An Update from the Library Director on Teaneck Public Library’s Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dear Teaneck Public Library patrons and community members,

I’m writing today to provide a brief update on the library’s response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the New York City metropolitan area and northern New Jersey. In coordination with the Township of Teaneck and Teaneck Health Department, the library building has been closed to the public since Friday, March 13.

As per Executive Order 107, signed by Governor Murphy on March 21, 2020, the library will remain closed until this executive order is lifted. In addition, until the executive order is lifted, all public programs and events will remain canceled, and the library will not be offering any in-person library services.

All residents who are currently in possession of books or other library materials, are urged to keep those materials and not return them to the library until Governor Murphy lifts Executive Order 107, which requires New Jersey residents to stay at home. All due dates for library materials will be automatically extended until the library reopens to the public. No late fees will be charged. Any materials currently returned will not be discharged from library accounts.

While the library building is closed to the public, our library staff is working very hard to continue to bring you library programs, services, and resources as safely and effectively as possible. This includes the following:

  • processing new library card applications online;
  • checking emails sent to the Patron Services Department at [email protected], Reference Department at [email protected], and the Youth Services Department at [email protected];
  • answering phone calls at our new streamlined COVID-19 closure phone number: 201-817-9780;
  • responding to chat questions via the library’s new chat feature at teanecklibrary.org;
  • developing new programming that can be streamed or recorded for later viewing for children and adults via Facebook, Zoom, and Beanstack, including guided meditation, bendy bookworm yoga story time, books and bricks, story and activities, and much more;
  • increasing investment in our current digital collections, including books, audiobooks, comics, magazines, music, movies/TV, to better meet your needs for library materials that you can access from home (via Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy and more);
  • adding new digital resources including Creativebug (coming soon), an online resource that award-winning HD instructional videos on drawing, painting, sewing, knitting, crochet, quilting, baking and more;
  • developing new services like our check-in phone call service, where someone from our library staff will call you at home to check-in on you and discuss the latest hot reads or recent movies; and
  • our library staff are meeting, working, and planning on a daily basis so that we can continue to find new ways to bring you the materials, services, and programs that you rely on every day.

If you have any questions about the COVID-19 coronavirus, I hope you will continue to consult authoritative information sources at:

We’re here for you Teaneck! Together, we will get through this, and we will work to bring you an even better library when we reopen our building to you in the coming weeks.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to ask. I promise that we are working as hard as we can to continue bringing you library materials, programs, and services, and getting our building ready to reopen to you at the earliest possible convenience.

Stay safe, everyone.

 

Sincerely,

Allen McGinley
Library Director

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