Unfortunately, there are people out there who think that think the pandemic is a hoax. Do you have an official response that we should give to any patron who decides to question or argue about the safety measures we are following?
Public Services staff are used to working with patrons who may have different opinions than they do, and they know it is important not to share their own personal opinions, but to reflect the library’s position. In this case, the library as a government agency is following procedures outlined by the governor’s executive orders. If patrons are dissatisfied with a staff member’s response they may always refer to a supervisor. While the supervisor won’t say anything differently, sometimes people appreciate an opportunity to present their case to a second person.
What did [Cherokee Regional Library System] decide about having patrons wear masks?
They are encouraging the public to wear masks but are not requiring them to do so. They also put in place strict cleaning schedules and keyboard check-outs for computer use. They have enough keyboards to both clean and quarantine used ones.
High School AP tests start next week. Teens, parents might be dealing with testing issues, questions. Stress breakers might be good to post.
Steve will pass this along to Tracy and Paula about working it in to the promotional schedule.
Is there an eResource for AP tests we can promote?
We do offer eResources for AP test prep. However, LearningExpress has the following information on the site regarding this year’s testing procedures:
Important! Due to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, College Board has made the decision to deliver the AP® Exams online this year. Besides being able to take them from home, these exams will be different in format than the exams you’ve been preparing for—they are free-response only, with no multiple-choice questions. Please note that the practice tests below do not reflect the format of the online tests to be administered this May, but are still valuable prep resources and offer practice free-response questions similar to those you’ll find on your official exam. Be sure to speak to your teacher and visit College Board’s official AP® website to learn all the specific and important details.
For future reference, LearningExpress has reviews for the following:
- AP® Biology Preparation
- AP® Calculus AB Preparation
- AP® Calculus BC Preparation
- AP® Chemistry Preparation
- AP® Computer Science A Preparation
- AP® Computer Science Principles Preparation
- AP® English Language and Composition Preparation
- AP® English Literature and Composition Preparation
- AP® Environmental Science Preparation
- AP® European History Preparation
- AP® French Language and Culture Preparation
- AP® Psychology Preparation
- AP® Statistics Preparation
- AP® U.S. Government and Politics Preparation
- AP® U.S. History Preparation
- AP® World History: Modern Preparation
Tutor.com also has reviews for AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP U.S. History and AP World History. They are located under the Other Tools drop-down menu.
Do we know how many of our books have been returned already?
Because we have been quarantining at HP and CU prior to checking items in, we did not have an accurate count at the time of this discussion. As of Monday morning, there are 86,421 physical items checked out.
How long do we plan on keeping quarantine of materials protocols in place?
We don’t have a definite timeframe for this. It could be months or years. We simply do not know at this time but will continue to follow protocols that help insure the safety of FCPL staff and patrons.
I had an item go on hold yesterday and I noticed that the hold expires in early June. Are we setting that extended hold window for all items that go on hold for the time being?
IT has addressed this issue and hold expiration dates are back to normal.
Don't forget we have eAudiobooks on Overdrive!
Martha and Kim mentioned that there are some great new eAudiobook titles on Overdrive that patrons aren’t discovering yet. Alicia will write up something for the blog and we will talk to Paula about working it in to her promotional schedule.
There was a brief discussion about contacting patrons on your personal phone for those working remotely. Staff may contact patrons from home only if they are comfortable doing so. You may also want to block your personal number by dialing *67 before dialing the patron’s number.
MATERIALS UPDATE
Thirty-nine boxes were delivered last week and another pallet is on the way. Though selectors have been ordering, vendors have been holding shipments until we had staff in the building to receive deliveries. We have had some issues with publishers pushing back publication dates for big titles, as this is a bad time for public relations tours and sales. That means we will be cancelling some orders and re-ordering at a later date.
When our new books for materials come to the branches, are they going to be quarantined too?
As items are delivered to Materials, we are letting them sit for 24 hours before unpacking. This is based upon guidance that the virus can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard. The paper and Mylar items inside the packages were boxed up several days before receiving, so these have been quarantined while they were inside the cardboard box. Staff is using gloves to unpack the items.
Invoicing and processing procedures are not conducive with wearing gloves, but staff is following proper sanitizing protocol when handling materials.
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