The Parkland Community Library is open.

No, not where it was located next to the South Whitehall Township Building on Walbert Avenue, but in the Roma Building at 1605 Cedar Crest Blvd., behind TD Bank.

This is a temporary home to the library until the upgraded and enlarged library is completed, sometime next year.

After all the books were moved into the new space at the Roma building, the coronavirus pandemic hit Pennsylvania resulting in a shutdown for nonessential businesses.

Anyone who has not yet ventured into the temporary space will find the shelves are there; the books are there; and the same helpful and friendly librarians are there.

To see the books, an appointment for a 45-minute browsing time needs to be made by calling 610-398-1361.

Select a time between 9 a.m. and noon or between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday; or from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Only two people were allowed into the library until July 27 when the number was changed to six who could browse at one time.

This was changed because if parents wanted to take children into the library, they could only take one child at a time.

Face masks are required to enter the front door at the Roma Building. Then take the glass elevator up to the third floor.

To the right is the library in room 302.

Visitors’ temperatures are taken and if the temperature is normal, they may enter through the double doors.

Next, they need to answer several written questions, including if they have been out of state or out of the country; have been near a person with COVID-19 or if the visitor has COVID-19.

Then the book browsing can begin.

Lisa Cawley, one of the smiling and helpful librarians, recently gave this reporter a tour of the library, including adult large print books, fiction and nonfiction and the children’s section.

Not all of the nonfiction books has been moved into the temporary space.

If a book is not in this new space, the library will obtain it.

Books be can ordered in advance. The book will be packaged in a paper bag and it can be picked up at a prearranged time.

Go to the library website at parklandlibrary.org to find some virtual adult and children’s programs.

There is a virtual story time, Take and Make Kits, an adult book club and more.

The library owns 550,000 books and they are a member of the Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative, so they have a huge number of books available to patrons.