Murrysville library will reopen Aug. 3 by appointment only

March 13 turned out to be quite a “Friday the 13th” for new Murrysville Community Library Executive Director Amy Riegner.

Having started in January, Riegner had just arrived home from work when she received the news that all state libraries would be closing due to the covid pandemic, with no idea when they might reopen.

“We were supposed to have a chess tournament on the 14th, so we had tables set up in our conference room, and luckily staff was still there and able to put signs on our front door, call staff that would’ve been working the next day, call kids and parents who’d be participating in the chess tournament,” Riegner said. “It was organized mayhem.”

That mayhem has settled a bit, and the library reopened Aug. 3 by appointment only.

Half-hour appointments will be offered Monday through Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Patrons can call the libraryto schedule.

The library will continue to offer curbside service, both for convenience and for patrons who don’t feel comfortable entering the building, and titles can be browsed in the library’s online catalog, available at MurrysvilleLibrary.org.

Even though library officials had been making potential pandemic plans in early March, Riegner said no one was prepared for the rapid-fire shutdown on March 13.

“At 1 p.m., we had an emergency meeting with our board members. We talked to the municipality at 2 o’clock. At 3 o’clock the state announced that schools would be suspended. And at 5 p.m. we got word that the libraries were closing. All of our planning just had to change on a dime. It was insane.”

Children’s librarian Carol Siefken and circulation coordianator Maria Cuccaro, who were setting up for the library’s chess tournament, went into shutdown mode.

“We ended up leaving around 9 p.m. that night, because all the points of connection and information had to be taken care of,” Siefken said.

Computers will be available to patrons during their 30-minute appointments, and they will be sanitized between uses. Public headphones will not be available, but the library does have a supply of ear buds available for purchase for $2.

Anyone entering the library must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth unless they have a medical condition that impedes their ability to wear one (in which case, they will be provided with a face shield by the library, or can choose curbside service). Children 2 years old and younger are not required to wear a mask.

Riegner said the reopening measures are necessary to protect both staff and patrons.

“Here’s this situation you never dreamed would exist, and here you are,” she said. “We’re just trying to get back to our normal, but be mindful that we have a lot of at-risk patrons who come in here, along with at-risk staff.”

For the latest, see MurrysvilleLibrary.org.