Based on direction from the Library Board and from the City of Belleville, and out of concern for our customers and staff, effective Tuesday March 17, Belleville Public Library and John M. Parrott Art Gallery will be closed to the public until further notice. Staff will be available to respond to customer inquiries by phone or by email over the next week to ensure that all residents have access to the wide range of digital products we have available.
We are also asking that customers please keep all borrowed library items home and do not return them until we reopen. All due dates and fines will be suspended or cleared during the closure. Borrowed materials will not accrue fines and should not be returned to the library until our facility opens to the public. We will endeavour to ensure that items on hold available for pickup remain on the hold shelf for use once we open again to the public.
There are many digital resources and online services that the Library provides that offer a wide variety of educational and recreational experiences. This includes Gale Courses, which are free, college-level online courses on a variety of topics; Hoopla, providing free eBooks, audiobooks, movies, and music; Overdrive, providing free eBooks and audiobooks; and Kanopy, providing access to thousands of films from around the world for instant streaming. We also provide access to the Canadian Reference Centre which includes thousands of full-text magazine articles and other digital content on a wide variety of topics.
While we are closed to the public our facility will be undergoing extensive cleaning.
We encourage everyone to check on friends and neighbours who may have difficulty accessing food or healthcare and to work together to practice social isolation and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
If customers are having trouble accessing online services, or have questions about the closure of the facility, they can call 613-968-6731 ext. 2021, or email infoserv@bellevillelibrary.ca
Councillor Paul Carr, Chair of the Belleville Public Library Board comments:
“As a precautionary measure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the decision to close the Belleville Public Library & John M. Parrott Art Gallery will be closed effective Tuesday March 17, until further notice. I encourage residents to regularly check the information being provided by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.”
For more information please contact:
Trevor Pross
CEO
613-968-6731 ext. 2222
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