Alicia Ashman Library Begins Curbside Service on June 1 Following Renovation

The Alicia Ashman Library is now open for curbside pickup service.  The service – like that at all other Madison Libraries – is offered 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Alicia Ashman is also offering curbside return service during the same service hours.

The Alicia Ashman Library was closed for renovation when Madison Public Library introduced curbside pickup service on May 11.  During the renovation, the library received new seating and furniture, added a teen area, relocated the print/copy center, repainted some areas, created a self-service holds area with self-check machines, and installed new wi-fi and other wiring that will allow for future technology upgrades.  This renovation was planned before libraries closed due to COVID-19 in March and funded in part with private funds from the Friends of Alicia Ashman Library and a Madison Public Library Foundation endowment.

While Madison’s library buildings remain closed to the public, Madison Public Library is slowly and safely reintroducing public services and planning for a phased reopening of library buildings in coordination with the Forward Dane phased reopening plan issued by Public Health Madison & Dane County.  Below find information on three current services, with a full list of services and service details at madisonpubliclibrary.org/coronavirus

Telephone assistance
Madison Public Library has opened two new centralized telephone services – regular reference assistance and library support and the Madison Internet Access Information Line that assists customers in finding low-cost internet access information.  Both services can be reached by calling the phone number 608-315-5151 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.  Learn more at madisonpubliclibrary.org/ask

Curbside pickup service
Madison Public Library offers curbside pickup service by appointment at all Madison Public Library locations. Curbside pickup service hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Curbside pickup will allow library customers to:

• pick up existing holds currently on the shelves at all libraries
• place holds on specific items currently available in libraries, online via LINKcat (www.linkcat.info ) or by calling 608-315-5151
• ask library staff to make recommendations and place holds for other materials available at specific libraries by calling 608-315-5151

There is no regular delivery of library materials between library locations at this time. Because of this, library customers must request library materials that are on the shelves of the library they wish to visit. All curbside pickup service requests will require an appointment; appointments must be scheduled by calling the library at which items will be picked up.

Curbside return service
Central Library’s materials return will open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, and remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the Fairchild Street entrance.  The Mifflin Street materials return will be closed to accommodate social distancing for curbside pickup service.
Madison’s eight neighborhood libraries will accept returns on a limited basis, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.  At these libraries, library customers are asked to place returns in temporary carts near the permanent book drop.  These temporary return carts allow for touchless return and easy quarantining of materials.  Return service may be temporarily suspended in case of inclement weather.

Because materials are being quarantined for several days, it may take up to a week for items that have been returned to show up on customer records as "returned" and customers are asked to wait a week before inquiring about materials that have been returned.  All items currently checked out or checked out through curbside service will be due August 1, 2020.

For additional library service updates, visit: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/coronavirus
For a list of all library hours and locations, visit http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/locations
For downloadable audiobooks and ebooks, visit http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/ebooks
For LINKcat online library catalog, visit http://www.linkcat.info