Lee County Library System to open doors at five sites after Memorial Day
Library patrons will be able to visit the county’s regional libraries
with limited service, hours and capacity beginning Tuesday, May 26.
The Cape Coral Lee County Library, East County Regional Library, Fort
Myers Regional Library, Northwest Regional Library and South County
Regional Library will open at 25% capacity with hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday.
Because of continued voluntary compliance and the community’s greater
awareness for Centers for Disease Control guidelines, the county
announced the re-openings today at a regularly scheduled Board of County
Commissioners meeting. This move is part of the county’s phased-in
approach for residents while still observing guidelines.
Previously announced contactless services and book returns will
continue at all library system branches. Lakes Regional Library will not
reopen its doors May 26 because of a previously scheduled project. The
anticipated opening for this site is June 11.
At the five libraries that will reopen May 26, signs will be posted
for following CDC guidelines and floors will be marked to indicate
spacing for social distancing. Plexiglas shields are installed at all
public service desks, and hand sanitizer and wipes will be provided to
the public. The county has removed some furniture to encourage patrons
to keep visits brief so that more patrons can enjoy the libraries.
Computer use will be limited to one hour per person per day. Play
items in the youth areas have been removed, as has gaming equipment in
the teen areas. Study rooms and meeting rooms are not open at this
time.
Staff has identified capacity for each of the open libraries and will limit visitors to the building based on capacity.
The locations of the libraries that will open next week are:
· Cape Coral Lee County Library, 921 SW 39th Terrace, Cape Coral
· East County Regional Library, 881 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres
· Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St., Fort Myers
· Northwest Regional Library, 519 Chiquita Blvd. N., Cape Coral
· South County Regional Library, 21100 Three Oaks Parkway, Estero
Additional questions from library patrons can be directed to 239-479-4636, text 239-204-5321, chat at leelibrary.net or email askalibrarian@leegov.com. These services are available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
County leaders continue to monitor data and work with the Florida
Department of Health related to the county’s phased-in approach to
re-opening sites. For additional Lee County updates, visit www.leegov.com/covid-19.