Grayslake, Gurnee libraries offering curbside checkout programs

Grayslake and Warren-Newport Public Area Library District patrons can check out library materials using new curbside pickup options unveiled by both libraries this week.

Jill Alfrejd, the communications coordinator for the Grayslake Area Library, said more than 900 items were requested through the system on Monday, the first day the program was made available.

"It has been very popular," Alfrejd said.

People can use Grayslake library's existing online catalog to reserve an item. Once it is ready, a member of the library staff will call the patron. Patrons can then pick up the item, and staff members will even put it in the car's trunk.

Alfrejd urged library users to be patient with the staff. While 900 items were requested Monday, library staff members have been able to distribute only 284 items so far.

"We want to make sure people's expectation is different when contacting their library versus a restaurant or a big-box store," Alfrejd said.

Warren-Newport Public Library in Gurnee also offers contactless pickup. According to the website, the library staff will contact patrons to schedule appointments to pick up materials.

Alfrejd said Grayslake Public Library also began accepting returns two weeks ago. She said each item will be quarantined for seven days before it is returned to library shelves. She said when the lockdown started there were 13,000 items checked out in the community. Since accepting returns, just over 4,000 items have been returned.

The Cook Park Library in Libertyville and the Aspen Drive Library in Vernon Hills are among the libraries that have resumed limited checkouts in recent weeks. A similar service will launch next week at the Wauconda Area Library.