UPDATES TO SERVICES AND INFORMATION ON THE LIBRARY'S DATA INCIDENT CAN BE FOUND HERE>>>
Due to an incidence of COVID-19 with a staff member at the Beatley Library, the Library has been closed for 1-3 days for deep cleaning. The nature of that staff member’s role in the library requires little to no significant direct contact with the public or other staff. Based on investigation to date (including case investigation) by the Health Department no quarantine recommendations were needed for other staff or the public.
Holds pickup and due dates will be extended.
Other locations are still open.
Beatley Library is scheduled to reopen on Saturday, September 5 at 11am. Curbside Services are scheduled to resume on Friday, September 4.
The Alexandria Library reopened on August 17, 2020 during phase three of the reopening plan (updated August 28, 2020)
For more information on what is available, please see our reopening page.
On May 28, 2020, the Library Board approved a phased reopening plan. (Download the plan here - updated August 28, 2020)
Curbside pickup of physical materials is now available!
As we continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Alexandria Library is committed to keeping both customers and staff safe and healthy.
Effective immediately the Alexandria Library will be closed until further notice.
This was a difficult decision to make as we know how much people rely on their libraries to support their educational, entertainment, and recreational needs. However, libraries are a hub of community activity with some branches drawing hundreds of visitors per day. With the CDC and the Governor recommending gatherings of no more than 10 people, and with ACPS schools closed, the best course of action was to close all libraries for a period of time.
Although library branches are closed, some staff will be on site to support phone and virtual reference Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Volunteers are asked not to report during the closure.
Some additional specifics include:
While libraries are closed, you’ll still find plenty of resources available in our online catalog with eBooks, eAudiobooks, and other digital resources – including free training, streaming music, periodicals, and research databases. In addition, library staff will be working on providing additional online services including virtual events and videos.
We apologize for any inconvenience library closures might cause, but we thank you for your patience and always appreciate your support. We regret closing our doors but believe this is the most responsible course of action as we encourage customers and staff to use best practices that will shorten the run of COVID-19 in Alexandria.
We know that Alexandria’s library is a valued resource for so many readers and supporters. We want to resume full operations as quickly and safely as possible. To that end, we’ll work closely with the Alexandria City government and health department. The Library Board will revisit this decision and will keep you informed of any changes. We look forward to welcoming everyone back when we reopen.
Please check this page and social media for real-time updates on what we’re doing as this public health situation continues.
• Checkout an eBook or eAudiobook from Overdrive/Libby.
• Read a magazine using RBdigital, a free service that offers full digital copies of your favorite magazines to view on a computer or mobile device.
• Search databases for articles and information for you or your students, who may be home from school.
• Use Heritage Quest from home to work on that genealogy project you've been putting off.
• Expand your music collection by downloading music from Freegal. You can also stream up to 3 hours of music each day.
• Ask a librarian a question via email or request a Book Match if you need some suggestions on what to read.
• Learn a new language with Mango or Rocket Languages.
• Take an online class to learn something new!
• You can build your resume and get career help with Career Transitions.
• Grow your Google skills with Grow with Google classes online.
• Use the Gardening and Horticulture database to get information for planting your garden.
• Cook up some new recipes from the AtoZ World Food database.
• Do legal research with Lexis Nexis. Use this special link to register with Lexis Nexis and get a temporary ID (expires July 31, 2020) to conduct research on the cases, codes, and secondary resources needed for legal work and personal legal research.
• Kids need something to do? Check out this list of free, online resources curated by our Youth Services Librarians.
• Trying to search for grants from home? You can access Candid’s Foundation Directory Online with this link.
• Have questions about any of the digital services? Email the Digital Services Librarian.
How long will the library remain closed?
We are planning to remain closed until further notice. At that time, we will determine whether it is safe to reopen or if we need to extend the closure. We will continue to work with the Alexandria City government and Alexandria Health Department to ensure the safety of customers and residents.
Are you doing this because someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 came to the library?
No. So far as we are aware, no one with a confirmed case of COVID-19 has visited the library.
I have a library item already checked out - how will I return it?
We are extending all returns until the library reopens. Book return bins will remain open but we encourage you to keep the books until the Library reopens. Overdue fines are waived during this time.
Will you be cleaning your books, CDs, and other materials during this time?
Not at this time. However, our staff is using gloves to handle materials, and we are encouraging all our customers to wipe down and disinfect their materials before returning them. Here is what the CDC says about transmission of COVID-19.
Will I still be able to access your eBooks, eAudiobooks, and other digital items?
Yes, our full digital catalog, and all online resources, will remain available for use. Additional materials have been added to increase our offerings during the closure.
Can I place holds on physical items?
Yes. Starting on June 18, customers can now add new holds to physical items. Please use curbside pick-up to obtain these materials.
I have a hold placed on an item - will it be canceled?
Holds for digital materials (eBooks, eAudiobooks, etc.) will continue unchanged.
Can I still get books to keep me sane during the closure?
You can still access a wide array of digital books, music, and periodicals through Overdrive, Freegal, RBDigital, and our other online resources.
I don’t have a library card — can I get one online during the closure?
Yes. We’ll continue to process library card registrations received online. Getting a free card only takes a few minutes. We are extending the expiration of these temporary cards to six weeks to allow customers to utilize online resources without coming to the library to collect their physical card.
Does this mean All Alexandria Reads is cancelled?
All Alexandria Library programming, community outreach events, books sales and meeting room reservations remain suspended until further notice. At this time, some All Alexandria Reads programming will be converted to virtual events. Please see the events calendar for more information.
Will all library locations open back up, or will you open a few at a time?
At this time, our plan is to reopen all of our locations. If it becomes necessary to change that strategy because of the ongoing pandemic, we’ll communicate to customers, supporters, and news media as quickly as possible.
If I have additional questions, how do I contact you?
Please use our Contact Us forms.
You can continue to support Alexandria Library with donations through the Alexandria Library Foundation. Learn more at https://alexlibraryva.org/library-foundation.
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