Five Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh locations will begin curbside pickup service June 23: Allegheny, Brookline, East Liberty, Hill District and Oakland. Patrons will be able to take home books and other materials, as well as return borrowed materials.
Spokesperson Suzanne Thinnes said the five locations were selected based on building size and location in order to serve the most patrons possible. Library staff will monitor the program’s success before considering rolling out curbside service at additional locations.
Patrons who have holds placed on materials prior to April 8th —when the system was shut down and buildings closed due to the pandemic— will have first priority. Staff will call those patrons to set up a pickup appointment.
The five locations will host pickup appointment windows every 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m Tuesdays through Saturdays. All visitors will need to have a confirmed appointment time in order to pick up their items.
Overdue materials will be accepted during curbside pickup hours also. Thinnes said the Library received dozens of requests to allow patrons to return their books. The Library plans to organize a one-day county-wide collection event in the coming weeks. But, said Thinnes, late fines will continue to be waived for the foreseeable future.
Once items are returned, they will be quarantined for 72 hours before a staff member processes them. Thinnes warned that due to this wait period, a book may not immediately register as returned on a patron’s account.
People can also sign up for a library card at The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh website.
Members of the Allegheny County Library Association are also phasing in returns and curbside pick-up based on an individual library's ability to staff and maintain those programs. Visit the Allegheny County Library Association’s website for more information about a specific location’s policies.
