Covid-19 Library Services

View links to COVID-19 resources and community services here


Library Services

(updated 11/12/2020)

While our building is closed to the public, we are still here to help you! Please reach out to us by phone (978-829-1780), email (fplref@cwmars.org), or our Ask a Librarian form with any questions you may have.

Curbside Pickup Service

Hours are Mondays and Tuesdays, 10:00am-7:00pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00am-5:00pm; Saturdays 10:00am-1:00pm

Requesting Items for Pickup

This can be done in one of three ways:

If you don’t have specific items in mind, please call or email us - a librarian will be happy to select some titles for you! You can also ask us for book recommendations with our new online form!

You will be notified by phone or email when your request is ready. When you arrive, call 978-829-1780, option 3, and give us your name and last 4 digits of your library card number. Please stand in the designated area and staff will bring your item(s) out to you. Please maintain 6 feet social distancing and wear your mask.

Returns

All returns must be put in the book drops. No items can be given to staff. All returns will be quarantined for 7 days before they are checked in, so please do not be concerned if you receive a renewal or overdue notice after returning an item. If you still believe you have received one in error, please reach out to us. Any overdue fees that may have accrued during the quarantine period will be automatically waived upon check in.

If you have an item that is too large for the book drop (WiFi hot spots, puzzles, games, art prints, etc)., please give us a call to arrange a drop-off time.

Due Dates

New items being checked out will have standard 3-week (book) or 1-week (DVD) loan periods. All items will have one automatic renewal. Please note that the Fitchburg Public Library does not charge overdue fees. See here for all of our standard lending policies.

Printing & Faxing

Yes, you can still print and fax with us! Pick up your items curbside. If you would like to use a computer yourself, please see the Computer Use by Appointment section below.

Printing: If you have something that you need printed, you can email it to us at fplref@cwmars.org, or upload it to our remote printing service. We will call or email you when your print job is ready to pick up curbside. If you need it printed in a hurry, please give us a a call to let us know you sent something. Please bring exact change (10 cents per page B&W, $1.00 per page color). 

Faxing: Stop by the front door during our regular curbside hours. A staff member will take your paperwork and we will send the fax while you wait! Please bring exact change ($1.00 for the first page, 50 cents for each additional page).

Computer Use by Appointment

Our public computers are available to use by appointment. Please call 978-829-1780 or email fplref@cwmars.org for an appointment. Computer sessions will be for 1 hour.

The following rules apply:

  • Please arrive at your appointment time, call us to let us know you are here, and wait for the librarian to escort you into the building. Computer sessions will end one hour after the original appointment time, regardless of arrival time. 
  • A library card is not required to use the computers at this time. 
  • You must correctly wear a mask at all times while in the library.  That means your nose and mouth are covered.  You must sanitize your hands upon entry into the building.
  • Please follow the walking path designated by arrows on the floor of the building.
  • Please remain within the designated area around your computer, unless printing or copying.
  • If you require assistance, please message the librarian using the chat function located on the computer desktop. Please do NOT approach the Reference Desk.
  • If you will need hands on help, please consider bringing someone with you who can assist. Maximum of two people for one computer per time slot.
  • Please know your email address and password, and any other account log in information you may need. We cannot help you recover a forgotten account.
  • Printing is available at $0.10 per page, and you may make photocopies at $0.15 per page. Please have change with you.
  • At the end of your session, please carefully remove the plastic covering from the keyboard and from the mouse and discard them in the provided trash can.
  • Please exit the building following the arrows on the floor.
  • At this time, browsing is not available. If you would like an item from the library, please adhere to curbside pick-up procedures.

Library Cards

To sign up for a new library card, please call us (978-829-1780). Or, you may fill out this online form and a staff member will be in touch within 1-2 business days.

If your library card has expired, or if you have any problems accessing online resources with your card, please get in touch with us.

Holds & Interlibrary Loans

Statewide delivery service has resumed as of June 22, 2020, but please note the service is not running as quickly as it did pre-COVID. Library staff will contact you when your items are available for curbside pickup.

ComCat has reopened for requests as of September 21. As with statewide delivery, please allow extra time for your items to arrive.

Electronic Resources

See here for our listing of free educational and homeschooling resources.

Visit cwmars.overdrive.com or download the Libby app to access ebooks and audiobooks available for download.

To access ALL of the FPL resources available to you online, visit our Ebooks & Digital Resources page.

  • These resources include:
    • Novelist (book recommendations and read-alikes).
    • A-Z World Food (free recipe database).
    • Freegal (stream and download music).
    • Gale Databases.
    • NewsBank (access to Sentinel archives and vetted sources for world and national news).
    • Ancestry.com (available free from home through December 31, 2020, thanks to ProQuest) & HeritageQuest.
    • and many more!

Virtual Events

While our building and meeting rooms are closed, we are holding library events virtually! Please view our online calendar for upcoming events.