by Phil Heikkinen

Library Director

Orcas Library members have begun coming back to the Library (at least to the sidewalk!) after we were approved for curbside materials pickup early in June.

As Washington endures an uptick in COVID-19 cases, resulting in an extension of Phase Two status in San Juan County for at least another two weeks, the Library must necessarily continue to delay reopening our building even at a reduced level.

We continue reviewing parameters and guidelines for the day when we do attempt to offer in-building services. We will need to be very careful about limiting total building occupancy, keeping adequate physical spacing among all occupants, maintaining clean surfaces as much as is reasonably possible, limiting individuals’ time spent in the building, quarantining returned items, washing hands to keep materials inside the building safe, requiring facemasks, and in general protecting the safety of library users, volunteers, and staff members.

We hope that everyone will continue to take advantage of our curbside pickup option, as well as our online programs and resources, as we work our way back toward more normal operations.

Also, I’m happy to announce that we’re now offering print services for curbside pickup. Just email your print requests to print@orcaslibrary.org, ideally in an email attachment in a standard format such as Word, PDF, or JPG.

As always, give us a call at 360-376-4985 or email me at pheikkinen@orcaslibrary.org with any questions or comments, or to ask for help in reserving library materials.