Check it out: Libraries in Lee’s Summit open doors. In Cass, curbside pickup popular

Local libraries have opened their doors — or at least their curbside pickup — to anyone eager for books and other items you can’t get online. The Mid-Continent Public Library, which has two branches in Lee’s Summit, began allowing patrons inside its buildings June 16.

A little farther south, the Cass County Public Library has opted to wait to open its buildings but has been offering curbside pick-ups for materials. Mid-Continent has also offered curbside pick-ups.

The libraries have been closed to the public since mid-March, although both systems have offered various resources online, including eBooks.

Although Mid-Continent has opened its buildings, it still won’t be business as usual, as various safety measures are in place. Right now, patrons can only come in to use technology resources. The plan is to open the bookshelves for browsing soon.

All staff members will be wearing masks, and computers have been moved apart so that people are not sitting next to each other. All patrons also must wear mask to enter the library.

Ritchie Momon, chief customer experience officer for Mid-Continent, said the library would try to provide masks for visitors who do not have their own.

Cleaning procedures will close the libraries an hour earlier than usual, and staff are going to be cleaning high-touch areas — such as computers, copy machines and fax machines — between each user.

Momon said the Mid-Continent Public Library looked to Clay, Platte and Jackson counties and to other library systems in the metro area for information about what restrictions to put in place. If COVID cases go up in the area, the library might roll back some of its services.

One thing that’s not disappearing anytime soon is the curbside pick-up.

“Curbside has been so popular I don’t know if it will ever go away,” Momon said.

In Cass County, the reaction to this service has been the same.

“It’s been a hit. People have really loved it, because people miss their libraries,” said Dan Brower, assistant director and head of public services for the Cass County Public Library, which has brances in Archie, Drexel, Harrisonville, Belton, Pleasant Hill and Garden City.

On June 17, 87 people checked out 432 items in four hours from the Harrisonville branch alone. Patrons who don’t have cell phones can call ahead from home and let the branches know what time they’ll be there to pick up items.

Both library systems have been quarantining returned materials for at least 72 hours before checking them in and returning them to the shelves.

Although no re-opening date is set for Cass County’s libraries, staff area getting buildings prepared. Whenever they do open, it will be with reduced hours and possibly with a special hour for seniors and people with health conditions.

Staff members have already rearranged furniture and computers to comply with the recommended six feet of distance and installed plexiglass shields on staff desks.

“We won’t be able to offer one-on-one technology help. It’s a real challenge to give someone step-by-step instructions when you have to be six feet away and not disturb others,” Brower said.

Cass County libraries also will not have in-person programming for a while.

“Because of distancing, we don’t have a lot of space for events. Even at our biggest branches, we wouldn’t be able to accommodate more than five or six people at an event,” Brower said.

For now, the programming isn’t all gone but has gone virtual. Each branch in Cass County has a weekly storytime on Facebook. There are also virtual Lego challenges, and six of the library’s 15 book clubs are meeting through Zoom. The library’s YouTube page has offered a series of videos featuring “A Moment of Science” for kids.

“Like with a lot of libraries, we’ve never really done a lot (online), and now we’re doing everything virtually. I can’t guarantee we’ll get it right the first time, but we’re doing our best, like everyone else is,” Brower said.

As for the in-person experience, Brower said the library is monitoring the number of COVID cases in the county and wants to see 14 days of either flat or reduced numbers.

This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 7:00 AM.