Grand Marais, May 5, 2020 – Starting Wednesday, May 13, the Grand Marais Public Library will provide the Cook County community access to over 20,000 books, audiobooks, DVDs, and magazines through a limited pickup window service. Library patrons are encouraged to place requests on Grand Marais’ holdings via the online catalog today. When the order is ready, staff will contact the patron with instructions for picking up the items at a window in the library’s main entrance. Pickup days will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
While public health remains a priority for our community, patrons are encouraged to stock up. Reducing the frequency of visits to the library can help keep customer service levels higher and may reduce the risk of spreading the new coronavirus. Participants are expected to send one pickup person per household, wear masks and practice social distancing. If a line has formed, please wait in your vehicle. Returns are accepted at the drop box. Patrons should not pass any materials through the pickup window to a staff person. After collecting your items, please return to your vehicle. Stay home if anyone in the household is sick.
Customer service will be available by phone or email in balance with the demand for pickup service. Staff will help patrons use the catalog or place requests. Callers might encounter longer than usual response times or busy signals. Because of the library’s cleaning and social distancing procedures, staff at the pickup window are unable to add items on demand.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, Grand Marais Public Library has offered customer service by phone or email, Wi-Fi access, literacy-building activity calendars, and expanded digital collections available 24/7 via Internet connection. Recently, the library invited Cook County to participate in One Book | One Minnesota, a statewide community reading program initiated by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
To learn more about the One Book | One Minnesota Community Read, the library’s downloadable collections, or the Pickup Program, please visit grandmaraislibrary.org.
