Readers, rejoice! As statewide “Safer at Home” restrictions begin to relax – or at least evolve – one of the services soon to begin is pickup service at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire.

First announced last week, the service will go into effect on Monday, May 11. Library patrons will be able to put materials on hold using the library’s website. When the requested items are ready, patrons will receive an email or phone call from the library. Then they call call the library’s customer services line (715-839-5003) to schedule a time to pickup their new books; 10-minute time slots will be available Monday-Friday.

The library also announced this week that library drop boxes around the city will be open on a rotating schedule. Look for green “Book Drop Open” signs.

Below is the pickup service announcement from the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. You can also find a detailed description of pickup steps at the library website.

Library Pickup Service Begins May 11

Great news! We will begin Library Pickup Service on Monday, May 11. After careful planning, our staff has created guidelines for this special service in accordance with Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order, and the City of Eau Claire’s risk management team has approved the plan. Our procedure is outlined below.

Library Pickup Service is intended only for people who feel well and are not experiencing and have not been exposed to people experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or other signs of illness.

Placing Holds

You can now place holds, but only on items available in Eau Claire (items from other libraries are not currently available). This excludes kits and other equipment. Our on-hand stock may be limited due to extended due dates, lack of returns, and minimal circulation of materials between libraries.

For help with placing holds, you can call Information & Reference at 715-839-5004 to leave a message (calls will be returned from an “unknown” number), email reference@eauclaire.lib.wi.us, or start a chat session with library staff.

Scheduling Material Pickup

After placing a hold, you will receive an email or a phone message stating your items are ready for pickup. Customers must then call Customer Services at 715-839-5003 to schedule a pickup time. Appointments will be made in 10-minute slots, Monday–Friday, up to five business days in advance.

We will provide directions on pickup procedure, communicating directly with you. Pickup steps are also outlined at www.ecpubliclibrary.info/pickup-service.

Please carefully follow our directions to ensure your safety and the safety of library staff. We are following recommended guidelines, which include wearing masks and gloves, proper handwashing, and sanitizing work spaces and equipment.

Note: Once you have scheduled a pickup time, your materials will be marked as checked out, even if you haven’t picked them up yet.

Dropping off Materials

Library drop boxes around the city of Eau Claire will now be open on an alternating schedule. Please follow special instructions posted on each box. Use open boxes for drop off. Closed boxes will remain in quarantine for at least 72 hours before we can retrieve the materials inside. All due dates are extended until the library reopens.

We greatly appreciate your support and patience as we work to ensure safe and convenient operating procedures!

Thanks!

– Your friends at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library