Coronavirus (COVID-19)

All Washington County Library branches are closed. Beginning Monday, March 30, modified services will be available during reduced hours, Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Updated 3/27/2020

On Wednesday, March 25, Governor Walz announced an executive order directing Minnesotans to Stay at Home. During this time, libraries have been given direction by the MN Department of Education to continue offering curbside pickup services, while following social distancing recommendations, to support schools and families learning at home.  

Washington County Library will continue providing modified services with reduced hours of operation. Over the next two weeks, library staff will be available Monday-Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions and provide curbside pickup service.

Library staff are available to help!

Contact us by phone, email, or chat to answer questions and help access library resources.

Pick up library materials

You can continue to place holds as usual in our catalog or mobile app. There are a few options available to pick up materials:

  • Schedule a future curbside pick up at one of our branch locations.
  • Use the Newport and Marine Library Express lockers to pick up your materials.  Please note: the Hugo Express lockers are currently unavailable. 

The Mahtomedi District Education Center is closed until further notice.  Items on hold there will be available at Lake Elmo Library for curbside pickup or can be routed to the library of your choice.

Library cards online and by phone

Residents can call any Washington County Library branch to sign up for a library card or register an existing card in our system. You’ll get your permanent or temporary library card number immediately and be able to access library materials.

Residents can also apply for a library card online using this form. After filling out the form, a library staff member will call within 24 hours to complete the registration process. You’ll get your permanent or temporary library card number immediately and be able to access library materials.

Returning materials

There’s no need to return checked-out materials at this time. We’ve extended the due dates for all currently checked-out materials to April 15, 2020. This includes materials checked out from other libraries through InterLibrary Loan (ILL). All fines incurred during this period will be waived. 

Electronic materials like ebooks and digital audiobooks will be returned automatically when they’re due. If you finish before the due date, you can return them early so other patrons can check them out faster!

InterLibrary Loan

InterLibrary loan services will be unavailable until further notices. All currently checked-out ILL items will have due dates extended to April 15. We’ll reassess this service in April when library systems begin to reopen. You can still login to your MNlink account, but you’ll be unable to make a request at this time. 

Online resources

We have a collection of digital materials and online resources to help keep you informed and entertained. With your library card, you can:

Getting updates

All updates about the library will be posted on our website and on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Other library closures

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Learn more about COVID-19

What you can do

Like other respiratory illnesses, there are things we can all do to help lower the risk of getting sick or passing on illness to others. You can:

  • Stay home if you’re sick. 
  • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
  • Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Avoid touching your face, especially your nose and mouth.

Remember that COVID-19 isn’t connected to race, ethnicity or nationality. Stigma will not help fight the illness. Learn more about preparation and prevention from the Minnesota Department of Health.