July 29, 2020           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Select In-Branch Services Available at Richmond Hill Public Library

Starting Aug. 4 (Central Library) and Aug. 18 (Oak Ridges, Richmond Green and Richvale Libraries), Richmond Hill Public Library (RHPL) will partially open to provide vital services to our community. With the safety and wellbeing of both our community and staff as our priority, library locations will offer in-branch holds pickup, printing/computer access, and reference/account support.

“It’s always our goal to provide the Richmond Hill community with the services they need, when they need them,” says Darren Solomon, Chief Executive Officer, RHPL. “Through the launch of our curbside pickup program, we’ve been able to innovate new ways to safely provide services to our community. And now we’re excited to leverage our learnings to expand our services within provincial guidelines.”

Locations will open with limited access; high touch areas (such as children’s play areas) and gathering places (such as study desks or meeting rooms) will remain closed. Library staff will monitor the capacity of each location to ensure community members have the space they need to navigate each library in a safe manner. Community members will be encouraged to leave the library once they receive the item or service they need.

“Libraries remain the greatest equalizer in our community,” says Greg Beros, RHPL Board Chair. “By safely expanding our services, we’re able to open our doors to people who have had limited access to computers, and we’re able to get books and DVDs into our residents’ hands in a shorter span of time.”

Opening branch locations will reintroduce two of the most popular services RHPL provides to the community. In 2019, 1.2 million print items and almost 200,000 DVDs and CDs were borrowed from RHPL locations. Over 185,000 holds were placed on library materials and our public computers received over 160,000 logins.

The Library requires all staff and customers to wear masks upon entering branches. For more information on safety procedures and library services, please visit www.rhpl.ca/reopening.

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About Richmond Hill Public Library: Richmond Hill Public Library has served its local community for more than 165 years. The Library has over 72,000 card holders, and sees one million annual in-person visits and 2.2 million digital visits to its physical and virtual spaces. It serves a population of more than 200,000 Richmond Hill residents through its four locations: Central Library, Oak Ridges Library, Richmond Green Library and Richvale Library. Find out what’s happening at RHPL by visiting www.rhpl.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Annesha Hutchinson
Manager, Communications
Richmond Hill Public Library
ahutchinson@rhpl.ca
416-991-2799​