COVID-19 Updates

UPDATE: March 16, 2021—The Library continues to take many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• On-site programming is back in-person.
• Masks are no longer required, but they are RECOMMENDED.
• On April 1, our largest meeting space, the Crawford Room, will be bookable by outside organizations. Visit nsf.bjrujiabj.com/meeting-study-rooms or call 577-7323 to book it.
• One-on-one tech support is available again on the 2nd floor, but masks are mandated when working closely with library staff.
• Hand sanitizing is no longer required, but is still RECOMMENDED.
• Regular cleanings & sanitization
• Social/physical distancing
• Returned items are subjected to a quarantine period before circulating back into the collection.
• The Creation Station is reopened. We are limiting one-on-one interactions and hands-on training/help to 5-10 minutes per day per patron.
• For patrons who don’t feel comfortable attending in-person programming, we will continue to offer take & make crafts for at-home crafting projects. Stop by Children’s for kids & tweens, Teen Zone for teen, and the front desk for adult take & makes.
• The Tech Center is open, along with several reference services, but we are limiting staff-to-patron interaction to 5-10 minutes per day per patron. This includes computers, faxing & printing, notary public, proctoring, and reference.
• Our small meeting rooms are available for use. Visit nsf.bjrujiabj.com/meeting-study-rooms to reserve one.
• If you are sick or experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please do not visit the Library. If you are experiencing symptoms and do come to the Library, you may be asked to leave and return once you are asymptomatic. You can call for Books by Mail, or check out our website for our digital offerings.

Check back often for updates and changes.

January 8, 2021—The Library is open Mon – Thurs 9am – 7pm, Fri – Sat 9am – 5pm, & Sun 1-5pm. The Library continues to take many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• On-site programming is on hold temporarily.
• Hand sanitizing is no longer required, but is still RECOMMENDED.
• MASKS REQUIRED! All visitors to the Library will be required to wear proper face coverings in order to enter and remain inside the library. Individuals not in compliance with the mask mandate will have to leave the premises.
• Regular cleanings & sanitization
• Social/physical distancing
• Returned items are subjected to a quarantine period before circulating back into the collection.
• The Creation Station is reopened, but with limited programming. We are limiting one-on-one interactions and hands-on training/help to 5-10 minutes per day per patron.
• For patrons who don’t feel comfortable attending in-person programming, we will continue to offer take & make crafts for at-home crafting projects. Stop by Children’s for kids & tweens, Teen Zone for teen, and the front desk for adult take & makes.
• The Tech Center is open, along with several reference services, but we are limiting staff-to-patron interaction to 5-10 minutes per day per patron. This includes computers, faxing & printing, notary public, proctoring, and reference. One-on-one tech support is currently suspended until further notice.
• Our small meeting rooms are available for use. Visit nsf.bjrujiabj.com/meeting-study-rooms to reserve one. Our largest meeting space, the Crawford Room, remains closed for community meetings and events.
• If you are sick or experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please do not visit the Library. If you are experiencing symptoms and do come to the Library, you may be asked to leave and return once you are asymptomatic. You can call for Books by Mail, or check out our website for our digital offerings.

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November 14, 2020—The Library is open Mon – Thurs 9am – 7pm, Fri – Sat 9am – 5pm, & Sun 1-5pm. The Library continues to take many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• MASKS REQUIRED! All visitors to the Library will be required to wear proper face coverings in order to enter and remain inside the library. Individuals not in compliance with the mask mandate will have to leave the premises.
• Mandatory hand sanitizing for patrons before entering the building
• Regular cleanings & sanitization
• Social/physical distancing
• Returned items are subjected to a quarantine period before circulating back into the collection.
• The Creation Station is reopened, but with limited programming. We are limiting one-on-one interactions and hands-on training/help to 5-10 minutes per day per patron.
• For patrons who don’t feel comfortable attending in-person programming, we will continue to offer take & make crafts for at-home crafting projects. Stop by Children’s for kids & tweens, Teen Zone for teen, and the front desk for adult take & makes.
• On-site programming is back, with socially-distanced regular storytimes, in-person book discussions, and other events. All in-library programs and events will require that masks be worn and numbers be limited to comply with COVID restrictions.
• The Tech Center is open, along with several reference services, but we are limiting staff-to-patron interaction to 5-10 minutes per day per patron. This includes computers, faxing & printing, notary public, proctoring, and reference. One-on-one tech support is currently suspended until further notice.
• Our small meeting rooms are available for use. Visit nsf.bjrujiabj.com/meeting-study-rooms to reserve one. Our largest meeting space, the Crawford Room, remains closed for community meetings and events.
• If you are sick or experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please do not visit the Library. If you are experiencing symptoms and do come to the Library, you may be asked to leave and return once you are asymptomatic. You can call for Books by Mail, or check out our website for our digital offerings.

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November 2, 2020—The Library is open Mon – Thurs 9am – 7pm, Fri – Sat 9am – 5pm, & Sun 1-5pm. The Library continues to take many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• Mandatory hand sanitizing for patrons before entering the building
• Regular cleanings & sanitization
• Social/physical distancing
• While masks for patrons are strongly preferred, they are required for staff
• Returned items are subjected to a quarantine period before circulating back into the collection.
• The Creation Station is reopened, but with limited programming. We are limiting one-on-one interactions and hands-on training/help to 5-10 minutes per day per patron.
• For patrons who don’t feel comfortable attending in-person programming, we will continue to offer take & make crafts for at-home crafting projects. Stop by Children’s for kids & tweens, Teen Zone for teen, and the front desk for adult take & makes.
• On-site programming is back, with socially-distanced regular storytimes, in-person book discussions, and other events. All in-library programs and events will require that masks be worn and numbers be limited to comply with COVID restrictions.
• The Tech Center is open, along with several reference services, but we are limiting staff-to-patron interaction to 5-10 minutes per day per patron. This includes computers, faxing & printing, notary public, proctoring, and reference. One-on-one tech support is currently suspended until further notice.
• Our small meeting rooms are available for use. Call 577-7323 to reserve one. Our largest meeting space, the Crawford Room, remains closed for community meetings and events.
• If you are sick or experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please do not visit the Library. If you are experiencing symptoms and do come to the Library, you may be asked to leave and return once you are asymptomatic. You can call for Books by Mail, or check out our website for our digital offerings.

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September 3, 2020—The Natrona County Library will resume normal operating hours starting after the Labor Day holiday, on Tuesday, September 8^th. The Library will be open Mon – Thurs 9am – 7pm, Fri – Sat 9am – 5pm, & Sun 1-5pm. The Library continues to take many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• Mandatory hand sanitizing for patrons before entering the building
• Regular cleanings & sanitization
• Social/physical distancing
• While masks for patrons are preferred, they are required for staff
• Returned items are subjected to a quarantine period before circulating back into the collection. The Creation Station is closed to hold quarantined items.
• In lieu of our regular in-person programming, we are offering take-and-make crafts for our young (and young at heart) patrons. Stop by the Children’s desk to grab one.
• On-site programming will continue to be limited. These will be advertised on Facebook and on the Upcoming Programs calendar on the library website.
• The Tech Center is open, along with several reference services. This includes computers, faxing & printing, notary public, proctoring, and one-on-one tech support and reference.
• Our small meeting rooms are available for use. Call 577-7323 to reserve one. Our largest meeting space, the Crawford Room, remains closed for community meetings and events.
• If you are sick or experiencing COVID-like symptoms, please do not visit the Library. You can call for Books by Mail, or check out our website for our digital offerings.

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July 28, 2020 — The Natrona County Library continues summer hours. The Library is open Monday – Thursday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm & Friday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm. The Library continues to take many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• Mandatory hand sanitizing for patrons before entering the building
• Regular cleanings
• Social/physical distancing
• While masks for patrons are preferred, they are required for staff
• Returned items are subjected to a 72 hour quarantine period before circulating back into the collection. The Creation Station is closed to hold quarantined items.
• On-site programming will continue to be limited, but the library is holding some pop-up programs that will be held outdoors. These will be advertised on Facebook and on the Upcoming Programs calendar on the library website.

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June 15, 2020 — The Natrona County Library will begin summer hours on Monday, June 15^th. The Library will be open Monday – Thursday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm & Friday – Saturday, 9:00am – 5:00pm. The Library will be taking many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• mandatory hand sanitizing for patrons before entering the building
• regular cleanings
• social distancing
• while masks for patrons are preferred, they are required for staff
• returned items will be subjected to a 72 hour quarantine period before circulating back into the collection
• programming will continue to be limited

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May 19, 2020 — The Natrona County Library will be reopening to the public on Tuesday, May 26^th. The Library will be open Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm, until further notice. The Library will be taking many precautions and measures to ensure the safety of patrons, including:

• mandatory hand sanitizing for patrons before they can enter the building
• regular cleanings throughout the day
• exterior holds pickup
• social distancing
• while masks for patrons are preferred, they are required for staff
• patrons are limited to selecting and checking out items ONLY; all computers, fax machines, copiers, printers, and reference services are currently unavailable
• vulnerable population hours from 9am – 11am every day (elderly, pregnant, and immunocompromised patrons)
• limited access – only a limited number of patrons will be allowed in the library at any given time

Limited access may mean that you have to wait a little bit before entering, but there are ways to speed up the process. If you know exactly what books you want, you may place your hold online ahead of time, and you will be notified when your items are ready to be picked up. The drive-up pickup point will be around the side of the building near the book drop, eliminating the need to come inside to grab your items. If you have items to return, you are still able to drop them in the book drop, as well as at designated points inside on the first floor.

Children under the age of 14 will not be allowed into the library without an accompanying adult and must be actively monitored at all times. The Library also reserves the right to deny entry to anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

Additionally, to minimize the transfer of potentially harmful germs via library materials, every item that is returned will be subjected to a 72 hour quarantine period before circulating back into the collection, as recommended by the CDC and American Library Association. This means that any item you check out is safe and does not need extra sanitizing or cleaning before you can enjoy it.

Regular in-person programs and events remain cancelled and will resume only when it is safe and the time is right. This includes the Creation Station, which will be closed until further notice. Library staff will be supplementing with a continued digital presence, including online storytimes, crafts, book discussions, and tutorials.

As time goes on, the Library hopes to ease up on any restrictions and limitations as soon as it is deemed safe to do so. The goal and hope of library staff is to return to a semblance of normalcy as soon as possible, with programming slated to potentially resume in the fall.

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March 16, 2020 — Due to the continuing health and safety concerns surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19), the LIBRARY IS CLOSED until further notice. While our book drop will remain open during the closure, we will be going FINE FREE, with no accrued overdue or late fees. Please feel free to keep your books, DVDs, and other library materials until May 1. Current holds will be held until May 4. Our staff will use the next few weeks to thoroughly clean and disinfect the Library so that when we reopen, we can provide a safe and healthy space for all of our patrons.

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March 13, 2020 — Due to the continuing health and safety concerns surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19),and because of our commitment to the well-being of our patrons and staff, we have to decided to realign our services and temporarily suspend all programming—including outreach and bookmobile services—so that we may focus our efforts on keeping the Library safe and disinfected. This is effective immediately, and will continue until April 13th. We are closely monitoring the situation, and will keep you updated on any changes. During this time, our other services will continue as usual. 

Read the March 12, 2020 message from our Director to Library patrons and Natrona County Residents

The health and safety of our staff and patrons is of the utmost importance. We are closely monitoring information about the virus and following the direction from state and local health officials. As more information develops, we will update this page and notify our patrons of any disruption to programs or services that may occur as a result of the virus.

While the current risk in our area remains low, we are following the current CDC recommendations to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 by:

• Posting COVID-19 information/prevention signage in public areas at both of our locations
• Providing hand sanitizer (70% alcohol-based), disinfectant wipes and tissues at all public desks and public computers for patrons who wish to wipe down keyboards and mice
• Increasing frequency of regular disinfection of hard surfaces with a hospital-grade antiviral disinfectant including: handrails, door handles, elevator buttons, sinks and faucets, countertops, window sills, light switches, chair arms and copier/printer controls
• Removing any unnecessary items in children’s areas such as toys, puzzles, and other playthings that are difficult to clean and sanitize
• Requiring NCL staff stay home when they are sick
• Requiring NCL staff to regularly practice the preventative measures listed above

Coronavirus (COVID-19)*

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

How does COVID-19 spread?

The virus that causes COVID-19 probably emerged from an animal source, but now it seems to be spreading from person to person. At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading between people.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

• fever
• cough
• shortness of breath
• severe complications may include pneumonia in both lungs

How can I help protect myself?

There are simple everyday preventative actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. These include:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

If you are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, you should:

• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

If you prefer not to visit a library in person, you can contact library staff by calling 577-READ to get your questions answered. The Library also has a vast collection of digital materials that you can access without setting foot outside your house:

• eBooks & eAudiobooks
• Streaming Video
• Databases
• Digital Magazines
• K-12 Homeschool Learning Resources

All are available for free with your library card.

It’s important to remember that COVID-19 isn’t connected to race, ethnicity or nationality. Stigma will not help fight the illness. Sharing accurate information from trusted sources is critical to reduce misinformation. Find reliable and current information about the outbreak from local, state, and national agencies below.

Haga clic aquí para obtener información sobre el coronavirus en español.

COVID-19 Resources

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Wyoming Department of Health
• CDC Travel Information
• Coronavirus in the U.S. Map
• NPR–5 Ways to Prevent and Prepare for the Coronavirus
• What Public Libraries Need to Know About the Coronavirus
• Lo que necesita saber sobre la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019

*All information and recommendations above were provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). As more information is learned about the virus, this information may change. For the latest information and recommendations from the CDC, visit www.cdc.gov/COVID19.