A Renewed Emphasis on Virtual Programs and Services
When YPL staff is not working from our buildings they will stay busy from home. When we were forced to fully close in March, staff developed a virtual programming calendar almost overnight that has continued throughout reopening. Since March, YPL staff have led more than 900 virtual programs with a combined attendance of 14,000. We are confident that our staff is now in an even better position to create and refine new virtual programs and services. They are also able to answer patron emails and phone calls, provide account support, process library card applications, create web and video content, lead or moderate virtual programs, and work on other special projects.
Thank You for Your Support and Understanding
YPL was the first large library in Westchester to reopen after the Spring shutdown, right after the region entered Phase 4. We've tried to be as open and accessible as we could while maintaining staff and patron safety, and in doing so we were able to serve the public in many ways, including:
- Serving as a charging and cooling center after Tropical Storm Isaias.
- Teaming with the City of Yonkers on census outreach. YPL staff helped over 950 hard-to-count residents get counted during the Census - and in doing so will help Yonkers recover an estimated $2.3 million a year in federal funds over the next decade that might have been lost if those residents weren't counted.
- Digitizing over 1.2 million pages of Yonkers newspapers for local researchers and historians through the Yonkers News Archive.
- Hosting early voting at Riverfront and Will libraries - where nearly 20,000 voters cast their ballots.
With the increasing prevalence of COVID-19, we feel these changes in library service are safe and responsible measures for the near future. We plan on being responsive to the changing facts and will restore hours and services when case levels begin to drop. Hopefully, that will be soon. We appreciate the support and guidance that we've been given by the City of Yonkers, the YPL Board of Trustees, our elected officials, and you - the Yonkers community. We intend to continue offering excellent and valuable service both onsite and remotely to Yonkers residents.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact Yonkers Public Library Director Jesse Montero at director@ypl.org. Thank you again for your support. Have a safe but enjoyable Thanksgiving!
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