Cold Lake libraries will be re-opening soon

City councillor Vicky Lefebvre has said the Cold Lake libraries will soon be entering phase two of a re-opening plan with a tentative date of June 18th.

“The government’s stated the importance of libraries in their communities and that they’re committed to getting them back open. We’re in part two of their plan to make that happen,” said Lefebvre.

“They’ve given us an outline of how to do it, and we’re following along with it carefully.”

This outline will include a sign-in process, spread out computers, plexiglass separators at the front desk, and an emphasis on maintaining social distancing.

The libraries are projected to be open Monday to Fridays from 10am-4pm, with plans for each location to be open until 8:00pm on separate days of the week, although these times haven’t been settled on yet.

The facilities will not be open to everyone, however.

Children in Grade 3 and under will not be permitted entry due to the difficulty of keeping not only themselves but other visitors safe.

For this reason, the play centre will remain closed until further notice.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to lift that sooner as opposed to later. One of our most popular offerings is Baby Rhyme Time, and I know plenty of families are looking forward to that coming back,” said Lefebvre.

So far the libraries have managed to operate through online services.

Since the province entering lockdown the libraries have experienced a 250 per cent increase in online usage, which Lefebvre says has had a large impact on how the libraries will operate in the future.

When asked about any other facilities opening up alongside the libraries, Lefebvre said that it all depends on what happens in the second wave of the virus.

Currently, outdoor sports fields are open for personal use exclusively.