The library will reopen, at reduced capacity, on July 13, 2020. We can’t wait to see you! Here are the things you need to know about what to expect from your library experience.
Hours of Operation for the Month of July
- Mondays – Thursdays 10am- 2pm, 10-11am will be open for vulnerable/high risk populations only, curbside pickup is available from 10am-8pm
- Fridays 10am-2pm, 10am – 11 will be open for for vulnerable/high risk populations only, curbside pickup is available from 10am-4pm
- Patrons must enter through Clinton Avenue doors and exit through Anderson Avenue
Requirements for All Visitors
- Maximum occupancy of 50 patrons in the building at a time will be enforced. The maximum occupancy in the Children’s Room is 15. This will be strictly enforced by Library staff. If the capacity limit is reached, those patrons who have been onsite the longest will be asked to conclude their visit.
- Anyone who has a fever, cough, chills or is otherwise not feeling well or who are self quarantining should not visit the library.
- When entering and for your entire time inside the library, all patrons ages 2 and up, must be wearing a face covering. Face coverings that completely cover the mouth and nose are required and mandatory as per Executive Order 107. Masks, bandannas or scarves are acceptable. Hands, shirts, or other clothing are not acceptable face coverings.
- Please observe the social distance of six feet between you and the staff and you and your fellow patrons.
- All returned items must be placed in the book drops on Clinton Avenue. Items being returned will be quarantined for 72 hours so you will not see your returned item come off your card immediately. You can check your account here.
- Patrons may stay in the building for up to 1 hour
- No one under the age of 14 may enter the Library without a parent or guardian. Our unattended child policy can be found here
Available In Person Services
- Browsing and pick up holds/requested materials. At this time only local borrowing is available. As more libraries open up, lend and send services will be activated.
- Library card registration.
- Summer Reading Club registration
- Book sale
- Wireless printing (via your smart device or laptop)
- Photocopier
- Reference assistance
- Curbside pick up
In Person Services That are Temporarily Unavailable
- Notary public
- Public PCs
- Faxing
- Quiet Study Rooms
- One on one in person technology instruction
- Use of public meeting rooms for community groups
- In person ESL tutoring sessions
- Museum Passes
- Kindles
During Your Visit
- When possible browse for materials with your eyes and not with your hands. If you touch an item that you choose not to check-out, please place it in a “to be reshelved” basket so the item can be properly sanitized
- The building will be cleaned throughout the day and sanitized before opening each day. At any point throughout the day, patrons may be instructed to vacate the building or a particular area so that library staff can clean and disinfect.
- Outside furniture may not be brought into the library.
- We encourage you to continue attending our fantastic virtual programs, using our e-materials and our online databases.
- No fines will be charged for late Children’s or Young Adult items however we will continue to bill for lost items.
- All public computers will be unavailable for the month of July. This will be revisited in August. There will be less computers available due to spacing requirements. Therefore, computers can only be used once per day for 30 minutes. You can make a computer reservation while on-site. Only one guest pass per person, per day will be provided.
- Assistance from staff will be provided at a safe distance.
- As museums reopen we will activate our passes for check-out.
- If there is a line to check-out materials, we ask that you opt to use our new mobile check-out service.
Curbside Pickup and Holds
The Bergenfield Library is offering curbside pickup by appointment, Monday–Thursday, 10 AM–8 PM and Friday 10AM-4PM. To reserve items, please place a hold through the Library’s online catalog. Please wait until you receive a notification from the Library that your holds are ready. Learn more about the process.
Library Phone and Chat Assistance
Have a question? Need help? The Library is offering phone and chat reference service on Mondays–Thursdays from 10 AM–8 PM and Fridays 10 AM – 4 PM. Outside of these hours, you can submit a message online.
Returns
To prevent cross-contamination, please return all items at the book drops on Clinton Avenue. Due to material quarantines, you may receive overdue notices after returning your items. Please disregard––the Library will not assess late fines.
Book Donations
For public health reasons, the Friends of the Library are not accepting donations at this time.
Questions and Answers
What if I placed a hold on something before the lockdown? Will it still be available?
Yes – all holds that were placed before the lockdown were “frozen” by BCCLS – so wherever they left off in the process, they will automatically begin again once the library re-opens for curbside pickup on June 22nd.
Note – only items in the Bergenfield Library’s collection are currently available, so if the item was coming from another library, there may still be a wait period until inter-library loan and delivery begin again.
Can I get items from other libraries?
At the moment, inter-library loan and delivery is still not available. BCCLS needs to wait until a majority of libraries are up and functioning before inter-library loan is turned back on again. Hopefully, this process will not take very long and as most libraries get back online, they will begin delivery. We will update our website, email list and social media once that happens.
Is there a maximum for how many items I can request via curbside pickup?
As we start to roll out our service, we are asking that patrons request no more than 10 items per day to help us to manage high volumes of requests.
Can outside groups meet in the library?
No – at current, no individuals other than staff can be in the building, which includes community group meetings. All library events and programs (and Summer Reading) are all being done virtually at least through the end of the summer. Meeting room space will become available at a later stage, but we do not have a time frame for this currently.
Can I sit on benches outside the building?
Yes – benches outside the building are free to use. However, it is important to note that the library is NOT managing the benches and outdoor seating for safety purposes. Therefore, using outdoor seating at current is at your own risk.
Do I need to wear a mask when picking up or dropping off items?
Yes – all patrons MUST wear a mask when picking up or dropping off items as those spaces are just inside the building.
Evolving Services
Details on hours of operation and technology use will be forthcoming. New Jersey remains under a public health emergency and the Library is taking a cautious path to resume services. Governor Murphy’s “The Road Back” plan gives all New Jersey public libraries the ability to phase in services according to local needs, staff capacity, and the community’s situation. The Library’s decisions will continue to be informed by the Governor’s executive orders, recommendations and orders from the state and county health departments, guidelines from the CDC, and cooperative planning efforts with local organizations and public libraries.
COVID-19 Safeguards
For the limited staff in the buildings, the Library will follow guidance about the number of people per square foot, social distancing, and elevated sanitation practices Library materials will be quarantined for three days after being returned, therefore, items will take longer to become available.
More Information
Currently, the Library building will remain closed to the public until further notice. As more information is made available, this website and Library social media Facebook, Instagram, Twitter will be updated. You can also sign up for the Library newsletter for updates.
