The Brooklyn Public Library will open 10 more branches for grab-and-go services on August 10, book bigwigs announced Thursday.
Bookworms will now be able to pick up and drop off materials at a total of 17 out of 59 library locations, according to the August 6 release and the newly reopened branches include:
- Canarsie
- Clarendon
- Coney Island
- Cortelyou
- Fort Hamilton
- Macon
- Park Slope
- Stone Avenue
- Williamsburgh
The service allows Brooklynites to pick up books and other loanable materials they ordered online or over the phone in the lobby of the branches, and drop them back off them at a return bin at the entrances.
Patrons and staff have to wear masks and librarians will quarantine the books for 96 hours before returning them to the stacks, according to the release. Browsing, in-person reference, and use of the library’s computers are all still prohibited.
The book lender will also not issue fines for late returns until further notice.
The Kings County library system opened its first seven branches on July 13 after three months of virtual-only services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first slate included the following branches:
- Bay Ridge
- Bushwick
- Kings Highway
- Central
- New Lots
- Flatbush
- Red Hook
The Central branch currently only offers returns, as librarians at the monumental outpost next to Grand Army Plaza are still working through a massive backlog of holds, officials said.
Brooklyn Public Library continues to maintain its virtual library with e-books, audiobooks, and programming — including storytimes for kids, career services, and access to language classes via the online courses website Lynda.
The pandemic closure of the physical branches has led the library to issue more than 13,000 e-cards, a fourfold increase for the same time last year, according to officials.
The grab-and-go branches are open six days a week, from 10 am to 4 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and from 1 pm to 7 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
