- Home
- About the Library
- General Information
- Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Washington County Library branches will reopen on Monday, June 29 with limited capacity and reduced hours. Current hours are:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Library visitors can come to our buildings to pick up holds, browse materials, and use computers without an appointment. Our meeting rooms will remain closed.
Other Library Closures
Wildwood Library is currently closed for construction and will reopen on Monday, July 20.
Hours and services at associate libraries may differ. Please find additional information on their website.
Safety Considerations
Following guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and our local public health department, we’ll be taking the following safety precautions:
- Masks – All library staff will wear masks, and we ask that visitors do the same.
- Timing – Keep your library visit to one hour or less.
- Social Distancing – Keep at least six feet between yourself, library staff, and other visitors. Avoid gathering in large groups. A limited number of computers, tables, and chairs will be available to use.
- Building Capacity – A limited number of people will be able enter the library at one time. This means you may be asked to wait outside the building for a short time until it is safe to enter.
- Cleaning – We’re increasing cleaning throughout the library, including high-touch surfaces. Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes are available for use.
We know that the library will look a little different when we first reopen, but these adjustments will help us keep our staff and our neighbors safe while still reopening for the communities we miss so much.
Please be advised: We are not disinfecting materials being returned to the library. If you have concerns, consider washing your hands after handling or quarantine your materials for three days at home.
Visiting the Library
To ensure the safety of staff and visitors, the services available at the library will be different when we reopen. Here’s what you can expect:
Library computers can be used without an appointment. To maintain social distancing, a limited number of computers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Computer sessions are one hour long.
Printers and scanners will be available. If you are scanning documents, please bring your own flash drive. Staff can only provide assistance from a distance for these services. Please bring exact change. We cannot process credit cards for printing fees, and staff will not be able to provide change. Learn more about wireless printing.
Our meeting rooms are closed and not available to be reserved by the public.
At this time, we will not have toys or games out in our children’s areas.
In-person programs are cancelled through the end of August, but library staff are providing storytimes, books clubs, and programs online. Find a full list of virtual events on our calendar.
Modified Services
Due to ongoing changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be modifying or limiting some existing library services. Learn more about changes below:
We are offering a limited number of curbside pickup appointments for vulnerable members of the community who cannot safely enter our buildings. Curbside pickup appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
We are not accepting book donations or conducting used book sales at this time.
Library staff cannot accept cash for payments of fines and fees. Fees can be paid online. Washington County Library does not charge daily fines for late materials.
InterLibraryLoan services are unavailable until further notice. Materials borrowed from other libraries through ILL should be returned based on the due date in your account.
We are currently not accepting new ILL requests, although some requests made in early March before ILL services were suspended may still be fulfilled. You can log in to your MNlink account to see the status of your requests.
