ASHLAND, Ky. — Boyd County Public Library is planning to reopen its doors as part of Gov. Andy Beshear’s Healthy at Work phased approach to reopening Kentucky’s economy. As part of the governor’s plan, BCPL plans to open on Monday, June 8, with some restrictions and protective guidelines in place to keep patrons and employees safe.

“We are excited to see our patrons using the facilities again,” said Library Director Debbie Cosper. “However, we hope that everyone understands it’s not a simple matter of ‘doors are open, come on in.’ It’s more like ‘doors are open but we still need to make it safe for staff and the public by following official guidelines.’ Our plans are subject to change, modification and whims beyond our control.”

As part of the phased reopening, the library plans to open in four stages subject to modifications, alterations and variations. Curbside pickup at the Main Branch will continue to operate throughout the reopening.

• The Main Branch will open with limited weekday hours. The Catlettsburg and Kyova Branches and homebound services will remain closed.

• The Main Branch will add some evening and weekend hours. The Catlettsburg Branch and Homebound Services will reopen.

• Curbside pickup will begin at the Summit Branch while the Kyova Branch remains closed.

• The library will return to full service.

The library will limit the number of people inside the facility, including staff, to about 50 and patrons will be limited to one-hour visits. Signs and arrows will be in place to illustrate traffic patterns and guidelines.

During the reopening, some areas of the library will be closed to public access and staff will retrieve materials for patrons; some areas will be open with limited public access. Meeting rooms and study rooms will remain closed until Stage 4 of the reopening. Signage will be in place with these changes.

Staff members will be required to have temperatures checked and to be screened before each shift. Staff also will be required to wear masks and patrons will be highly encouraged to do the same.

The facilities will be cleaned using a professional service before opening as well as once a week. The custodial staff will maintain a cleaning schedule throughout each day. Materials returned to the library will be quarantined for 72 hours before they are available for checkout.

“We want to reopen and it is our priority to do so while keeping everyone safe and healthy,” Cosper said. “Anyone who isn’t comfortable with coming into the facility can still reserve and pickup materials through curbside pickup.”

Boyd County Public Library is the largest public library in Eastern Kentucky with more than 40,000 patrons and locations in Ashland (1740 Central Ave.), Catlettsburg (2704 Louisa Street) and at the Kyova Mall as well as an online branch at www.thebookplace.org.

The library is temporarily open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and offers free resources, online programs and events and an extensive digital collection, enabling people of any income level to participate.

For more information, contact the Boyd County Public Library at 606-329-0090 or visit one of the branches.