WILMINGTON, N.C. – The last day New Hanover County Public Libraries were open to the public was March 17. Since then, they've been relying on curbside pick up and online resources to keep their patrons connected.

“A lot of people spend a lot of time in here and they're handling a lot of materials so we thought the safest thing to do was just to close,” says Kristyn Saroff, senior librarian at the main library in Wilmington.

Just last week, they reopened their doors to allow 50 percent capacity in the libraries for limited computer use and browsing. Patrons are now able to check out books and pick up holds in person, but staff are keeping contact as minimal as possible.

In depth computer assistance is not available and patrons must use self checkout. Stickers on the floor direct people to social distance while browsing and sanitation stations are dispersed throughout the building.

“This was a compromise we could make," Saroff says. “We wanted to reopen and provide that browsing access to people and computer access to people who really needed it. This is the way we're best able to do it safely for both patrons and staff right now.”

Wiping down all the surfaces in the library is logistically impossible for staff. Instead they are using non-contact returns where books are dropped in the outside return box and quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours before being returned to the shelf or loaned out to other patrons.

“We also don't have an unlimited supply of sanitizing wipes,” Saroff says. “If we were wiping off every book we would have been out months ago. We won't wipe it down for you, but if you want to wipe it down at home I think that's always a good idea with a library book.”

Patrons themselves are simply excited to be back in the building once more. There's just something about being able to browse for a book and thumb through the pages. Jaime Dakim and her family recently moved to North Carolina and she's thrilled to be able to bring her son to the library in person. She says that's all she and her husband have talked about for the past month.

“This is our first time since the pandemic in a library and specifically a North Carolina library,” Dakim says. “It's awesome, especially the children's section upstairs. It was amazing to be back in there after like decades of not being in there.”

Saroff is encouraging patrons to use curbside pick up as much as possible to minimize the traffic in the library. And while you could easily get lost in the rows of books, for now she says trips to the library should be quick and efficient rather than the hours long adventure some might be used to.