Bellaire City Library announces June 3 reopening, new senior browsing hour

Bellaire City Library, at 5111 Jessamine St., Bellaire, will reopen its doors to the general public at 10 a.m. June 3, the city of Bellaire announced May 29.

Hours will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday-Saturday, though the library will be adhering to a 25% occupancy requirement, library Director Mary Cohrs said.

“We’re following everything suggested by the CDC, governor’s office, and [Harris County Judge Lina] Hidalgo’s office,” Cohrs said.

Social distancing will be helped through spacing out furniture and chairs in the library, Cohrs said. The library has installed shields around its circulation desk to protect library staff from possible exposure to COVID-19, and staff will work to thoroughly clean and sanitize the library space throughout the day. In addition, available computers for use have been reduced in half, with time limits on the machines cut from four hours to one hour per day, Cohrs said.

The library will not be able to accommodate any meetings, gatherings, programs or group visits until further notice, and book donations are also deferred until the end of summer, according to the city’s website.

Curbside pickup, which began May 4, will continue as it has, according to the announcement. The service has grown in popularity, Cohrs said, with the library seeing 36 curbside pickups on May 30.

The library will also start a new senior adult browsing hour beginning June 8 and held daily from 9-10 a.m. for any adult age 50 or older, Cohrs said.