Blurred Library Visit

In happier times, Your Home Public Library in Johnson City, New York celebrated its 100th anniversary (still in its original building) in 2017.

Back then, the fact that they were operating during the 1918 flu pandemic was a historical curiosity.

None of us ever dreamed that I would be participating in a similar history.

Our libraries in New York State closed in mid-March.  In our area, they actually closed several days before the official state announcement, as I recall.  Before that, they had tried to sanitize materials for a few days. 

Now, they are open (in our area) to the public on a limited basis now,. They had opened a few weeks prior for curbside pickup only.  In contrast, New York City has only opened certain branches, and those are "grab and go" only.

So, until yesterday, I had not been in a library since mid-March, and I decided I finally wanted to go.  Just to see....

Masks are required and you can only stay at this library for 15 minutes.

X marks the spot - social distancing, I assume for if there is a line to get in.

We went up the stairs.  Only one entrance, a side entrance, is open.  For safety, we went right as it opened for the day.  There was only one other visitor waiting for the opening.

The librarian (in a mask, of course) greeted us, and asked if we had been there since the reopening.  We hadn't, so she briefly explained the rules.  There was a red cart by the inside entrance for returns.  We were allowed to browse, but if we touched a book or magazine and decided we didn't want it, we had to return it to a handy red cart.  The drapes, incidentally, are over all the computer equipment.  No computers.  Any returned materials that you take out, incidentally, quarantine for seven days and then are sanitized.

You may not want to look at this picture for too long. I decided to take a picture of the children's library section, which had no one in there.  This is the picture I got.  Apparently my iPhone decided to get all blurry on me, which was fine.  The sign on the floor is a social distancing reminder.  Those reminders are everywhere.

 

This is how the children's room would have looked in happier times (February, 2017, to be exact).

An entire section by the main (closed) entrance was cleared of books and devoted to sanitation supplies, and the two librarians by the checkout (guarded by plexiglass) were discussing sanitation the entire time I was there.

I felt for them, as I do for all who are working for our benefit in these times.

For now, I am not sure I will return in person, or if I will continue to depend on curbside pickup.

But I just had to know how it was in there - and now I do.

Stay safe, my beloved library friends.