Update as of 10/3/2020, discontinued as of 12/1/2020.
The Irvington Public Library will begin making a limited number of 25-minute appointments for patrons to browse the adult, young adult, magazine and audio-video collections. The Children’s Room is indefinitely closed due to emergency construction. This service will be in addition to the current reservations for materials pick-up that patrons have been enjoying at the library since May. We will continue this popular service for the foreseeable future.
Appointments must be made in advance and will be limited to 5 people at one time. Each person who wants to browse the library must make an appointment. That means, if you and one family member want to come into the library, you will both need to be on the appointment list. You and your family member will count as 2 people toward the 5-person limit for your time slot.
Appointments will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and will allow for a total of 25 minutes per person in the library, including checking out any materials. Appointments will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4 p.m. Please be on time for your appointment!
You must call 914-591-7840 in advance to make an appointment.
By making an appointment you understand and agree to the following:
- You must wear a mask at all times.
- You must follow social distancing protocols.
- Public computers will not be available.
- Bathrooms will be closed.
- There is no seating inside the library at this time.
- The Martucci Gallery and the Local History Room remain closed. (Although the virtual Martucci Gallery exhibit can be viewed here)
- If you are returning library materials, they must be placed in the green bin in the vestibule, where returns have been collected since June, or in the outdoor bookdrop, when the vestibule is closed.
And don’t worry, our contactless pick-up options and hours have not disappeared and are remaining the same. (Monday-Friday 10-1:45, and Tuesday Evenings 5:30-6:45 p.m)
These protocols are here to keep patrons and staff safe. We ask for your understanding and cooperation at this difficult time.
(From June 2020) A note from Library Director Rosemarie Gatzek:
We’re happy to report that many of our patrons have been able to pick up held items from the table in the library vestibule. If you haven’t already, please log into your library account by clicking here and place a hold on items that you would like. When the hold is filled (either by us or by any library in the Westchester Library System), you will be instructed to contact the library at 914-591-7840 to make an appointment to pick up your items.
Please leave us a message if your call isn’t answered. We will call you back to set up an appointment for your pick up.
Appointment hours are Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Why are we doing this?
In a time when so much is out of our control, we are trying to manage lending our materials to you in the safest way possible. Many libraries are offering similar “grab-and-go” services and they seem to be working well. Appointments are spaced so that our vestibule won’t become crowded with many patrons picking up materials at the same time.
How about returning items?
We are currently accepting book returns during the hours our library vestibule is open, Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Items may be placed in the large dark green bin that is next to the table where items are left for pick up. We also have an outside book drop open for returns when the vestibule is closed.
How about book donations?
Please do *not* bring them to the library, which is currently at max capacity with quarantining returned materials. Any book donations left in, outside or around the library will be discarded. Please e-mail the Friends of the Irvington Library at friends.booksale@gmail.com and they will contact you to make an appointment. Thank you!
Are library materials safe?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Northeast Document Conservation Center, a 72-hour quarantine for library materials should ensure that they will not harbor the COVID-19 virus. When items are returned to the library, we are placing them in a quarantine area and waiting until the fourth day after their return to make sure that all items have been quarantined for at least 72 hours. At that point they will be checked in, so they will appear on your account as checked out to you until the quarantine period is over. You will not incur overdue charges for the quarantine period.
Staff members who are handling materials are wearing masks and either wearing gloves or washing/sanitizing their hands regularly. If you are concerned about the safety of the materials you are receiving, you may quarantine them in your home for three days before using, or quickly wipe the outside cover with a disinfectant wipe.
Thank you for your understanding during this uncertain time,
Rosemarie Gatzek
