As we continue to balance fighting the coronavirus with getting back to normal lives, Amarillo area businesses and services are slowly coming back to life under new guidelines. The Amarillo Public Library system, with it's five branches, has reopened for curbside services. The inside of the locations will remain closed to the public, however you will now be able to checkout books, movies, and audio books again.

In order to checkout materials, your first step is to make a request either on the library website or by calling your local branch Monday through Saturday, 9am to 6pm. You can provide the librarian with a list or you can also request that they pull a random selection for you based on reading level and genre. For same day pickup, they recommend that you call to make sure the hold is placed quicker.

When you request is ready to be picked up, the library with call you to schedule a time. They will then bring those items out to your vehicle. The whole idea behind this is to provide contactless service to keep both employees and patrons safe. When you arrive at your scheduled time, you will call the branch and let them know you are there and which vehicle you are in. You will show your ID through you closed window and items will be placed on the curb. Once the staff member leaves, you can safely exit your vehicle, grab your items, and go on your way. For anyone that is visiting on foot or by bike, there will be specially designated pick p areas for you to wait. Always while practicing social distancing from others.

Now what do you do when you are finished with your checked out materials? You will simply come back to your branch, and place your items in an exterior book return slot. The staff will not be accepting any handed items directly. The returned items will then be quarantined for three days. All checkouts will be for six weeks until the library resumes normal operations.

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