HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – They have been closed for more than a year but finally libraries are reopening.
For the past year, if you wanted a book, you needed to either get it online or through some sort of curbside pickup service. Now in Holyoke, you can physically pick one out and bring it home.
When entering the building you will need to wear a mask. Once you’re in, you’ll have to register for contact tracing so be sure to have your library card or any type of I.D. ready. Although the floor is yours once inside, there are still some restrictions in place to help keep everyone safe. You’ll need to make your visit quick, public seating is not allowed and neither are the computers.
Board of Directors member of the Holyoke Public Library Bellamy Schmidt told 22News, “We’re going to continue to be careful. It’s just nice to get back to business and get back to helping and serving people and giving them what they want from the library which is all kinds of things.”
Something that will continue are the curbside services, which is something that has become very popular when the library was shutdown.
“We have been doing curbside all this time so we never stopped serving the community but it is always nice to see them in person,” said Maria Patan, Director of the Holyoke Public Library.
Library officials hope to have the facility 100 percent open by July. The Holyoke library will be having summer reading programs for children as well as new programs outside the facility.
