We’ll soon be able to get back to the Milton Public Library (MPL).
In a letter to patrons, Chief Librarian Mark Williams says the plan is to reopen the Main and Beaty branch on Saturday, July 24th. The Sherwood branch opened on Wednesday.
Williams tells myFM that he’s excited to see people back in the buildings.
Under Step 2 of the provincial plan for reopening, public libraries were allowed to reopen at 25% capacity. Unfortunately, Williams says this didn’t quite work for two of their three locations.
The Sherwood branch sits inside the Sherwood Community Centre, and he feels that reopening the library before the rest of the community centre was nearly impossible.
The Main branch is in the same building as the FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton, which just so happens to be the location for Milton’s (currently) only COVID-19 vaccine community clinic. Williams says the decision was made to hold off reopening to not interfere with the clinic.
In his letter, Williams adds “we wanted to ensure that access to the car park and to the main entrance to the shared building was prioritised to those seeking their vaccination. The expectation is that by 24th July, the majority of eligible residents will be fully vaccinated, resulting in reduced demand for car park spots, and access to the building.”
Williams says this last shutdown was a little easier than what we experienced last year because staff now had experience to draw on. He commends the MPL staff for being adaptable and creative during a hard time.
e-resources will continue to be a big focus for the MPL as it begins its own reopening process.
Ahead of Pride Month, the MPL unveiled new rainbow coloured benches at each location. The benches are to serve as permanent reading gardens for patrons. Williams says the benches are a symbol of security and safety for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Access to computers will also be available. Physical distancing measures will be put in-place at the Main branch for the computers. Laptops can also be borrowed at Sherwood, you just have to ask the frontdesk.
If you are looking for immediate updates from the Milton Public Library, as well as all that it offers, the best place to look is the MPL website. It’s your go-to place for books, movies, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, programs, and more. Sign up for the MPL newsletter and you’ll never miss a beat.
