Burton Barr Library, along with seven other Phoenix library locations, reopened for limited in-person visits Monday in phase one of the City Council’s reopening plan.
Visits are allowed in reserved 45-minute increments and allow for groups of up to four. Larger families looking to visit should call the library to see if accommodations can be made, said April Piccarreta, a Burton Barr library assistant.
Reservations can be made up to three days in advance online or by calling 602-262-4636. Drop-in customers may request a reservation at the door as they are available.
Visitors now have access to library services including computer and internet access, collection browsing, printing, scanning, and copier service, laptop and hotspot lending, self-service checkout kiosks, and a fifth-floor reading room.
The library’s College Depot and hive @ Central programs services are currently open through virtual platforms.
Social distancing and masks are required at all times during in-person visits, and guests will be required to take a contactless temperature check when entering for their appointment. Any visitors who have experienced COVID-like symptoms in the past 48 hours are encouraged to stay home.
The library has also implemented a temporary bag policy limiting one backpack per person.
In between all 45-minute appointments are gaps of 15 minutes for workers to disinfect and prepare for the next block of appointments.
The library will do its best to check everyone in as quickly as possible while adapting to new protocols, Piccarreta said. Protocols for reopening were reviewed by the city’s public health advisors, Acting City Deputy Manager John Chan said.
The library is continuing to offer curbside pickup Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for anyone unable to make in-person visits.
The decision to reopen Phoenix branches came after a unanimous Phoenix City Council vote on April 7 to restore in-person visits in a phased reopening.
Phoenix library locations will open in three phases. The first phase starting April 19 included Burton Barr, Agave, Cesar Chavez, Cholla, Desert Broom, Ironwood, Mesquite and Palo Verde libraries. The next two phases will be May 3 and May 17 and include the remaining City of Phoenix branches.
As of now, occupancy is limited to 25%, but “as transmission rates decrease, our occupancy level will increase,” City Librarian Rita Hamilton said.
Amy Oyler, known to many in the Valley as The Scientific Mom, is thrilled about Burton Barr reopening to in-person visits.
Everyone has that one thing they’ve been missing during the pandemic, she said, and for her family, it’s the library.
Oyler said people often think of libraries as a place for storytime for young children, but Burton Barr is so much more than that; it offers such a wide variety of programming for children, teens and adults.
“It’s the cornerstone of our community,” she said.
Oyler said when she first found out about the library’s new opening plan she turned to her daughter and said, “Guess what?”
“We’re going to the library!” her daughter immediately replied.
Correction: A previous version of this article said College Depot and and hive @ central were closed to the public. The article has since been updated to include the correct information.
Contact the reporter at nrossi@asu.edu.
