
Downloadable ebooks and audiobooks are also available using your library card through Library2Go. Liudahl said thousands of books are available.
Given the state of the pandemic, “it looks like we will be continuing this ‘curbside’ service for now,” Liudahl said. “Everything is going smoothly during the two-hour-long window, and our patrons seem happy to have access to library materials,” she added.
