Loveland, Ohio – Over the next several weeks, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County will be phasing services back in, moving from virtual-only services to in-person services, “done in a responsible way that focuses on safety.”

“We are excited to see you again. We’ll use this space to keep you up to date on what is going on,” said Kathy Taylor, Regional Manager in a release issued today.

Read more of the release… News of the Loveland, Blue Ash and Symmes branches are in bold.

Reminder: Drive-Thru Service Beginning May 26 

Beginning May 26, we are opening the drive-thrus at our facilities that have them. Here are the details:  

    • Drive-thrus are at these locations: Covedale, Groesbeck, Harrison, Reading, and the Downtown Main Library. Symmes does not have a drive-thru, but will be offering curbside service beginning May 26.  
    • The drive-thru hours of operation are 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Drive-thru is closed on Sundays. 
    • We are not accepting books or other materials you have already checked out. We have automatically extended due dates so you will not incur late fees.  
    • For the first 2-3 weeks, we will be contacting customers and scheduling appointments to pick up current holds.

Curbside Pickup Beginning May 28 

    • Curbside service will be available at Blue Ash and Loveland starting May 28. Hours are: Monday-Tuesday, 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
    • Curbside service will be available at these locations starting June 1: Anderson, Clifton, Green Township, North Central, and Walnut Hills. Hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Noon – 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 
    • We will be adding curbside services to more locations throughout the month of June, and we will keep you posted as dates and locations are firmed up. 
    • We are not accepting books or other materials you have already checked out. We have automatically extended due dates so you will not incur late fees. 
    • For the first 2-3 weeks, we will be contacting customers and scheduling appointments to pick up current holds.

Holds 

Please let us know if there are items you no longer need by updating your account online, emailing us, or calling us at 513-369-6900. This will help us work quickly through our backlog of over 14,000 existing holds so we can then open up the system and accept new hold requests. 

Right now, if you try to place a hold, you will get a message that says there is a problem with your account. Don’t worry, there likely isn’t anything wrong with your account. This is just the automated message our system sends to prevent new holds from being placed. We’re sorry for this inconvenience and we are looking forward to allowing you to place new holds in mid-June. Thank you for your patience. 
 
Computer Access 

We plan to pilot this at a few locations in mid-June, then roll out the service to additional locations as we build experience and capacity to operate under the new conditions required to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. 

More to come!

We will continue to bring back in-person services over the next weeks and months as it is safe to do so, and as we build our capacity to provide service in a new way that meets the Governor’s Responsible ReStart Ohio Plan. This includes reconfiguring our facilities so that physical distancing is possible and putting measures in place to ensure safe handling of the over 19 million items customers borrow from the Library each year. We are also working out the logistics of how best to accept the materials you want to return in a way that’s safe. There is much we are still learning, but we look forward to the results of a recently announced study to identify best practices in handling library and museum materials. 

We’re Here for You Online and on the Phone 

    • Our eBranch is always open, and we are continuing to provide events like storytimes online on a regular basis. Check our calendar for more information. 
    • Call, email or chat with us seven days a week for help with job searching, finding trusted health information, getting assistance with a library resource, and more.