In order to protect our staff and customers, Read Between the Lynes (RBTL) has made several policy changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a retail location and café, we are dedicated to providing you with the safest shopping experience possible. We appreciate your patience, understanding and compliance, to keep us all safe. Updated Hours Retail Hours & Curbside Pickup Hours: Please visit our homepage Private Shopping Hours (available by appointment): Private shopping hours will be limited to 20 minutes each. We will continue to offer free delivery (within a 10-mile radius) on Thursday afternoon, after 4:00 pm. Please note: these times are subject to change (and hopefully increase!) as time passes. We appreciate your support as we continue to adjust to new/additional cleaning and safe receiving of shipments, as well as limited staffing during this time. Adhering to these new hours is necessary at the moment, but we have every intention of returning to our full schedule. Social Distancing & Other Guidelines Masks will be required for all entering the store. Staff will be wearing masks or face shields as well. Masks must cover both nose and mouth. We are able to permit 12 customers to be admitted at one time. Once at capacity, we ask that you wait outside of the door until the next customer exits. Due to this restriction, we ask that you make your selection in a timely manner. This request is very difficult for us, as we know how many of you love to linger and peruse the selections. We request that you maintain a 6-foot distance both inside the store and while waiting outside. We have moved our displays to allow for extra distancing. Upon entering the store, you will see directional arrows to assist in managing traffic and comply with suggested six-feet separation. We will also have floor markers to help with this. We have changed our check-out systems. You will see signage regarding this, and staff will be able to assist with any questions. Children & Pets in store Children under the age of 8 must have their hand held by the adult that accompanies them into the store, or secured in a stroller. We are attempting to control any unnecessary handling of books and products in the store for sanitation purposes. As per Health Department guidelines, only certified service dogs are allowed in the store. No emotional support animals are allowed to enter. Increased Cleaning/Sanitation Procedures The café is highly regulated within the McHenry County Health Department standards. We are receiving, reviewing, and implementing all new guidelines set forth by said department, as well as recommended guidelines by the CDC. All employees are being trained and monitored for following these recommendations and/or mandates. We will no longer be able to offer ice cream or candy samples from the café. We have installed an iWave system in the store. iWave uses patented technology, called needle-point bi-polar ionization, to create equal amounts of positive and negative ions. When these ions are injected into the air stream, they break down passing pollutants and gases into harmless compounds like oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor. When the ions come in contact with viruses, bacteria or mold, they remove the hydrogen molecules – without them, the pathogens have no source of energy and will die. The ions also attach to allergens like pollen and other particles, causing them to band together until they are large enough to be caught by your ventilation system’s air filter. While not proven to kill the Coronavirus at this time, it is a step we felt provided one additional step in protecting us all. Plexiglass shields have been installed at various counters for added protection.