You’ve probably read through your backlog of books, borrowed some from friends, and reread your old favorites while you waited for something new from the library. We sincerely hope you had enough reading material to keep you going.

But even the most well-stocked home library is probably starting to look a little tired. That’s why we’re so excited to announce that lending services are back!

Beginning Tuesday, June 2, BHML will be offering curbside book pickup. Here’s how it’ll work:

You’ll request a book via our online catalog, by calling us at 633-3112, or by emailing us at curbside@bbhlibrary.org. You can start doing that right now!

After your books are reserved, we’ll go into the stacks donned in gloves and masks, find your books on the shelves, and then call you to schedule your pick-up time. After that conversation, we’ll check your books out to you and bundle them up for pickup.

On pickup day, you’ll drive up to one of the marked parking spots and wait in your car at the appointed hour. We’ll bring out your books and set them on a table in front of your car for “contactless pickup.” Then you can take them home!

All book returns can be made through the book drop. If you are able to return items after 4 p.m. that would be helpful, because we anticipate parking lot traffic (the parking lot...a perennial problem!)

Some caveats and fine print:

At this time, you’re limited to checkout 10 items at a time.

You’re also limited to only items that we have in this library — the interlibrary loan service isn’t back up and running yet; and it may not be for some time. That decision is made at the state library level, and we'll let you know as soon as we know.

In order to call you and schedule your pickup time, we need your phone number! Please include it in any email requests. If your contact information has changed recently, call or email to let us know that too.

For complete, step-by-step instructions for limiting your search to just BBH items and placing the holds, check out this online tutorial: https://bbhlibrary.org/how-to-request-items-using-the-minerva-catalog/

As with everything these days, this system may be subject to change. Bear with us as we reinvent the lending wheel!