The Smithers Public Library will start accepting returns as of May 25, according to Director, Wendy Wright.
She said it may not sound like a complicated thing to do but because the same items go out to different people the library is finding out a way to make the item safe before someone else can borrow it.
According to Wright, the library will be quarantining everything that comes back for three days before it gets checked in and shelved.
Wright said, unlike a retail store where someone buys something and then takes it home, the library gets their items back to allow other people to borrow.
“The whole idea of the library is that it is borrowed by many many people and it keeps coming back and naturally in the time of COVID that’s an issue, so we can’t actually open the library and offer all of the things at this time that we normally do,” she said.
Wright also added on June 1 the library will be providing a pick-up service.
People will be able to place holds on the library’s online catalog where a staff member will be at the front door to give the quarantined items to the borrower.
Wright warned the item may not be available right away.
“It won’t be instantaneous as it is going to take a while, so it could take a couple of days before they’re ready,” she said.
Wright also added approximately double the number of e-books and audiobooks that have been taken out since the beginning of the pandemic.