VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – On Thursday May 20, 2021, the governing board of the Valley City Barnes County Public Library made the following changes regarding library operations:

Effective Monday May 24th, all library operations will return to normal. All previous pandemic related restrictions and operational changes have been lifted.

The library hours will return to pre-pandemic and are as follows:

10-5 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
10-7 Tuesday, and Thursday. Please do note one small change; moving forward the library will only be open until 7pm on Thursday evenings, not 8pm.

Library Director Steve Hammel said face masks will no longer to be required while in the library. But, we do strongly encourage, per the most recent CDC guidelines, patrons who have not been vaccinated, to wear a mask while inside.

Patrons or staff who wish to continue to wear a mask inside are more than welcome to do so. Additionally, if a patron would feel more comfortable interacting with a staff member who is masked, please ask. Staff will be happy to accommodate your request. It is not an inconvenience for staff to wear a mask for a few minutes to transact library business

Curbside service will continue to be available for all patrons.

Hammel said from the beginning of the pandemic, the library board was committed to using accurate and up-to-date information as part of the decision-making process. As CDC, state, and local guidelines changed, they followed the science. The boards’ first concern was for staff and patron safety. As a result of this conservative and methodical approach; no staff member caught COVID-19 due to an exposure at work, after the initial shutdown, the library operated continuously, without interruption from June 1st, 2020 to the present, and we were able to offer in person (albeit limited) library services starting the middle of July 2020.