The Library will soon offer limited check-out and return services using the building’s drive-through window and book drops. Starting Monday, April 27, at 9 am, you can return all checked-out materials to the building’s outside book drops; even better, starting Monday May, 4, at 9 am, you can also check new items out!
The drive-through check-out services will only be available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4:45 pm, while returns at the book drops can happen 24 hours a day. Any item you want to check out has to first be placed on hold by using our online catalog (http://hppl.tlcdelivers.com:8080/) or by calling us at 336-883-3660, and no new holds can be placed before May 4. (If you had something on hold that arrived before we closed, we’ll call you next week.)
Also because we don’t have enough staff in the building to retrieve an item that isn’t already in our lending area, you can’t place an item on hold in-person, and you can’t pick up an item unless you’ve already received a notification from our system that we’ve got it downstairs.
Our building will stay closed to the public, and Deep River and Northpoint will also be closed. We’ll also help keep the traffic pattern safe by closing the parking lot entrance from N. Main St. that’s closest to our building. To get into our parking lot, you will instead have to enter either from N. Elm St. or from the northernmost entrance on N. Main St. (near Krispy Kreme).
However, our most important concern is always the safety of our customers and staff. For that reason, we’ll continue to waive all overdue fines during this transitional plan, and we won’t penalize you in anyway for not returning materials right now. You do not need to leave your house if you don’t feel safe doing so, and if you know you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 or if you are experiencing symptoms of any illness, please keep your materials until you’ve been asymptomatic for more than 14 days. As an added safety precaution, we’ll store all returned materials in containers for 72 hours before they’re checked in by our staff.
Thank you for all your patience during these difficult times, and we hope you’ve enjoyed our many digital offerings over the past few weeks, from ebooks and e-audiobooks to urban hikes, digital story times, and family yoga classes. We greatly appreciate your support.