Union County Library reopens Tuesday as staff tests negative

The Union County Library will be open again Tuesday, providing curbside service. The Myrtle branch will also be open again for its normal hours.

The library branches were closed after one of the employees tested positive for the coronavirus this past week. However, all other employees have tested negative for the illness and the library was cleaned and disinfected so it was deemed safe for reopening.

The employee in question may have been exposed to the virus during an out-of-town trip and will remain in self-quarantine for 14 days. The employee will not return to work until being tested as negative at the end of the quarantine period.

The curbside service will be offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday in New Albany. People who want to use the curbside service should call the library at 534-1991.

The Nance McNeely branch of the library in Myrtle will provide curbside service on Wednesdays from 1-5 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 988-2895 for the curbside service in Myrtle.

People may call the library and request certain materials, which will be bagged and placed on the library’s front porch with the person’s name. Once people arrive to pick up their materials, they will call the library staff to let them know they are outside.

Books, DVDs, learning kits for children and Wi-Fi hotspots can be checked out through the curbside service. People can browse the library’s online catalog or just ask for a favorite author or genre.

The learning kits will be posted on the library’s Facebook page for people to see. The learning kits must be returned when the library is open. When returning the kits, people will need to call the library when they arrive and place the materials on the table outside.

Bikes can also be checked out Monday through Friday in New Albany, but people must bring their own helmets. People who want to check out a bike should call the library, and a staff member will meet them at the bike shed. Library staff will clean the bikes for the next person once they are returned.

Other items, such as books and DVDs, can be returned in the book drop. Items will be quarantined for three days and sanitized after they are returned.