News: Library Temporarily Closed to Patrons Through March 31

Dear Pelham Library Patrons, Friends and Neighbors,

Nothing is more important to us than your health and safety, and we take seriously our responsibility as an institution that serves the public good. With that in mind, after consulting with public health experts and town and state officials, the Town of Pelham Public Library and its trustees have decided to temporarily close the Library to patrons starting Saturday, March 14 through March 31.

We will be suspending all fines for materials due during those dates. It has come to our attention that overdue notices are being sent out to patrons for items that were borrowed before the closure. To prevent this from continuing to occur, all open circulations that happened on or after February 1st and which do not have a status of lost will be extended to May 1st.  Any items that were on hold shelf on March 13, when the Library closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, were entered and processed and will remain on the hold shelf, waiting for pickup once the library reopens. Any holds pending on your account will remain on your account. Holds that were in transit are basically in limbo for the duration. You can continue to place holds but they will remain unfilled until the Westchester libraries reopen.

We will continue to monitor developments with the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) and regularly reassess this temporary closure. There have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus among our employees. Our goal is to do everything we can to help curb the spread of this outbreak.

In these challenging times, libraries can be an extraordinary force for keeping us connected, fostering discussion and providing a wonderful escape. With this in mind, we are developing ways to continue to provide patrons with access to materials and to find ways for us to get together online. In the meantime, please explore our digital collection, which includes streaming movies, TV, and music. For information on what’s available click here. And, be sure to download the Westchester Library System app. (The Westchester Library System has doubled the borrowing limits for Hoopla and Kanopy.) You will need an active library card and your PIN to access the online materials.

We thank you for your understanding and for being a part of the Pelham Library. We will continue to share news with you and we look forward to welcoming you to the Library when we reopen to patrons. You can also find information about the status of other libraries in the Westchester Library System here.

If you have any questions, please leave us a message at 914-738-1234 or email us though our contact form.

Be safe and well,

Patricia Perito
Library Director