Cotuit Library Adapts During Pandemic

BARNSTABLE – Public libraries have had to navigate their own struggles throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Cotuit Public Library has had to significantly lower their capacity due to state social distancing guidelines, and have had to limit the number of patrons in the library at anyone time to about 5 people. 

“We are generally a smaller library compared to other Cape Cod libraries, so the capacity of the number of guests we can have at any one time has definitely been restricted, to compensate for that we’ve been doing a lot of curb side pickup, home delivery, and appointment-based services,’ said Executive Director Jessica Rudden-Dube. 

During the pandemic the library has seen an uptick in interest of cookbook, gardening books, and book series from authors. 

The library is also offering tech support services to the senior community in Cotuit through their adult services librarian. 

The library will host their first in-person event of 2021 later this month. The Saint Patrick’s Family Fun Day will take place on March 13th which starts at 10:30 a.m. and goes until 1 p.m. 

Cotuit Library is only open Monday through Friday from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. for browsing, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for curbside. 

 “I do believe once we see the vaccine uptick, and more and more people are getting vaccinated that will contribute to patronage coming back from the library,” said Rudden-Dube.