To wear a mask, or to not, that is the question...or is it?

Since our doors opened back up to the general public in January after a brief period of curbside-only, we have seen a steady increase in patron traffic coming in and out of our building. With that, we thought it would be a good idea to remind patrons about our current policies regarding COVID-19 safety.

We are no longer requiring patrons to provide contact tracing information upon entry, but masks and social distancing are still a must. Please make sure that all members of your household, ages 2 and older, are wearing a mask upon entry. One will be provided to you if you don’t have one. Staff are still cleaning and quarantining all materials for 96 hours upon return, disinfecting each hour, and at the end of the night.

UPDATE: With all the rapid changes to CDC recommendations and state pandemic requirements, we have had many questions about how the library policy will be changing. The library board discussed masking requirements at their May 21 meeting, and has come up with a timeline for our changes. Due to various concerns—unvaccinated staff members, the large number of children and elderly patrons we have, the unique nature of the work we do, and the legal need to do what we can to ensure that unvaccinated people are still wearing masks—we will still be requiring masks for all patrons through the end of June. We will continue to offer curbside pickup to anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable coming into the library, for whatever reason. Starting July 1, masks will no longer be required while you are in the library, although they may still be required during specific programs and events. We will evaluate our other pandemic procedures on an ongoing basis, and keep you updated on any other positive changes we can make.

We understand how frustrating this must be to most of our patrons, and we thank you in advance for your understanding and patience in the coming month. We understand that we are asking you to make a sacrifice, and we only feel comfortable doing so because we have also made sacrifices during the past 15 months. We are also weary of wearing masks, incessantly cleaning, and creating minor inconveniences for our patrons with our quarantining and rules. But I have asked my staff to work harder, get yelled at more frequently, and endanger their health more than I ever thought I would have to, and I’m just asking them . . . and you . . . to hold on for one more month. 

As always, feel free to contact me at 517-647-6981 ext. 4 or cgrimminck@portlandmilibrary.com with any questions or concerns.