Burlington Library is Re-Opening Some Branches, Here's What You Can Do

Burlington Public Library is re-opening two of their branches this week and here is what you can expect when you visit.

Both the New Appleby and the Aldershot branches of the Burlington Public Library are open for in-person browsing and borrowing. They opened on August 11th and will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am – 7 pm, and on Saturdays from 9 am – 5 pm.

Here’s what the gradual re-openings look like for each branch:

Aldershot – OPEN
- You can pick up your holds here, browse and check out books, and use the computers by appointment.
New Appleby – OPEN
- You can pick up your hold here, browse and check out books, and use the computers by appointment.
Central
- You can pick up your holds here, and use the computers by appointment
Alton
- Scheduled to start holds pick-ups, browsing, and computer use by appointment on September 1
Brant Hills
- Scheduled to start holds pick-ups, browsing, and computer use by appointment on September 1
Tansley Woods
- You can pick up your holds here, and use the computers by appointment, tentative opening for browsing September 1

We’ve been doing book pickups since Central branch started offering them again, and the process is smooth and safe. Wear your mask, and have your library card ready to scan. Can’t get there yourself but still want to read? You can send your card or card number with a friend to pick up your book(s) within 8 days of being notified that they are ready.

Burlington Public Library is So Much More Than Books

Think outside the books! Burlington Library also offers DVD rentals available for pick-up right now. Explore their catalogue here, and plan a family movie night! In fact, Burlington Library’s website is a wealth of activities and information about the community (not unlike this one!). Here are some of our favourites…

Summer Reading Club – New for 2020, everyone from pre-readers to adults is part of the Summer Reading Club. Watch the library pages every week with a new list of recommended reading for every age group: kids 0-5, kids 6-12, teens and adults! Every week the library staff publishes a new list of books, resources and activities for your family to check out: books, ebooks, manuals, and even video games! You can see all of their Summer Recommendations here.

TumbleBooks – storytime is all of the time with TumbleBooks. You can choose from hundreds of books, at every level and for any topic you can think of. Dozens of National Graphic videos covering everything from Antarctica or Water Purification are all free to watch. Let your kiddos learn about anything they want to! Storybooks for the read-to-me crowd and ebooks and graphic novels for the chapter-book lover at your house. French and Spanish books, too. You don’t need a separate e-reader and you don’t need to download apps or load anything on your devices. TumbleBooks is ready to go on your phone, your iPads and tablets, and on your computer and laptops, and it’s free!

Kanopy and Kanopy Kids– Adults can enjoy critically-acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films and more, while kids get access to hundreds of movies and programs free! All because you have a library card. Mind. Blown. Click here and start watching movies like The Big Short (I loved it) and stories like Don’t Let The Pidgeon Drive The Bus read aloud here.

You can register for a library card online.

Tips For Burlington Library Patrons

Did you return a book, but your account still shows it checked out? That could be because of the 72-hour book quarantine noted below, but don’t worry, no late fines will be charged.

In fact, not late fees will be charged until September 8, 2020. So if you went into the pandemic with a book or two at home, you have until September 8th to return it to a Burlington Library dropbox.

Safety Measures at Burlington Public Library

When your books and DVDs are returned, they’re held for 72 hours before they’re lent out again. Health Canada recommends 24 hours, but BPL is doing a little more to ensure safety for their customers.

Masks are mandatory for all in-person branch visits and for pickups. Forgot your mask? You will be provided with a disposable mask for your visit.

Need a Burlington Public Library card? You can register for a library card online here.