Back in the Stacks: Ferndale Library Welcomes Patrons to Come on In
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 13, 2021)
Ferndale, MI – There’s nothing like being inside a library, surrounded by rows and rows of books, and tables with people engrossed in their books, magazines, and laptops in a quiet atmosphere of learning. Patrons who have missed the Ferndale Area District Library may be happy to know that they’re back open for inside visitors.
Director Jenny Marr and members of the staff that regulars know and love have been delighted seeing smiles back inside the building since they re-opened last week.
“It’s a relief to finally be back to our regular hours and services,” Marr said, “Like everyone else, it’s been a challenge for us this past year to figure out new ways to provide traditional services to the community, while also providing a safe experience for our staff and patrons. Our curbside pickup and delivery services were a huge success, but we’re happy people can come back inside now to browse the shelves and get computer help in person.”
There are some new things on the shelves and the walls that guests may notice with fresh eyes. “Along with the usual library amenities like our computer lab and small study rooms, we’ll have new works by local artists on display in our Corridor Gallery this month, and we’re excited to have our seed library restocked again,” Marr said. “Aside from adding new circulating materials like video games, we’re also excited for new online resources like Kanopy’s video streaming service and Biblioboard, where you’ll be able to access exclusive content like historical photos of the library and archived videos of past programs and events.”
While regular service has resumed, events like discussion groups, presentations, and classes will continue to be hosted online. They are also not renting out the community room for the duration of the summer, although people are welcome to use the space for reading etc.
“We hope to resume in-person programming in the fall, but we’ll continue to keep an eye on things throughout the summer. Stay tuned for more details on that, soon,” she said.
Marr added that’s she’s grateful.
“We are thankful to the public for working with us this year as we continually adapted to the ever-changing situation. We’ve all experienced the loss of control, both personally and professionally, caused by this pandemic, and it has just added to the overall stress of this year for everyone. The community has helped get us through this with their kind words, support, and shared stories about how picking up their books helped them to cope. We appreciate how much this community loves its library and it has been a true joy for us to help however we could this year, and to now welcome everyone back,” she said.
Hours are:
MON – THUR 10 AM – 8 PM
FRIDAY 10 AM – 6 PM
SAT-SUN 12 PM – 5 PM
Learn more on the Ferndale Area District Library website.