Mission Viejo Library Closing Monday, March 16; However, Many Services Will Still Be Available

From the City of Mission Viejo:

March 15, 2020

Beginning at 6 pm on Monday, March 16, the Mission Viejo Library will be closed to the public until at least March 31. We continue to monitor guidance from the state and Orange County Health Care Agency and have been following recommendations closely. Last week, we canceled all our events, programs and meetings and suspended walk-in passport operations. We also closed our Friends of the Library Bookstore and volunteer-supported genealogy services. We removed about half the seating and shut off half the computers in the Library to allow for increased social distancing within the facility.

However, we clearly see the difficulty of maintaining social distance – even in a large public facility. For the past few days, the Library has been busier than usual, and while we understand the desire to stock up on materials or find a place outside the house to study, we must help our local community “flatten the curve” of the pandemic, protect our vulnerable populations and ensure our health care agencies have the capacity to meet demand.

Rest assured you will not accrue fines or lose holds due to the closure. We will extend all due dates until the Library reopens. We will be offering curbside drop-off and pick-up of materials from 10 am - 6 pm Tuesday through Thursday and 10 am to 5 pm on Friday. If you feel comfortable driving to the Library, a staff member can hand you your holds or take your items for check-in. If you prefer not to stop at the Library, you can suspend your holds without losing your place in the holds queue.

Staff will answer questions by phone or email as well as help locate materials and place holds. We have many online resources to assist with your research and entertainment needs while we are closed – simply by using your Library card:

• We offer free downloadable books, audio books, and magazines
• We have online article databases and newspapers for research purposes
• We have free online tutoring conducted live with an educational professional, for all ages

Please call or email us with any questions or assistance needed with Library services at 949-830-7100 or libreference@cityofmissionviejo.org. We look forward to returning to regular business as soon as possible. In the meantime, we are working “creatively” to serve the needs of our community during this challenging time.

This press release was produced by the City of Mission Viejo. The views expressed here are the author’s own.