Hey everyone,
White County is wrapping up our first week of letting patrons back into the building. Keep in mind, we have 17 total COVID-19 cases, with only 6 of them being active. We have not had any deaths. We are very rural. The Library serves
the entire county population of around 27,000 people. Please know this is not a criticism of those who are still closed, as we all have very different situations we are dealing with. This is just a list of things we learned that might be helpful to you when
you decide the time is right for you to reopen.
Our general setup –
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We closed March 18 and started curbside on March 19. We are still doing curbside daily from 9 am – 5 pm.
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We are open limited hours – only four hours daily instead of the normal 9 or 12, depending on the day.
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All doors that the patrons have to use are propped open – one less surface for them to touch.
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Upon entering the building, their first stop is to wash their hands. We’ve encountered no resistance to this at all.
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We ask for masks, but do not require them on patrons. All staff members have washable masks with additional paper filters provided and must wear them when interacting with patrons.
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We closed off our Genealogy Room and removed our periodicals and newspapers because we could not figure out a way to sanitize them between users.
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Our circulation desk has plexiglass shields all around and book carts are placed in the openings.
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Because of the close proximity of our computers in the tech center, only two are up and going now. Additionally, we take out laptops or iPads for curbside use. Because of this limited number of computers, we are taking reservations
for indoor computer use.
Patron reaction –
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Overall, very positive. Most are thrilled to be back in the building. They are very understanding of hand washing, but have to be reminded to stay six feet apart. They have stories to tell us and things to show us. We have
received artwork and a couple of homegrown bouquets this week. I spent about five minutes learning how a Hot Wheels tractor trailer opened up – best five minutes of my week! The first words many of them say is, I have missed you so much!
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We are not overrun with people. Many are still doing curbside only and many more are just staying home. We sent out a survey this week about Summer Reading and most indicated they would prefer virtual instead of in-person.
Staff reaction –
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We have purposefully put our more vulnerable members behind the plexiglass and on the phones in the back offices. The not-so-vulnerable crew is working the front door. We quickly learned that one person cannot work the door
for the full four hours. We started tag teaming on the second day and that was better. Having a person greet the patrons at the door goes a long way toward a positive experience for everyone. We were all very apprehensive about attitudes but we have experienced
nothing but kindness and gratitude.
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Having the doors open again has lifted our spirits in a way I can’t describe. I thought we were doing ok, but I can see this week I was wrong. We really needed to be actively serving for our own mental health.
That’s all we know four days in – hopefully things continue to improve for us all. Stay healthy!
Cathy
Cathy McCord Farley, Director
White County Public Library
11 North Church Street
Sparta, TN 38583
931-836-3613
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