To the Editor:

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Oxford County and across Maine, the Bethel Library has made the difficult decision to close to the public and return to contact-free lending of library materials as of the end of this month.

The library will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and will reopen on Monday, Nov. 30 with a new contact-free lending system in place.

Patrons may request books and other materials in one of three ways: directly from the library’s website, bethellibraryassociation.org (click on “Search the Bethel Library Collection” on the homepage to check availability and make your request), by calling 207-824-2520, or by emailing [email protected].

Requested materials will be placed in labeled bags in the library’s airlock entry, where patrons may retrieve them during the following hours:

Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 5 p.m.

You can also use the library’s website to download ebooks from the Cloud Library or download magazines and connect to multiple databases through the Digital Maine Library.

Books and other materials should be returned through the book drop slot beside the front door. As part of our COVID-19 safety protocol, all materials are quarantined for three days before becoming available for lending.

We are grateful for the support of our patrons and friends during this challenging time, and we look forward to the time when we can resume all of our programs and services.

Amy Chapman

for The Bethel Library Staff and Board of Trustees

Bethel