Welcome back, we are delighted to see you!

As we continue to respond to the ongoing pandemic, we have some guidelines in place for our users:

  • Everyone entering the Williamsburg Library or the James City County Library, age 3 and up, will be required to wear a face covering and agree to a health survey. Individuals who cannot medically tolerate wearing a mask or face covering are asked to call the library at 757.741.3300, option 2 before visiting so that reasonable accommodations for service can be made.

  • Please do not gather in groups with anyone outside of your household.

  • We ask that you keep your library visit to one hour or less for the safety of staff and library users.

Here are some of the changes we have made for user and staff safety:

New Hours

Because of staffing limitations and the need for enhanced sanitation measures, we are reopening with reduced hours. Our current schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Library facilities will be closed on Sunday.

Entrances and Capacity

Social distancing requirements mandate that we limit the number of people in the buildings. To enable easier monitoring of occupancy limits at the Williamsburg Library, the Scotland St. and Theatre entrances will be closed and users are asked to use the main entrance on City Square.

WRL To-Go

Our touchless curbside pickup service, WRL To-Go, will continue to be offered even after library buildings reopen. Simply place the items you want on hold and once they are available we will contact you about making an appointment to retrieve them from the library building of your choice. For more information about how this system works, head to www.wrl.org/wrl-to-go.

Introducing A New Way to Check Out

Our new self-check out system is easy and convenient — simply scan your library card then place your stack of items on the pad and you’re ready to go! No need to scan each item individually, as this new system can register many items at once. Self-check out saves you time, and minimizes WRL staff contact with your items, making our library more efficient and hygienic. Be sure to bring your library card or use the WRL app to store your card number. You can also pay fines and fees right in the app.

Grab Your Holds and Go

Now that our buildings are open, you can pickup your hold items inside. Due to the continued need to minimize WRL staff contact with library materials, we are introducing self-pickup of materials placed on hold. Come to the library location you selected for your hold and head to the designated hold pickup area and locate your items, then check them out through our new self-check out system.

Programs

Though the library buildings are reopening, we’re not resuming in-person library programming at this time. We will be continuing to offer a robust line-up of virtual programs, a full schedule of which can be found at www.wrl.org/events.

Meeting Rooms

Please note that we are not currently taking meeting room reservations, and we don’t yet have a date by which we anticipate resuming that operation. Thank you for your patience as we iron out how best to make all of our library spaces available in a way that is responsible and prioritizes community health and safety.

Computers

In accordance with social distancing guidelines, we have rearranged our computer stations in order to give each remaining station a minimum buffer of six feet on all sides.

Seating and Study Tables

You will notice that we have rearranged many of our seating areas and study tables to comply with social distancing guidelines. Please try to always maintain at least 6 feet of space from other users.

Play Areas

Due to the tactile nature of our children’s play areas, we’ve made the decision to keep those areas of the library closed for now in order to limit the spread of germs via surfaces. All toys have been removed, and we ask that you refrain from touching any fixed play elements that remain in place.

Donating Materials

The Friends of WRL are accepting donations. There are some new guidelines for donations in response to the pandemic situation:
  • Book Nook donations will be accepted only during library open hours.
  • Book Nook donations must be dropped off at a specified location at each building.
    • At the Williamsburg Library, donations will be accepted at a cart outside the Theatre entrance
    • At the James City County Library, donations will be accepted on a cart near the book drops by the entrance.
  • Book Nook donations should be boxed or bagged and placed on or next to the cart.
  • If you have a donation larger than 5 boxes, please need to come inside and arrange for a staff member to accept the donation.
  • Book Nook donations should be in good condition so they can be sold to benefit the library.

Sanitation Efforts

Hand sanitizer will be available at library entrances and users are encouraged to use that and to wash hands frequently. The library has intensified cleaning of the library buildings.