Hybrid Opening Details
Public Browsing – Now Open For Longer
Quick, intentional visits instead of casual extended stays are encouraged. The Hollowbrook Branch will not be open for browsing, but is open for Curbside Pick-Up.
- Monday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Wednesday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Saturday: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Persons Aged 65+ and Immunocompromised Individuals
In accordance with Executive Order No. 157, the library will set aside one hour, two mornings per week to encourage those patrons who are immunocompromised and aged 65 or older to visit the library.
- Monday: 10:00 am to 11:00 am
- Friday: 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Contactless Pick-Up Service Hours
Appointments must be booked no later than one hour before the timeslot. If you want to book a timeslot within an hour, please call the branch to see if they can accommodate you.
- Tuesday: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
Our Safety Precautions
Masks and Social Distancing
All library patrons over the age of 2 are required to wear face masks that cover both the nose and mouth, as well as adhere to social distancing guidelines. You will notice that some PCs have been placed out of use, as well as furniture removed or moved. This was done to promote and accommodate social distancing.
In recognition of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations, Governor Phil Murphy’s Executive Orders regarding the public health crisis created by the COVID – 19 virus, and to aid Mercer County’s continuing effort to fight the spread of the COVID – 19 virus and protect Mercer County employees and visitors, visitors over the age of 2 must wear face masks that cover the nose and mouth both inside a County facility and outside, when receiving library materials.
Cleaning of Frequently Touched Surfaces
Our hours of operation allow for the more thorough cleaning of our branches before and after in-person services. Staff will clean frequently touched surfaces, to include, but not limited to public PC keyboards and mice, tables, handles and switches. Please use the hand sanitizer provided for patrons upon entry and remember to wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer throughout your stay.
Occupancy Limitations
We will be following the Governor’s guidelines for places where people gather (outlined in Executive Order No. 219) and limit the occupancy of our branch libraries to 35% of the building occupancy, whichever is less.
Signs that limit occupancy are posted on the outside doors of each branch; please understand that you may not be able to enter the buildings if we achieve a limit of 35%. For your convenience, we will continue our service of providing contactless pick-up of library materials.
Occupancy Limits as of February 5th, 2021
| Branch | Maximum Capacity |
|---|---|
| Ewing | 72 |
| Hickory Corner | 37 |
| Hightstown | 18 |
| Hopewell | 39 |
| Lawrence | 100 |
| Robbinsville | 27 |
| Twin Rivers | 32 |
| West Windsor | 86 |
Access to Public Restrooms
Pursuant to the recommendation of the Mercer County Health Officer, the use of public restrooms, single and multi-stall restrooms will be limited to:
- 1 person
- 1 family unit
- 1 person with assistant
In the event these limitations cannot be enforced, the restrooms will be closed for use.
Brief, Purposeful Browsing Encouraged
We ask that you be mindful of others wishing to use the library and limit your time spent in the facilities due to the 25 person / 25% limited capacity. We recommend visits of less than one hour.
Branch Seating
You will notice that most patron tables and chairs have been removed to accommodate social distancing requirements. Tables can accommodate only one person or members of the same family, at a time. The library cannot accommodate groups of persons sitting together, which includes tutoring sessions.
Returns
Please continue to return library materials in our book and AV drops. Returned materials will not yet be accepted inside our branches. All returned materials will be quarantined for 72 hours, after which it will be added back into our collections.
Access to Public Computers
We will provide access to public PCs by appointment only. Due to the limited number of PCs available in order to accommodate social distancing compliance, computer use will be limited to one-hour per day. Extensions on PC time limits will not be possible at this time.
WiFi Access
We encourage you to take advantage of our unlimited WiFi access, which is available in and outside of our buildings from 7 am until 9 pm.
Community Rooms, Public Spaces and In-Branch Programming
At this time our quiet study rooms and meeting rooms will be closed. Branches cannot accept art or exhibit display requests. All in-person programs and events will be suspended. Our public spaces have been redesigned to accommodate social distancing compliance.
Virtual and Outdoor Programming
We will continue to offer virtual programming through a combination of prerecorded videos, online programs and contests, live virtual events, and some limited outdoor events at our branches. Check out what we have planned on our online event calendar.
Public Notary Services
Public notary services will not be available at this time.
Closings
Please note that we are either closed or operating with limited access on the below dates. Check the description of each event for the branches it effects and the modified opening schedule.
