Library Makes Major Changes On COVID Restrictions

At their May 18 meeting, the Library Board made several major changes to ease or eliminate their COVID-related restrictions.

• The library will no longer require patrons to wear face masks, effective May 19. Unvaccinated patrons are still encouraged to wear face masks.

• The children's play areas will reopen on June 1, to coincide with the beginning of the library’s Summer Reading Program.

• The library will resume passport and notary services on June 1. Due to the close proximity to staff that these services involve, patrons will be required to wear a face mask to receive these services. Patrons who want assistance from library staff at the public computers will also be required to wear a face mask.

• The library will resume in-person programming for all ages beginning August 1. There will be attendance registration limits.

• Outdoor, in-person storytimes will resume beginning July 1; indoor, in-person storytimes will resume beginning August 1.

• Groups will be able to begin reserving the library’s public meeting rooms in the coming weeks for dates beginning on August 1.

The changes are due in part to the CDC new recommendations related to face masks, which were released on May 13.

The library’s temporary service hours will remain in place. The continued reduced hours will not be due to COVID restrictions, but the library’s ongoing RFID project. The library staff have been placing RFID tags in the library's 260,000 items since mid-March. The library hopes to complete their RFID project in early- to mid-July, at which time the branches will return to their normal service hours. Once launched in September, RFID will give the library greater inventory control, more efficient workflow, and improved security.