Director Cheri Fiory shelving the last book moved to 520 Virginia Dr

Dear Patrons and Friends,

The final book has been moved to the new Library– To the Edges of the Earth by Edward J. Larson! I’m told by our amazing movers from Overton Associates that relocating the UDPL’s 115,000 titles required about 1,300 crates. We thank them and we thank all of you for holding onto your books a bit longer.

Ready for Returns

The wait is over. The UDPL’s book drop is now open, from dawn to dusk, until additional lighting is installed. It’s actually a book slot, located in the wall of the new building. Returned items easily slide into the Library’s bins inside to then be quarantined for at least 72 hours. Items returned will remain on your account until they are checked in after quarantine. No fines will be incurred on any items being returned.

If it’s your first time returning books, we recommend you take the southeast entrance off Virginia Drive, and then make the first left. Use the inner lane to pull up to the slot to return your items; the outer lane is for delivery vehicles and thru traffic. For a directional map go here.

COVID-19 Ready

Now that we are mostly moved in to the new Library, our attention has turned to preparing the building for opening. As you can imagine, a lot of attention is being paid to the CDC and PA State recommendations for mitigating COVID-19. Even before we were permitted to return to the library building in early June, acquiring appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in bulk, from masks and shields to cleaning supplies, soap and hand sanitizer, has been a top priority. As more of the library staff return to the new library over the next few weeks, training in COVID-19 protocols has become as much, if not more, important than any training associated with new building operations.

A Snapshot of Your Library Experience – Coming Soon!

In spite of all of the roadblocks caused by COVID-19, we want you to know that our goal is still to make your library experience a positive one. We can’t wait to share this new, beautiful library with you. While not all of these services will be available at once, and we never know when and how we may have to pivot, here is a snapshot of what we are preparing for you:

• Contactless pickup when the UDPL is a pickup location again. One of the benefits of the new building is the opportunity we’ve been given to add a pickup window. Think fast food drive-thru window (sorry, no fries with that!) This window will be installed next to the book return slot, providing an easy and contactless way to return and pick up your books.

• Convenient Hours. While the UDPL’s operating hours will be limited to start, staff are planning for daytime, evenings, and Saturdays. To make it easy for you to remember, contactless pickup window and building hours will start out the same.

• Browse for Books and other items. We know you can’t wait to browse the book shelves again. With lower shelving and a new layout, all of the Library’s collections will be easier to browse for all ages. Thanks to the larger building, too, even if we start by admitting just 25-50% of regular capacity, we believe we can accommodate most people when they arrive.

• Computers & Internet. A limited number of public computers, located at least six feet apart, are planned for Internet searching, word processing, printing, copying and scanning in the new Computer Lab. Robust Wi-Fi is available for your use throughout the building, too.

• Study/Meeting Rooms. The new Library boasts 10 meeting & study rooms. We are exploring how we may be able to safely support virtual learners and remote workers among others with these meeting rooms and resources we have to share.

Don’t Forget Your Mask

We’re all in this together. We’re hearing this message everywhere. The UDPL’s ability to remain open and to be able to continue to phase in more and more of the services and programs you’ve come to expect is as much dependent upon everyone who visits the library as it is on the UDPL & Township staff who operate the building every day. All staff and visitors will be required to wear a mask in the building, practice social distancing, and be kind and patient with one another. If wearing a mask poses a difficulty for you, the library staff will work to serve you remotely and through our contactless pickup window. Together, we can all help to make the UDPL, and Upper Dublin generally, a welcoming place for everyone.