Although the buildings are still closed to the public, patrons of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library will be able to pick up their online and phone-hold requests for books, DVDs and other items beginning today, Joe Jenkins, executive director, has announced.

He said that after holds are fulfilled, patrons will be contacted that their items are ready for pickup. Patrons can either choose an appointment time to get their items or call from their cars when they arrive. Items will be checked out and placed in a tagged bag for pickup.

The bagged items will be placed outside the door by a staff member who will then step inside. The patron can pick up the items and leave any items they wish to return. Any returned items must be in a bag. Patrons with mobility issues may request to stay in their cars and have their items placed in their car trunks.

Patrons may also return items to the outside book drops. All returned items are “quarantined” for three days, then cleaned and checked in.

There will be no fines on any returned items, overdue or not, until June 1.

Briggs Library patrons may order items online through the library web site at www.briggslibrary.com and clicking on Library Catalog. To place holds, log in (upper right hand corner) with a 14-digit library card number and PIN (last four digits of the library card).

 Patrons who don’t use the internet are invited to call their local branch to place requests. Staff will be ready to assist in making selections. Briggs Library branch phone numbers are listed on its library cards.

“Our pickup service is part of a phased plan to reopen our five libraries,” Jenkins said. “Details for when people may begin entering our buildings in a way that ensures the safety and health of our patrons and staff are still being firmed up and will be announced later.”

Only items belonging to Briggs Library will be available at this time. Until the library’s consortium partner libraries are fully operational and the courier service resumes for libraries, there will be no interlibrary loans available between the state’s library systems.