OBSERVER Photo by Natasha Matteliano The Anderson-Lee Library in Silver Creek said it has reopened to the public for limited days and hours. The library’s director said the first day open was a busy one.

SILVER CREEK — The Anderson-Lee Library in Silver Creek has reopened for limited hours and days.

Tyler Annis, library director, said he was pleased to make the announcement this week.

“Our first day open to the public was a busy one. The amount of patrons coming into the library approached some of the numbers we were seeing pre-COVID-19,” Annis said. “People seemed very pleased that we were open again and that they could come back into the building.”

The library has themed weeks, such as “Grandmas week,” and has live readings of books on their Facebook page that correspond with the theme. The library also has crafts that can be picked up on their open days that can be played with and put together at home.

Along with these is an event on the library’s Facebook page that asks children and adults to show off their Lego creations to correspond with the chosen vehicle, item or theme.

“I’m happy to be here for those that wish to visit us, and I know the staff is looking forward to seeing everyone again as well,” Annis said. “Before we opened, we had a number of people asking us when we would reopen, how soon — they were looking forward to it. And so overall I think our community is happy to see things moving again.”

Starting off slowly, the library will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Masks are required when in the library and visits are encouraged to be limited to about an hour. Computers will also be available by appointment for one-hour sessions.

The library is located in Silver Creek at 43 Main St.

“I think we are moving in the right direction. We’re still operating at limited hours, as we don’t want to rush into anything, but we do still want to take steps towards operating fully and approaching something like we used to offer,” Annis said. “If we see things continue to move in a safe direction, and we can keep things safe and up to standard in house, we’ll keep working towards offering more hours and more services.”

As for cleaning, the library is following all New York state requirements and then, on top of that, adding some additional practices that are unique to libraries. Anything publicly used, like the computer terminal, gets a deep clean after someone is finished with it, Annis said.

“Door handles are cleaned regularly as well as our main desk and any other commonly touched surfaces,” he said. “Books that come back are cleaned and then set aside to decontaminate for three days before going back into circulation. … We’re doing everything we can to keep things clean, safe and healthy for everyone.”

“We are still offering curb-side pickup for those that aren’t comfortable coming into the building. The process is really simple,” he continued. “You can order your books online or give us a call and we’ll help you. When they come in, we’ll let you know. After that you can come down and give us a call to let us know you’re there to pick up or just knock on our front door and we’ll bring your materials out.”