Where We've Been
During our initial closing, staff met daily using virtual meetings to discuss the options of how to continue to serve the community while having the doors closed. During this phase, while employees worked from home, we continued to support eLearning and to provide reference services, virtual programs, and access to eBooks.
With the next phase of the process underway, we have allowed our employees back into our buildings with staggered shifts following CDC guidance. All employees are required to wear face coverings while on library property and follow all recommended health procedures.
We also added curbside pick-up and undertook a large technological infrastructure expansion that has enabled us to expand our free WiFi to our parking lots.
When items are returned in the outdoor book drop, they are taken inside the building and quarantined for 72 hours before they are handled and made available for the next patron or re-shelved.
Where We're Going
Due to the nature of libraries as congregation spaces, our timeline for fully re-opening the buildings may look a little different from the governor's timeline for the rest of Indiana. Governor Holcomb understands this and even made a special provision for libraries to open on their own timeline in Executive Order 20-26.
We will provide access to our buildings in future phases but it will be a gradual process as we develop a safe path forward for our patrons and our employees.
During this pandemic, we appreciate your patience as we develop protocols to keep everyone—our community members and our staff—safe. As Lake County Public Library begins to reopen, we will do so gradually and on a limited basis, ensuring that we follow all recommended and most effective health practices, including social distancing, disinfecting highly-trafficked areas, handwashing, and wearing PPE.
We plan to monitor the health metrics in Lake County and move accordingly. This will be a deliberate process and one that may not be linear. If the numbers increase, we may have to step back and reevaluate. Currently, Lake County has 10% of both cases and deaths in the state, so it is critical that we contribute to reducing the spread of COVID-19 as we reinstate or redefine services to our community.
We will continue to evaluate how the virus may spread through public library general operations, monitor CDC and OSHA updated guidelines, and adapt the reinstating or redefining of services appropriately.
You can read our plan for the reinstatement of core library services online at www.lcplin.org/plan.
As we move forward we are asking your support as together we help slow the spread of the virus in Lake County.
Sincerely,
Ingrid Norris
Director
Lake County Public Library