Berea, Middleburg Heights Libraries Move To Pick-Up Service Only

BEREA, OH — The Cuyahoga County Public Library system will stop allowing patrons inside library buildings, including the Berea and Middleburg Heights branches.

Instead, the county's 27 branches will all offer curbside or drive-thru service starting Thursday. Access to any library buildings will be prohibited.

"As residents throughout Cuyahoga County band together to fight this pandemic, we want to continue to supply you with the library materials you want and need," the library system said in an email to customers.

Customers can still request material online or by calling their branch. Materials can then be collected via drive-thru or curbside pick-up. Libraries will maintain regular open hours for pick-up:

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Stay-at-Home Advisory

The decision to close public access to the library buildings comes after Cuyahoga County officials issued a stay-at-home advisory on Wednesday, to try and curb the surge in new COVID-19 cases.

During a news conference, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Mayor Frank Jackson said positive COVID-19 tests have spiked in recent weeks and new measures are needed to stymie the virus.

Jackson added that data from Case Western Reserve University suggests the county could soon be confirming 1,000 to 1,200 new cases per day.

The advisory recommends schools and churches temporarily close and suggests residents should not host any guests during the holiday season. Universities and K-12 schools are being asked to remain remote following the Thanksgiving holiday.

Employers are being asked to keep as many workers remote as possible. Ohio will be under curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the next three weeks.