Deschutes Public Library takes the health and safety of our staff and community seriously. It is with heavy hearts, but with an abundance of caution and out of concern for the community that we love, that the library announces it will close to the public at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16. The plan is for a tentative reopening date of April 1. Library material due dates will be extended to an appropriate date following re-opening.
This is not a decision we take lightly. Following discussions with regional health authorities, we feel this is the best and most proactive step to take to ensure we are doing our part to support our first responders and local medical community while protecting our region’s medically vulnerable populations.
While all locations will be closed, Deschutes Public Library offers a wealth of free online resources that you can access from home or anywhere you happen to be with an internet connection, including eBooks and audio books, streaming movies and television shows, digital magazines and music, information databases, and more. We continue to increase our collection of digital materials, such as eBooks and digital audiobooks, during this time. Visit www.deschuteslibrary.org/books/downloads for more information about digital resources, and click here to explore more of what’s available online.
During the closure, library staff will work to provide online tutorials to help customers learn how to access the digital resources available to them, and will livestream via Facebook select programs that were originally planned to take place in the libraries. Story time videos for young children will also be available beginning March 18 on the library’s kids’ page. If you have questions about your library card account, our online services, or anything else, you can phone your local library between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone numbers for each library location can be found at www.deschuteslibrary.org/about/libraries/
Our focus is on helping to keep our community healthy. Thank you for your patience as we work to do what is best for the community as a whole. Please visit our website and reach out to us with your questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Todd Dunkelberg
Library Director
