The James Prendergast Library has set a tentative reopening date following the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut the facility down in March.

On Thursday, Annie Greene, library executive director, discussed reopening the library with the board of trustees during their monthly meeting. Green said the tentative date for reopening will be Wednesday, July 1.

“We feel if Western New York moves into Phase 4, we will be tentatively ready July 1,” she said. “I say tentatively, but we are ready to open July 1.”

Earlier this month, the library started curbside pickup for patrons. Green said they will continue the curbside pickup program once the library reopens, which will take place Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4-6 p.m.

“We want to offer this in case people aren’t comfortable coming into the library yet,” Greene said.

Greene said the library’s staff has been trained on the guidelines when it comes to social distancing and wearing a mask. She said the staff has the necessary personal protective equipment they need. She added that Plexiglas dividers have been installed throughout the library.

“We’re just putting the final touches on everything we need to do to reopen,” she said.

Greene said there will be signs posted in the library in both English and Spanish telling patrons of the guidelines that they need to follow to be allowed into the library. She said library staff will be closing the teen area and the bathrooms, except the family one in the children’s room. She added tthat here will be five computers available in the children’s room and eight in the adult area, which will need to be cleaned after each use.

Greene said they will start the reopening of the library by allowing 50 visitors in at a time. She said that number might increase once the staff has more experience following the new guidelines. She added that the temporary hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

“The staff is ready. They feel excited,” Greene said.

In other business, the library board discussed the successful 259-vote that was approved by the voters in the Jamestown Public Schools District, which will fund the library $350,000 annually for operations. The tax levy was approved by a vote of 1,883 to 1,677.

“What a great surprise,” said Joni Blackman, board president. “Thanks to all the voters in our fine city of Jamestown who supported us.”

Blackman also thanked all of the staff for their hard work.

“This stable funding will keep the library going for years to come,” she said.

Greene also provided the board a construction update. She said the project is tentatively set to start June 29. The project will replace the rest of the windows on the side of the library that faces West Sixth Street. She added that the parking lot will be closed along the side of the building when the windows are being replaced.

In August 2019, the state announced that the library would receive $183,969 grant for the project. In 2018, all of the windows on the Cherry and Washington street sides of the building were replaced while five of the 26 windows facing West Sixth Street were exchanged. The library received a $125,000 New York State Aid For Library Construction grant for the first window replacement project.

Once this project is completed, it will be the fourth capital project at the library since 2014. At the beginning of 2015, construction was finished on the first phase of library renovations. Phase 1 improvements included constructing Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms for men and women on the first floor; adding a family restroom in the children’s room; turning a second-floor storage space into a community room; and creating a new teen space. The library received a $294,000 state grant and a $70,000 matching grant from city officials for the first phase renovations.

In October 2016, Phase 2 was completed, which added Americans with Disabilities Act upstairs bathrooms and converted a freight elevator into a passenger elevator. In 2015, library officials received a $243,000 grant from the state Department of Education through its Public Library Construction program for the Phase 2 project. Library officials also received $77,000 from the Hultquist Foundation that was used as the 25% local match, which was necessary to receive the state grant.