Green Hills Public Library District to Open June 15

The Green Hills Public Library District has announced it will open to the public on Monday, June 15 at 10am. In early June, staff reentered the building to start accepting returns of materials through its exterior book drop on 103rd Street and answer questions by phone and email. In addition, a new service called “Doorside Delivery” began the week of June 8 for all resident cardholders.

When devising this reopening plan, the Library has taken into consideration the guidance issued from public health authorities including, but not limited to: CDC, OSHA, Illinois Department of Public Health, and Cook County Health Department. It is the Library’s priority to maintain the health, safety, and well-being of staff and community members. In order to achieve this, every action taken will be carried out in a safe, effective manner to preserve the well-being of all.

The Library wants community members to know this key information before visiting:

• Extra precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of patrons and staff. Safety protocols will be followed which includes requiring face masks, enforcing physical distancing, regularly disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.
• All community members must wear a face mask inside the building. Patrons can also expect other safety protocols, such as physical distancing markers and regular disinfection of frequently touched surfaces.
• Services that allow for safety of patrons and staff will be available or limited. Services that do not allow for safety of all will be temporarily suspended.
• Available services include material returns, browsing and checkouts, Library card registration, Doorside Delivery, and all of the Library’s online offerings.
• Limited services include:
  • Self-serve equipment (i.e. computers, scan/fax/copy). Staff assistance is unavailable.
  • Computers will be limited to enforce physical distancing. Computer sessions will be limited to 30 minutes to accommodate the needs of our community.
  • Account payments are limited to credit cards.
  • Reference and Readers Advisory Assistance is provided by email or phone.
• Suspended services include seating/tables, newspapers, programming and outreach, Study and Discussion rooms, Meeting Room reservations, laptop checkout, iPads, Youth Services Play Area, Screened Porch Room, The Hangout, Quiet Reading Room, Notary service, in-Library use item checkout, and volunteer program.

When the Library does reopen on June 15, hours open to the public will slightly change: Monday-Friday, 10am-8pm; Saturday, 11am-4pm; Sunday, 1-3pm. These temporary hours will provide staff with the ability to safely complete tasks on the public service floor, such as shelving materials. The Library’s phone lines will remain open one hour before the Library opens to the public and one hour after the Library closes to the public.

Although in-person programming has been suspended for the time being, the Library still plans to offer its highly anticipated annual Summer Reading Program which kicks off on Monday, June 15. This year’s program will be tracked online, with additional activities of which patrons of all ages can participate. This is an all-ages program, with prizes sponsored by the Friends of the Library. For those who don’t want to participate online, staff will be available to help patrons register and log their reading over the phone. With regard to other programming efforts, the Library is seeking virtual programming offerings, which may include craft kits to be completed at home. Updates and information on upcoming programs will be shared on the Library’s Facebook page in the near future.

Visit the Library online at greenhillslibrary.org or call 708-598-8446.