Boyle County Public Library (BCPL) community members will soon be able to visit the library on the weekend. Beginning July 18, the library will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The building reopened to the public in mid-June with limited hours, always with the intention of expanding hours when it became feasible to do so. 

“The library is continuing its reopening process in a methodical, phased-in approach,” said Public Services Librarian Caleb Conover. “We understand that members of our community have a variety of schedules, and we want to accommodate as much of our patron base as possible.” 

Currently the library is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. To help decide where to expand hours, a short survey was administered through the library’s e-newsletter and Facebook page asking patrons if they would prefer the library be open for evening hours during the week or for additional hours on Saturdays. 

A large majority of respondents indicated a preference for the Saturday option. 

“We hope this gives some added flexibility to those who are usually at work or have other commitments during our weekly hours,” said Conover. In future reopening stages, additional hours will be added in accordance with guidance from the local health department. 

“It is one of the continuing series of steps we are taking to return to some form of normalcy, while maintaining safe practices in the interest of staff and public health,” said Conover. 

Patrons are able to browse the shelves and pick out their own materials to borrow, in addition to other on-site services. 

Curbside pickup will also continue with its current schedule on Tuesdays through Fridays. Services available at the library include in-person check out, limited public computer access, printing and copying, faxing, and notary services. 

Additionally, Inter-Library Loan (ILL) service will resume on Monday, July 13. ILL service allows patrons to borrow books that are not available locally. 

BCPL makes the request on behalf of the patron through an online, nation-wide system. The items are shipped to the library through a state-wide courier system or via US Mail. BCPL is part of the first phase of ILL resuming state-wide. More information about this service is available at BoylePubLib.org/requests-holds.

Library staff continue to follow the “Healthy at Work” guidelines, which include enhanced cleaning, social distancing, wearing gloves when appropriate, and wearing facemasks on-site. The library asks all patrons entering the building to wear masks as well unless a medical condition prevents that. 

The library has a supply of free disposable masks that staff will be giving out at the main entrance for patrons to use while in the building.

The library is encouraging patrons to “grab and go” when selecting their materials since the number of people in the building must be limited. Staff are available to help make the “grab and go” process easier since the library is operating at lower occupant capacity.

For patrons wanting to access the materials online, Hoopla and the Libby app offer an increasing number of “always available” options or bonus borrows. Information about these online services can be found at BoylePubLib.org/emedia. 

Patrons who prefer to use curbside pickup to check out materials can do so by contacting the library Tuesday-Friday between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. either by phone: (859)238-7323 or by email: library@boylepublib.org. 

Most items will be available for same-day pickup between 2 – 5 p.m. More information about this service can be found online at boylepublib.org/curbside-pickup. 

Notary services are available by appointment. Please call the library or email library@boylepublib.org to make an appointment. All other services, including public computer access, are available on either a walk-in or check-in basis.

The Boyle County Public Library serves the city of Danville and the surrounding communities, and is actively committed to enriching the lives of its patrons. The library is located at 307 West Broadway.