Signs displaying measures for practicing social distancing were on display inside the Centralia Timberland Library in this photo from March 13.
Signs displaying measures for practicing social distancing are on display inside the Centralia Timberland Library Thursday afternoon.
Jace Waterman, a librarian with, Timberland Library talks about sanitizing efforts in the library Thursday afternoon.
The Timberland Regional Library system will close all of its libraries as of Saturday, the organization announced Friday afternoon, due to concerns over COVID-19.
The system announced the "stage three" emergency response a day after announcing it would curtail programs. Book returns will also be closed.
"We encourage patrons to keep the materials they currently have until our buildings reopen. No late fees!" an email to library patrons reads.
The Timberland Regional Library system announced Thursday it would increase from a “stage one” to a “stage two” response to concerns over coronavirus — meaning libraries will cancel all meetings, events, study, computer use — pending further notice.
Previously the libraries were in a “stage one” emergency response, meaning the system was monitoring the situation and communicating with patrons via social media.
In stage two, library facilities will remain open under “limited use,” according to a news release.
“Library locations become holds pickup, checkout & return, and quick browsing sites only,” the news release states.
Timberland staff said Thursday that they were aware of the impact of the closures on the Lewis and South Thurston county communities they serve.
“I think especially in smaller communities, the library plays a really large role,” said Tenino Timberland Library Manager Linda McKinnie. “It’s a gathering place, a place where people can go to get information, it’s a place where people who don’t necessarily have ways to interact with other people can come and get that interaction. As of tomorrow, we aren’t going to be able to provide the community gathering space.”
Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library Manager Lily Grant noted that libraries do not only serve healthy patrons, and that the system had to think of community members who are particularly vulnerable to the virus.
“We do serve quite a few patrons who are considered kind of in the more vulnerable population, older patrons, patrons with chronic illnesses,” Grant said. “So I think our first priority right now is just making sure that everyone stays safe and we’re just trying to minimize any risk.”
Centralia Timberland Regional Library Manager Susan Faubion said that they have removed the toys from the children’s area to reduce the spread of germs and that they have canceled all early learning programs, meeting room uses and outreach programs.
“We won’t be letting anyone hang out in the library anymore starting tomorrow and that is a big change. It will not be a gathering place which really hurts our librarian hearts because the library, as a gathering place, is a huge part of our mission and so it’s going really far outside of our comfort zone as what we would like to be doing to serve the community but this is more important— keeping people alive,” said Faubion.
Faubion said that she doesn’t think this comes as a surprise to people because the library has been much less busy recently and people were already starting to cancel their meetings. She said that Timberland is just formalizing it.
“It is really hard also being an information access point and it’s hard to be restricting people’s access to internet right but would be happy to answer questions and print off updates from the department of health for people,” Faubion said.
Faubion said that the virus is affecting staffing levels and anyone who is experiencing any cold symptoms is staying home which is making it more difficult to operate the library as usual.
“We’re obviously a really important resource to the community but also inherently to us is sharing— we have shared resources. We have shared computers that other people are touching and shared books that other people are touching and that gives us the potential for more germ sharing so we need to curtail the way we do business,” Faubion said.
Seating areas will also not be available to the public. Library management will also be planning for a stage three emergency response, which would involve closing all library facilities to the public.
“I know that people may miss them (the events), but we have also heard that people are grateful that we’re taking safety measures,” said Winlock Timberland Library Manager Aisha Bayness
For more information, go to trl.org/health-safety-updates.
