Beaufort County Library's Phased Re-Opening Moves Forward ...

When I arrived at the building this morning, this placard was on the front window of Beaufort Branch Library:

I know that it was meant for all the folks who work in the Beaufort Branch Library downstairs, but I am going to say that it was for all Beaufort County Library personnel who work full-time or part-time in one (or more) of our facilities to deliver materials and services to you: Administration, all the people who work at Bluffton, Hilton Head, Lobeco, and St. Helena Branches, on the bookmobiles, in the Technical Services department, the two folks in the IT unit who've kept our computers up and running, and the BDC. M. Smith, rest assured that we appreciate your sentiment and we miss seeing our customers, too. 

At 8 AM today, Phase II of the Library's re-opening plan came into effect. Details are on a new Library web page called  COVID Operations that looks like this: 

https://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/covid-operations

 

As indicated, the Library will re-open but given the pandemic, service delivery may continue to be different from the way we did things on March 14, 2020 for quite some time. There's lots of good information detailing how Library staff can assist you at the present time. Please click your way through all the buttons to get the fullest experience and understanding of the Library's phased re-opening plan.

In the case of this unit, I am mostly working remotely but keeping regular hours. I will respond to emails sent to bcd@bcgov.net or gracec@bcgov.net as well as emails sent to the Library's general contact address about local history or genealogy that are forwarded to me. Voice mail messages left on the 843-255-6446 work line show up in my in-box as well. I am writing, planning, and maintaining the BDC's social media outlets: our local history focused Facebook page; this Connections blog as well as the "BDCBCL: Links, Lists, and Finding Aids" WordPress one so there's always something "new" about Beaufort District's long and storied history, people and/or places from the BDC for you to know and learn.

When the Library re-opens to the public on a limited basis in Phase III on or about June 15, 2020 - depending on the status of COVID-19 conditions - access to the Research Room will look and feel different due to the limited physical size of our public research area. I've already begun the changes as this photograph shows:

Research Room: 6' between desks, doors, and customer equipment

This may be a good moment to highlight our own unit's history. 10 years ago access to the BDC was shut down from July 19, 2010 until September 29, 2010 while Charmaine Concepcion and I physically relocated the materials from our cramped quarters in the old SC Room up to our current quarters on the 2nd floor. We got everything ready for the public with only 1 hour to spare before the formal reception that evening. But what a joyous occasion! I am sure that when the first researcher is allowed back in, there will be a celebration - but no hugs - because everyone has to stay socially distanced per the rules! Stay safe, stay well, and Kristi and I hope to see you in the Research Room sometime soon.