Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg libraries to reopen doors Oct. 1 with limited capacities

Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg community libraries will reopen their doors Oct. 1, albeit with limited capacities.

Twenty patrons will be permitted at one time to browse the shelves at Cooper-Siegel in Fox Chapel, while 10 will be allowed in to the smaller Sharpsburg site.

“It’s been a long, hard road, but we are ready to resume in-person services,” said Jill McConnell, executive director of both sites. “We can’t wait to see our patrons again.”

The libraries shut down in mid-March to follow covid-19 guidance from Allegheny County.

In mid-June, the sites instituted curbside pickups to offer people access to books, videos and other items.

Still, McConnell said, people miss being inside, browsing the collections and using the computers. Likewise, the library staff has missed interacting with visitors, she said.

Once in-person service resumes, visits will be limited to one-hour and all visitors age 2 and older will be required to wear masks.

In-person programs will be limited to outdoors, weather permitting. Curbside service will continue to be available for those who prefer that option.

McConnell said meeting rooms will not be available until further notice.

At the Main Street site in Sharpsburg, outdoor programs will be taking place in the courtyard.

Branch director Sara Mariacher said some of the offerings will include:

• Homework Help, 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Geared toward kindergarten through sixth grade, STEAM Coordinator Erin Thompson will assist with class work.
• Mini Makers, 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays. For pre-K children and their caregivers, a story and related STEAM activity will take place.

• Midweek Makers, 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. For children in K-6, there will be a STEAM activity.
• Make-and-Takes, 2:30 p.m. Thursdays. Supplies and instructions for a kids’ STEAM activity will be placed outside. There are 20 kits available while supplies last.

“As the pandemic continues, we look forward to providing some return to normalcy via express library service,” Mariacher said. “We have greatly missed seeing our patrons and interacting with them during visits, and we are sure they have missed us as well.”

Cooper-Siegel is at 403 Fox Chapel Road. Temporary hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Friday, 1 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Sharpsburg Community Library is at 1212 Main Street. Temporary hours will be from noon to 6 p.m.Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.