Closings, Delays, and Alerts

All Locations

Update: Tues, Nov 9, 2021
The Town of Highlands has rescinded their mask mandate. While not required, Hudson Library staff recommends the use of masks when visiting inside the library.

Update: Tues, Oct 19, 2021
Curbside services are only available upon request. Please call your library for more information.

Update: Wed, Sept 22, 2021
The Fontana Regional Library Board approved the Resolution in Support of Local Mask Guidelines. The Town of Highlands has instituted a mask requirement in all commercial districts inside and outside until the CDC positivity rate is below 10%. Jackson County has declared a State of Emergency and mandated the use of masks inside all county facilities, including the Jackson County Public Library and Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library. Curbside services are available upon request.

• Jackson County Emergency Notifications
• Town of Highlands Emergency Notifications

Resolution in Support of Local Mask Guidelines

Resolution in Support of Local Mask Guidelines

Update: Fri, May 21, 2021
Governor Cooper has lifted all mandatory capacity and gathering limits, all social distancing requirements, and MOST masking requirements. The CDC & the Governor strongly recommend people that are unvaccinated continue to wear a mask and maintain social distance in all indoor public settings. For more information about Library restrictions visit: https://fontanalib.org/new-covid-19-guidelines-all-fontana-regional-library-locations

Update: Tue, May 4, 2021
All Fontana Regional Library locations in Macon, Jackson, and Swain Counties are now open for walk-in browsing without an appointment. Because of high demand and limited capacity, some special sections may still require a reservation, such as computer labs and study rooms. These reservations can be made in advance or on a walk-in/as available basis.

Visitors who come into the library starting in May will find that things look more like they did before the pandemic, even as masks are still required for everyone ages 3 and up, and additional cleaning measures are in place. Following CDC and NCDHHS recommendations, there will no longer be a quarantine of returned library items, and some of the upholstered chairs and furniture will again be usable, as social distancing allows. Curbside pickup will continue as an option at all library locations.

A new service that is now available is wireless printing. Anyone can now send a print job to a library printer from anywhere using any device, and then come to the library to pick up and pay for their printout. Print jobs are stored for up to 72 hours, so a user needs to visit a Library Print Release Station to release/retrieve and pay for the print job before it is automatically deleted. This maintains privacy, as only the sender can release the job when they come to the Library. This project has been several years in the making, and Fontana Regional Library is grateful to have received the funding to accomplish it through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-246155-OLS-20).

Update: Sat, May 30, 2020

Beginning June 1, 2020, members of the public can make an appointment to visit any Fontana Regional Library location in Macon, Jackson, and Swain Counties starting June 8. Curbside service to pickup reserved items will remain in place for those who prefer that option. All people entering library buildings will be required to wear a mask or other face covering. Safety of the public and library workers is the most important consideration, so social distancing and sanitizing procedures will be observed. For more information or to make an appointment, please call your local library.

Update: Fri, May 15, 2020
Curbside service will resume the week of May 18th. Buildings are still closed to the public and library programs are canceled until further notice. Please contact your local library for more information, including how to reserve / order items for pickup, how to receieve your items, and for local operating hours during this time.

During this time, returned items will remain checked out to you for up to 3 days after you've returned them while they are "quarantined" as a safety measure. No overdue fines should accumulate on your account during the 3-day material quarantine period. Additionally, eBooks and eAudiobooks remain available, and streaming video via Kanopy and NCLive is also available. Wi-Fi also extends around the perimeter of library buildings and can generally be picked up from sections of the parking lots. 

For more resources and information, including community resources and response please visit COVID-19 Precautions and Information.