While Canby schools have been open for distance and online learning for just over a month now, the libraries serving each school took a little bit longer.
District Communications Coordinator Autumn Foster said each building was given license to craft custom plans for reopening library facilities to serve students in a way that would still be in line with the county’s coronavirus restrictions.
Thanks to the hard work of librarians, administrators and district staff, each of the district’s school libraries have now created avenues by which students can reserve, pick-up and return materials.
“Essentially, schools have a system set up in which students can request books to check out from the school library,” Foster explained. “Then, during the designated times, families can pick up/drop off books.”
Students can request specific books by title, or review materials available from a particular author or in a certain genre.
To prevent the risk of cross-contamination between families and staff, returned materials are placed in a box and left to sit for a week before they are reshelved or checked out by another student, Foster told The Canby Current.
Pick-up and return schedules, contacts and other information for each library are available here.
Each school has shared this information with their students and families. It will also be included in the next district newsletter on Nov. 6, Foster said.
A similar system is being employed by the Canby Public Library, which is also closed to the public due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic and Clackamas County’s phase 1 restrictions, but has offered curbside pick-up since June.