North Battleford Library set to close doors March 20. (Facebook photo/North Battleford Public Library)

By Keaton Brown

A New Chapter

North Battleford Public Library to close doors March 20

Mar 19, 2020 | 2:00 PM

The North Battleford Public Library will be closing indefinitely due to the spread of COVID-19.

The library is not considered a city facility, although they do have close ties to the municipality, so when leisure facilities were shut down earlier this week they were exempt.

They decided independently as a precaution to help limit the spread of the coronavirus, they would close indefinitely effective March 20.

Caroline Popadick, head librarian at the North Battleford Public Library, said they wanted to present a unified front with the rest of the city’s facilities even if they didn’t technically fall under that category.

“We are closely aligned with the city. We want to present a clear image across the city that we are just as concerned about the community so that led to our decision to close,” she said.

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Popadick said although they will be closing the building to the public, someone would be available at the library during regular hours to field calls and requests.

“Staff will be here to answer phone calls, emails and provide reference services while we are closed,” she said.

One of the ways the COVID-19 virus is transmitted is through hand to hand contact and books would certainly fall under this category. Popadick said they have implemented strategies to try and combat the potential spread.

“At this time any returns we are getting we are disinfecting and there are certain protocols in place so that we have that protection and our materials aren’t affected,” she said.

While the library is closed, Popadick said they will be waiving all late fees accumulated between March 13 and April 14. If Battlefords residents are unable to return their materials during this period they will not be fined.

Holds will not be available for material outside of the Lakeland Library Region and if someone has a hold, they will be waiting for six weeks on the library shelves and will be available for pick-up when the branch reopens.

Popadick said the library offers a wide variety of online resources like audiobooks, music and television through their hoopla digital app or librarytogo. She said these will continue and they also plan to offer additional online services during this closure.

“We are planning on offering virtual services such as a virtual story time for families or a virtual book club. We have a regular book club that meets at the end of each month and we are going to try and offer that through Facebook Live,” she said.

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Keaton.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow