Lloydminster residents will soon be able to rent out movies and books from the library.

Lloydminster Public Library is beginning their phased re-opening on July 6 which will allow residents to start requesting and borrowing materials from the library. All requests will have to be done either through the library’s online catalogue or by telephone.

Staff will then confirm the availability and schedule a pick up time in between 11 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Non-contact pickups will be done outside the entrance of the library, found on the lower level of the Atrium Centre.

Head Librarian Ron Gillies says the measures being put in place is to prevent people from grouping up unable to maintain a two metre distance.

“We will have time slots that will work with people and they can come down and pick up their material. We simply have to do that for safety. Although it looks large, we don’t have a lot of space in the lower level without putting people uncomfortably close to each other.”

Material still out on loan will now have a due date of August 1 and during this phase there will be no late charges on materials. Materials can be dropped off at the return slots at the entrance of the Atrium Centre and in front of the library. Returns will then be quarantined for 72 hours as a precaution.

“We just ask not to come downstairs and collide with the people picking up unless you happen to be picking up as well.”

For residents without a library card, Gillies says they can set up a virtual card which can be done by contacting the library. He says staff have been busy for the past few months but are happy to get back to interacting with borrowers.

“Some of us have been here throughout doing the first full-dress inventory we’ve done in years and a whole bunch of other things you can do when there aren’t people around. We’ve missed our regular visitors and borrowers, and although we aren’t going to be able to chat at all with people at the doorway, it’s the first step in re-opening something we know is valued here and in other communities in the area.”

The library will be adding more hours for pickup as they work towards a physical re-opening in the coming weeks.