By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Wood County District Public Library will close today (Saturday, March 14) at 5 p.m. and remain closed through Tuesday, March 31.
The library’s Board of Trustees made the decision about noon today. The decision reversed one made earlier in the meeting that would have allowed people to continue to borrow library materials.
Penrod said the danger is with so many other institutions closed — schools, the senior center, the university — the library will become even more of a community gathering place. That’s why, he said, during the “polar vortex” he refused to close. People needed a place to go. But now that function of the library poses a danger to the public if they spread the infection.
“We’re in a very different situation right now,” he said, “because gathering together is the worst thing we can do in the current situation.”
Initially, Penrod presented a policy that would have closed the library to the public, but they would be able to still check out and return books, DVDs and other items. The materials would be exchanged outside the building with minimal interaction between staff and patron.
That proposal was approved.
Then the discussion turned to how to handle sick time for part-time employees, who don’t get sick time.
Treasurer Linda Joseph noted that there are full-time employees who have expended all their sick time because of family situations who are just as vulnerable.
The six members of the board grappled with the complexities of the situation.
Trustee Becky Bhaer raised the concern that being too generous to library employees may be perceived as not handling tax dollars wisely.
A policy is in place to pay employees who do not work during “calamities,” a level 3 snow storm, for example. This would be invoked if the library closed because of the coronavirus, especially given the presidential declaration of a national emergency Friday.
Trustee Chet Marcin, though, said he’d rather have employees working under the original scenario where they would be available to do other duties.
Penrod said, for example, they could accomplish shifting of the collection to make room for more books in less time than it’s now expected to take.
Marcin argued that some people are going to work, to continue to run grocery stores and other services.
Concern was expressed not just for employees who may be sick and for employees who have family members who are sick, but those who have family members who have underlying health conditions where they cannot risk even the chance of exposure.
Trustee Ken Frisch said that if a library employee comes down with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the library will have to shut down completely.
Given projections by Dr. Amy Acton, the director of the state Department of Health, that’s inevitable, he said.
Bhaer noted that she’s been told the goal of closures is to try to even out the emergence of cases so medical facilities are not overwhelmed.
Paskvan said he’s been told because of funding changes hosptials are already “at the breaking point.”
Bhaer made the motion to close the library, and it was seconded by Frisch. Nathan Eikost and Marcin voted against the complete closure, with Ellen Dalton, Frisch, Bhaer and Paskvan voting in favor.
Penrod said he and Treasurer Linda Joseph and some maintenance people will need to continue working at times.
The drop boxes will be closed, so they don’t have to be emptied.
The board will reassess conditions in late March to see if it is possible to reopen.
The library had already canceled all its programming earlier in the week.
Voting will still take place in the library’s meeting room on Tuesday.
