I know you’re all wondering when and how we’ll reopen. As you know, the governor has mandated that public libraries remain closed until April 30th. Predictions* suggest that Iowa will not have reached the peak number of daily deaths and infections (the top of the “curve”) until sometime in the first half of May. We closed the library when Iowa was at the bottom of this curve so its unlikely we’ll reopen at the top of it. Metro-area library directors have discussed coordinating reopening to prevent a run on the first library that reopens. I assume we’ll reopen in much the same way we closed but in reverse: first allowing hold pickups in the entryway and returns to the book drops; then allowing patrons to enter the building; and finally starting up programs and meetings. This picture assumes, however, that the virus will go away all at once in the same way that it came. As this article points out, we may be in for waves of loosening restrictions followed by a re-tightening if we see spikes in new cases.
Full-time staff are continuing the activities outlined in this post. In addition, Megan as signed up for Reader Zone for patrons to participate in summer reading online. You can try it out via the Reader Zone app or website. Use the code dfd10.
I hope everyone is doing well. If you’re so inclined, join the JPL Staff Facebook group.
Take Care,
Eric
*https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/iowa
*https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/iowa-coronavirus-cases.html