Update and Happy Library Workers Day

Happy Library Workers Day!  This may be the most unusual Library Workers Day ever, but I hope you are having a great one.  FCPL has an outstanding, amazing team of staff and it is my honor to work with you all.  Thank you for your resilience and dedication during our closure, and for being a fantastic library team year-round.

You must be wondering when we will reopen, especially in light of yesterday’s executive order from Governor Kemp.  The date has not been set yet.  As described in a previous post, we have three teams working on different aspects of reopening the libraries.  Leadership Team will be discussing their recommendations tomorrow and I will be consulting with the Library Board.  At this point, I think we will reopen with limited services in early May.  We are not at the point of making an announcement to the public, so please do not share this information beyond your family.  Social distancing protocols will still be in place when we reopen, so we will likely have modified interactions with the public, staggered staff schedules, and telework for staff who can perform their regular duties from home.  My priority continues to be balancing the community’s need for library access with the safety and health of our staff and patrons.  We are working to anticipate and resolve anticipated staff concerns.  But, if you have a concern (or solution!) that you want to make sure we consider, please post it in the comments below.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I appreciate your flexibility, ingenuity, and teamwork during this difficult time.  I look forward to seeing you again soon.