Patrons can now access items from the Whistler Public Library through the new Library to Go program, which launched June 1.
Books and more can be picked up Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. after library members are notified their order is ready. Upon arriving at the library, readers will find their books in the lobby in a paper bag, arranged alphabetically by last name.
On the first day of the program, roughly 20 people picked up their pre-existing holds, said library director Elizabeth Tracy, while others were busy making returns.
"We've got about 7,000 items out right now and people are chomping at the bit to get them out of their houses," Tracy said with a chuckle.
With a 72-hour quarantine now in effect, she acknowledged that the wave of material coming in is a bit overwhelming.
"It's going to be interesting but we'll get through it. We're glad for people to know that we're still here," said Tracy.
The quarantine process is fairly simple: patrons return items through the book drop into a bin, and the bins are left untouched for three days before staff check the items back in and place them on the shelves.
Being so early in the process and with staff still learning, Tracy said she isn't entirely sure how quickly requests can be fulfilled and asked readers for patience in the days and weeks to come.
"We're doing this work with constraints that we've never worked with before and though we're a really adaptable organization and we pride ourselves on excellent customer service, things are going to take longer than we probably expect at first until we get really good at it," she said, adding that the quarantine process could delay some holds.
As well, with interlibrary loans currently suspended, some of the library's items may be elsewhere, with an unknown return date.
The Library to Go program may expand in the future as staff adapt and if demand warrants it, said Tracy.
"The first objective really, is getting physical items into peoples' hands because we think that's what they have missed and what a lot of people need, and what we can safely provide right now," she said.
As well, the library extended the lending period from three to four weeks, starting on the first day a hold is available—this allows patrons more time with the items.
Some larger items, such as story boxes, are not available for lending at this time as the library looks to find ways to safely collect and sanitize them.
Recreational opportunities offered through the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), meanwhile, are currently minimal. As neighbouring municipalities such as Squamish have started offering trickles of outdoor classes, Mayor Jack Crompton said the RMOW does not currently have the staff to run programming.
"We actually have limited capacity for indoor classes outdoors because of a lack of staff," he said. "Our instructors are casual staff, and all casual and auxiliary staff were temporarily laid off in March."
However, there will be outdoor classes as part of National Health and Fitness Day this Saturday, June 6, in the Meadow Park Sports Centre parking lot with instructors volunteering their time. Classes will last for an hour and will be: power walking with body weight exercises led by Marie-Anne Prevost at 9 a.m.; Zumba led by Susie Douglas at 10:30 a.m.; total body workout with higher intensity led by Jess Finnegan at noon; and fitness for beginners and seniors led by Diana De Man at 1:30 p.m.
Crompton said the classes each have a maximum of 30 people, as COVID-19 physical distancing procedures will be in place.
Also at Meadow Park, the annual maintenance shutdown, normally taking place in the fall, has been moved up to a time when the facility is closed anyway. There is currently no timeline for its reopening.
Up in Pemberton, meanwhile, the recreation centre's outdoor spaces and spray pads were open for use as of June 2, with further updates to recreation options expected to be announced in mid-June as the Village of Pemberton applies WorkSafeBC's guidelines to its other spaces.
The Pemberton and District Library has offered contactless hold pick-ups since mid-April and has been expanding those services as time has gone by.
