Nesmith Library

Windham, New Hampshire


COVID-19 Updates

Read our timeline of Nesmith Library service updates, from the start of our temporary closure in March 2020 through the present.

Below the timeline is a collection of Letters from the Director written by Library Director Sylvie Brikiatis, as well as our email newsletter updates from March 2020 through the present.

Please continue to check our website, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for further library updates.

For a summary of the current status of our services, please visit our Phased Reopening page.

 

As of 4/1/2022: Masks are encouraged when inside the library, including during programs. We have a limited quantity of masks at the circulation desk, including child sized masks. Please refrain from attending if you are experiencing symptoms of sickness, including cough, cold, and flu: thank you for helping us to continue providing our full services as safely as possible.

As of 2/23/2022: Masks are required at all indoor programs hosted by Nesmith Library, for all attendees ages 3 & up. Masks are encouraged for everyone when using the library.

Event on 2/1/2022: Nesmith Library will host a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic administered by the NH DHHS Mobile Vaccination Team, Tuesday, February 1 from 3-7 PM. Open to all, no health insurance or residency/citizenship required, with all types of doses available. View it on our Event Calendar

As of 12/17/2021: Masks are required for everyone entering the library building. The Nesmith Library Board of Trustees govern library policies and regulations, including the steps and details within our phased reopening plan, which is re-evaluated on an ongoing basis as we move forward. If you do not wish to enter the library, we are happy to provide Curbside Borrowing for checking out library materials, picking up program kits, and printing or copying documents. Please call us with any questions: 603-432-7154

As of 10/7/2021: Masks are required at all indoor programs hosted by Nesmith Library, for all attendees ages 3 & up. Masks are encouraged for everyone when using the library.

As of 8/23/2021: Masks are now encouraged when inside the library, for everyone regardless of vaccination status in accordance with current CDC recommendations for our area. We have a limited quantity of masks at the circulation desk, including child sized masks. Thank you for helping us keep the community safe!

As of 6/11/2021: Masks became optional in Nesmith Library for those who are fully vaccinated. Patrons were invited to ask staff members if they would feel more comfortable if we wore a mask while assisting them.

As of 4/23/2021: As a reminder, please wear a mask at all times in the Nesmith Library building. Nesmith Library is moving carefully through a Phased Reopening process, to keep our staff, patrons, and community safe. In order to best protect everyone's health, and to ensure our ability to continue to provide library services, Nesmith Library will continue to require everyone to wear a mask when entering the library building. Masks are currently required by local mandate in all Town of Windham buildings. The Nesmith Library Board of Trustees govern library policies and regulations, including the steps and details within our phased reopening plan, which is re-evaluated on an ongoing basis as we move forward. If you are unable to wear a mask inside the library, we are happy to provide curbside borrowing service for checking out library materials, picking up program kits, and printing or copying documents. Please call us with any questions: 603-432-7154

As of 4/11/2021: Starting Sunday, April 11, Nesmith Library will be open on Sundays from 1-5 PM for curbside pickup only! Call 603-432-7154 when you arrive and we will check out your holds and bring them to the curbside table in front of our doors (or the cart just inside the first set of doors if it is too windy out!) Please also call with any questions!

As of 2/22/2021: Open Browsing Hours have returned! Starting Monday, February 22, patrons can enter the library building for brief visits of thirty (30) minutes or less to browse and checkout items, make copies, and ask questions. If you prefer curbside pickup for your holds and program kits, we are happy to continue to provide curbside service! Computer appointments will also continue, call to schedule up to 1 hour per day, masks required at all times in the library.

As of 1/1/2021: Nesmith Library is closed Friday, January 1, Saturday, January 2, and Sunday, January 3. Curbside will be available again on Monday, January 4. Please email questions while we are closed and we will respond as soon as possible: info@nesmithlibrary.org !

As of 12/18/2020: Next week, Nesmith Library will close around the holidays: Open December 21-23, Closed December 24-27. Open December 28-31, Closed January 1-2. Please email questions if we are closed and we will respond as soon as possible: info@nesmithlibrary.org !

As of 12/7/2020: Our limited browsing hours have been suspended for the time being. The Nesmith Library is still open, offering curbside borrowing for library items, copying, and printing, as well as limited computer appointments. Visit the Phased Reopening page for current services, and please contact us with any questions at all.

As of 11/30/2020: We announced that Nesmith Library would return to Curbside Borrowing only, as of Monday, December 7, due to the COVID cases in Windham.

As of 11/20/2020: Our email newsletter will become bi-weekly through the winter season. Next week, Nesmith Library will close around Thanksgiving: Weds, Nov 25 curbside ends at 1 PM, Closed Thursday and Friday, Nov 26-27.

As of 10/30/2020: The FLOW Ongoing Book Sale continues (available during our limited open hours inside the library, Mondays-Saturdays 10 AM-1 PM), and we advertised a job posting for a part time circulation assistant.

As of 9/18/2020: There are now picnic tables around the front areas of the library, and our Wifi can be accessed from all of them!

As of 9/12/2020: Our first Saturday of Express Library Services available from 10 AM-1 PM. Visit the Phased Reopening page for details of our limited open hours.

As of 8/28/2020: Read our Letter from the Director from Library Director Sylvie Brikiatis.

As of 8/12/2020: Nesmith Library will be open to patrons for express library services, Mondays-Fridays, 10 AM-1 PM. Patrons will be able to browse our available display areas for materials to checkout, use the copier, and perform other brief tasks during visits of 30 minutes or less. The Children’s Room remains fully closed. There are no meeting rooms, study areas, or seating available. Computer use will continue to be by appointment, please call to select an appointment of 1 hour per person per day. Face coverings will be required at all times while in the building, and both staff and patrons in the building need to maintain six feet of distancing at all times. Hand sanitizer will be available at the front door. Staff assistance may be unavailable on public computers and at the copier due to social distancing requirements. Please call us (603-432-7154) with any questions before you visit the library so that we can provide the best level of safe service for everyone. Visit the Phased Reopening page for a full summary of our current services.

As of 8/11/2020: Computer appointments are available again.

As of 8/7/2020: The Town of Windham's Emergency Management Director was notified by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) of a potential COVID outbreak in town. Please read the press release from the Town of Windham and their updates for information about town buildings and services. You can also read the press release issued by Crossing LIFE Church on their website. Nesmith Library is still closed to the public, with staff in the building Saturday, August 8 from 9 AM-4 PM to answer phone calls and assist with curbside borrowing. Curbside borrowing will continue as planned from 10 AM-3 PM, but there will be no computer appointments available on Saturday, August 8. The library is closed on Sunday, August 9. We will announce any further updates on Monday, August 10. Thank you for your patience. Please stay safe.

As of 7/31/2020: Computer appointments will be available on Saturdays as well as weekdays, starting 8/1/2020. Visit our Phased Reopening page for a new "reopening rainbow" graphic detailing the phases we are using as we consider how to safely provide service to our community. Caregivers in Windham were invited to respond to our Children's Fall Program Survey.

As of 7/22/2020: Computer Appointments are now available. Starting July 22, Nesmith Library will allow appointments for computer use at the library. Please call the library to book a time slot. Appointments will be limited to 1 hour per person per day. Please arrive at the front door at the scheduled time and staff will let you in. Face coverings will be required at all times while in the building. Hand sanitizer will be available at the front door. Staff assistance may be unavailable due to social distancing requirements. Please ask any questions when making your appointment so that we can provide the best level of safe service for everyone.

As of 7/17/2020: Print and Copy services now available through curbside. Please call the library (603-432-7154) and arrange for print/copy jobs to be processed and delivered out to the curbside table for you. You may also contact us through Ask a Librarian web chat on our website when available, or email us at info@nesmithlibrary.org. We will temporarily not be charging for jobs smaller than 10 pages. Please ask about payment for larger jobs.

As of 7/13/2020: The Nesmith Library reopened Monday July 13 for curbside service, and the book drop reopened on Monday as well.  The building has been completely sanitized and the staff is safe. We appreciate our community’s patience and support as we all try to navigate how to serve everyone safely during these exceptional times. Please continue to visit this website or the Nesmith Library Facebook page for updates. Sharing of items between GMILCS libraries has resumed.

As of 7/8/2020: As a precaution, the library was closed from Thursday, July 9th until Sunday, July 12 to deep clean. Curbside service was suspended and the book drop was closed through Sunday, July 12. Library staff will be available to answer questions via Facebook message, the Ask a Librarian Chat app on the website, and email: info@nesmithlibrary.org. Please continue to check this page, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for further updates.

As of 7/6/2020: Our Curbside Borrowing hours have been extended! Pick up your items using curbside service, Monday-Thursday, 10 AM-7 PM, Friday, 10 AM-4 PM, Saturday, 10 AM-3 PM.

As of 6/19/2020: Library staff are now in the building our normal weekday hours to answer the phones and help patrons: call us at (603) 432-7154, Monday-Thursday, 9 AM-8 PM and Friday, 9 AM-5 PM.

As of 6/12/2020: The Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force announced guidelines for reopening libraries in NH. At this time, we will be continuing Curbside Borrowing only. The library building will remain closed. For our current reopening status, please visit our Phased Reopening page.

As of 6/5/2020: Read our Letter from the Director from Library Director Sylvie Brikiatis.

As of 6/1/2020: Curbside borrowing services started. Library staff are in the building answering phone calls Monday-Friday, 9 AM-5 PM. Curbside service hours are Monday-Friday, 11 AM-4 PM. Visit our Curbside Borrowing page for more details.

As of 5/18/2020: The book drop has been reopened. Staff are quarantining items in the building before we check them in, so your items will remain on your account for a few days after you return them. We are not accepting book donations at this time. If the book drop is full, please hold onto your items and return them another time. We will be emptying the drop as often as possible but we thank you for your patience.

As of 4/17/2020: Read our Letter from the Director: Thank You Volunteers from Library Director Sylvie Brikiatis. This week, the director thanked our variety of volunteers in celebration of National Library Week.

As of 3/24/2020: Read our Letter from the Director: COVID-19 and Materials from Library Director Sylvie Brikiatis. This week, the director and trustees determined the library would remain closed through May 4, 2020.

As of 3/19/2020: The book drop is closed. Please hold on to your library items until we announce that the book drop and the library are reopening.

As of 3/18/2020: Staff are now working from home with limited access to the library building. There will no longer always be someone to answer the phone there, so for fastest response, please email us at info@nesmithlibrary.org.

As of 3/17/2020: View our Library Closure Update email newsletter.

As of 3/16/2020: Read our full Letter to the Public from Library Director Sylvie Brikiatis announcing our closure. After consultation with the town Emergency Management Committee, the Board of Selectmen, and the Nesmith Library trustees, we have decided to close the Nesmith Library to the public from March 17 until April 6, 2020 at which time we will reassess the situation. We are making this very difficult decision based on the recommendations of town, state and federal health departments. Library staff will answer questions when available through email at info@nesmithlibrary.org, and through messages sent to our Facebook page.

As of 3/13/2020: The Nesmith Library suspended all library programs and meeting room usage through March.


Letters from the Director: March 2020-present. Please reach out with your questions and ideas: director@nesmithlibrary.org

Email Newsletters: March 2020-May 2021. Subscribe to receive these updates in your email inbox!

 

 

 

Please visit our Health Resources page for recommended sources of information about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as general health resources.
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