CRRL To Launch Curbside Pickup As Part Of Gradual Reopening Plan

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — The Central Rappahannock Regional Library will be providing curbside pickup service starting Wednesday. As part of the gradual reopening of the library system, each library branch will have limited hours on specific days for curbside pickup of items previously placed on hold.

Library staff are currently preparing materials that have already been placed on hold. Patrons will receive an email once their hold is available for pickup at their branch. They can check the status of their holds under "on hold" in their online account.

CRRL is currently focusing only on getting the 19,000 holds already in place delivered to patrons. The library system is not allowing new holds on physical materials until existing holds are filled.

Patrons can then head to the curbside pickup zone during their branch’s curbside pickup hours. At this point, the library is asking customers with pickup at these branches to come on an assigned day to avoid traffic issues.

The hours for the Fredericksburg, Howell, Porter, Salem Church, and Snow branches are:

• Wednesdays, 1:00-5:00 (last names between A-H)
• Thursdays, 1:00-5:00 (last names between I-P)
• Fridays, 9:00-1:00 (last names between Q-Z)
• Saturdays, 9:00-1:00 (all last names)

The Cooper Branch will be open for curbside pickup on Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Montross Branch will be open on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Newton Branch will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Curbside pickup is not available at the Towne Centre or Fried Center branches at this time, the library system said.

The CRRL has 10 branches and serves as the library system for the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland, Caroline, and the city of Fredericksburg.

Other regions of Virginia also are starting to offer curbside service at their libraries. In Fairfax County, the library system is providing contact-free curbside pickup of items at all of its branches. Curbside pickup happens between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday across the county.

In the city of Alexandria, curbside pickup for the backlog of holds started last Monday. Last Thursday, patrons were allowed begin placing new holds online at alexlibraryva.org.

In the CRRL system, telephone numbers will be displayed on curbside signs. Patrons who do not use a mobile phone can call the library at 540-645-5381 or (804-224-0921 for Cooper, Montross, or Newton) before they leave for the library to alert staff to expect their arrival.

Once patrons are parked in the curbside pickup zone and have let staff know that they have arrived, they should pop their trunk, or if that’s not possible, roll down a rear window. Patrons are asked to stay in their vehicles with the doors closed for safety reasons due to concerns about the coronavirus. A staff member wearing a face mask and gloves will check out their materials, bag them, and deliver the bag right to their car.

For the time being, patrons should keep all checked-out materials and donations at home, CRRL said. Fines will not accrue.

The CRRL has a website with information about how the library system is operating in response to the coronavirus.