Library Director John Chidester Provides Library Opening Guidelines in Response to Covid-19
Updated July 23, 2020:
The Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, Fredericktown Community Library, and the Gambier Library are open to the general public, with the following guidelines:
Main will operate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00 Am - 5:00 PM, Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM, closed Saturday & Sunday. Fredericktown will operate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10:00 Am - 5:00 PM, Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM, closed Saturday & Sunday. Gambier will operate Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Danville Public Library will reopen its curbside window starting Tuesday, July 28, from 12:00 PM- 6:00 PM. The hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 12:00 PM-6:00 PM.
Staff must take and record their temperature on arrival each day they work. Thorough cleaning and sanitizing is being conducted every day by building services staff. Circulation and reference staff will also be asked to spray the public restrooms with disinfectant at appropriate intervals throughout the day. Gloves should be used when working with items recently handled by patrons.
At this time we are still holding materials for 7 days before checking them in. This may change after we receive notification of the results of a Battelle study of virus survival rates on library materials. Fines for outstanding Library materials have been waived throughout the period of closure, and that waiver will continue through the end of June.
No more than 20 people, in addition to Library staff, will be allowed on each floor of the Library at any given time. This will be monitored by security staff. Patrons will be expected to spend no more than one hour in the building on any given day.
Six feet of social distancing will be required. Library staff will wear face masks or, optionally, face shields when in public areas and/or in presence of public. As of July 23, 6:00 PM, citizens in all Ohio counties will be under a mandatory mask order while out in public.
Masks must be worn at all times when:
- At an indoor location that’s not a residence.
- Outdoors, when unable to keep 6ft social distance from those not in your household.
- When waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation -taxi, car service, private rideshare.
All current orders remain in effect until the State of Emergency declared by the Governor no longer exists, or the Director of the Ohio Department of Health lifts or modifies the order. Masks will be offered to those who do not have them but would like them. Use of hand sanitizer will also be encouraged and offered.
OPAC computers will be out of commission until further notice. Patrons can access our online catalog with their smart phones or ask at the front desk for staff to search for items. Patrons may browse the stacks but should use hand sanitizer before and after they look for materials. Patrons will be required to wear gloves when using the resources in the genealogy room.
To begin, four public access PCs will be available, appropriately distanced. Keyboards will be sanitized (wipes, initially, ultraviolet light wands when they become available) for each new user. Mice and desk surfaces will also be wiped down between uses. Seating will be available but limited and spaced out. Four computers will also be available under these same terms on the Youth Services Floor. All public access workstations will be thoroughly sanitized at the beginning of each day.
Curbside pick-up service will continue indefinitely for those who do not want to enter the building.
The Library will also continue to service patrons’ needs through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), phone and email (plmvkcohio@gmail.com) and will still provide wifi access to the internet accessible from its parking lots, including the Gambier facility.
All of the Library’s digital and online resources can be accessed through its website: www.knox.net.
Programming will remain online by social media and the Library website. In-person programming may be resumed at a later date, to be announced. Booking of meeting rooms for public use will not be resumed until a later date, to be announced.
Makerspace is closed until a later date. Pickup for YA craft bags will be on the children’s floor. YA computers will be unavailable until a later date.
The Solarium, Storytime room, Makerspace, Toy room will be closed to patrons until further notice.
Volunteers- We will allow our current roster of volunteers to resume working for us, with the following provisos: 1) They must sign a waiver releasing the Library from all liability in the event that they contract any illness, including but not limited to COVID-19, while working at the Library. 2) Some volunteers may be excluded from service if, in the opinion of Library management, there is a health safety reason (such as immunocompromised status, etc.) to do so.
We are still not accepting donations of books and other library materials until a later date, with the limited exception of some items donated specifically to the Genealogy room.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to let us know. We appreciate your consideration and patience as we navigate these times. Thanks.
Main will operate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00 Am - 5:00 PM, Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM, closed Saturday & Sunday. Fredericktown will operate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10:00 Am - 5:00 PM, Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM, closed Saturday & Sunday. Gambier will operate Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Danville Public Library will reopen its curbside window starting Tuesday, July 28, from 12:00 PM- 6:00 PM. The hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 12:00 PM-6:00 PM.
Staff must take and record their temperature on arrival each day they work. Thorough cleaning and sanitizing is being conducted every day by building services staff. Circulation and reference staff will also be asked to spray the public restrooms with disinfectant at appropriate intervals throughout the day. Gloves should be used when working with items recently handled by patrons.
At this time we are still holding materials for 7 days before checking them in. This may change after we receive notification of the results of a Battelle study of virus survival rates on library materials. Fines for outstanding Library materials have been waived throughout the period of closure, and that waiver will continue through the end of June.
No more than 20 people, in addition to Library staff, will be allowed on each floor of the Library at any given time. This will be monitored by security staff. Patrons will be expected to spend no more than one hour in the building on any given day.
Six feet of social distancing will be required. Library staff will wear face masks or, optionally, face shields when in public areas and/or in presence of public. As of July 23, 6:00 PM, citizens in all Ohio counties will be under a mandatory mask order while out in public.
Masks must be worn at all times when:
- At an indoor location that’s not a residence.
- Outdoors, when unable to keep 6ft social distance from those not in your household.
- When waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation -taxi, car service, private rideshare.
All current orders remain in effect until the State of Emergency declared by the Governor no longer exists, or the Director of the Ohio Department of Health lifts or modifies the order. Masks will be offered to those who do not have them but would like them. Use of hand sanitizer will also be encouraged and offered.
OPAC computers will be out of commission until further notice. Patrons can access our online catalog with their smart phones or ask at the front desk for staff to search for items. Patrons may browse the stacks but should use hand sanitizer before and after they look for materials. Patrons will be required to wear gloves when using the resources in the genealogy room.
To begin, four public access PCs will be available, appropriately distanced. Keyboards will be sanitized (wipes, initially, ultraviolet light wands when they become available) for each new user. Mice and desk surfaces will also be wiped down between uses. Seating will be available but limited and spaced out. Four computers will also be available under these same terms on the Youth Services Floor. All public access workstations will be thoroughly sanitized at the beginning of each day.
Curbside pick-up service will continue indefinitely for those who do not want to enter the building.
The Library will also continue to service patrons’ needs through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), phone and email (plmvkcohio@gmail.com) and will still provide wifi access to the internet accessible from its parking lots, including the Gambier facility.
All of the Library’s digital and online resources can be accessed through its website: www.knox.net.
Programming will remain online by social media and the Library website. In-person programming may be resumed at a later date, to be announced. Booking of meeting rooms for public use will not be resumed until a later date, to be announced.
Makerspace is closed until a later date. Pickup for YA craft bags will be on the children’s floor. YA computers will be unavailable until a later date.
The Solarium, Storytime room, Makerspace, Toy room will be closed to patrons until further notice.
Volunteers- We will allow our current roster of volunteers to resume working for us, with the following provisos: 1) They must sign a waiver releasing the Library from all liability in the event that they contract any illness, including but not limited to COVID-19, while working at the Library. 2) Some volunteers may be excluded from service if, in the opinion of Library management, there is a health safety reason (such as immunocompromised status, etc.) to do so.
We are still not accepting donations of books and other library materials until a later date, with the limited exception of some items donated specifically to the Genealogy room.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to let us know. We appreciate your consideration and patience as we navigate these times. Thanks.