Haines residents looking for entertainment options in the new landscape of social distancing can still rely on the library.
On Tuesday, March 17, the Haines Borough Public Library closed its doors to the public in keeping with a mandate that ordered closure of libraries, archives and museums statewide as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. That same day, the library began offering an alternative book rental service.
While the facility remains closed to the public, residents can call between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. to order books and continue to place holds online. Orders will be labeled and placed in the foyer for pick up. This system ensures no person-to-person contact, library assistant director Rebecca Heaton said. She said staff were able to implement the policy the same day they closed the facility because the idea had already been percolating.
Staff are wearing gloves and taking extra precaution to sanitize items they loaned to the public. “When books come in and before books go out, we wipe them with disinfectant. After an item comes back to the library, we quarantine it for nine days,” Heaton said. She said this last step is necessary since staff cannot apply disinfectant to individual pages. Nine days is the upper limit for how long scientists have estimated the virus may be able to exist outside the body.
The nine-day waiting period will delay holds, Heaton said, but it is a necessary precaution to ensure the safety of patrons.
While the facility is closed, the library’s fines and renewal policies will be somewhat relaxed, Heaton said. “If someone has circumstances that prevent them from returning a book on time, if they have to self-quarantine, we won’t fine them,” but people should not abuse this policy, she said. “We do want people to be respectful of other patrons since books have a nine-day turnaround.”
Other libraries across the state are adopting similar policies, Heaton said. “We just had a webinar for libraries talking about how they’re handling it. People talked about ways to get books to the public” and publishing events like “story hours” online using YouTube.
“As librarians, we just can’t stand the thought of people not being able to check out books… We’re definitely going to hit the online resources really hard and keep materials going out as long as we’re allowed to,” she said.
While the library is turning away volunteers, the facility’s one full-time and five part-time staff members are still showing up for work. Heaton said in addition to day-to-day circulation jobs, the facility’s closure is allowing staff to work on longer-term projects like weeding out books people no longer read, collections development and cleaning that can’t be accomplished when the public is around.
Demand for the library’s new loan system is “starting slow,” Heaton said, roughly 30 over the course of three days. “But it’s increasing each day.” She said she expects the number to continue to rise as word gets out.
Continuing to offer library services while social distancing measures are in place is “critical because a lot of people are stuck at home,” Heaton said. While many have access to unlimited online entertainment, “there are a lot of people in Haines who don’t have internet.” Access to library services is particularly crucial in times of economic hardship, she said, and the current situation is both a public health crisis and a financial crisis.
Those with questions about the library’s new loan system can check the website or call between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The library’s wireless internet access can still be accessed in the building’s parking lot.