Programs to Resume Saturday, January 8

Submitted by Cleo Joyce

After much discussion and carefully looking at many factors, programs will resume beginning this Saturday, January 8.

Libraries are an essential service and programming is a big part of what we do in a public library and at FCPL. Our patrons expect us to be offering programs and we want to meet those expectations. We also saw this past fall that there are many challenges to restarting programs and I want us to keep the momentum going that we gained this fall when we resumed our full programming schedule. 

Branch supervisors will be looking at upcoming programs to ensure we are doing what we can to make programs safe for staff and patrons. There may be programs branches need to adapt, modify, or reschedule in order to ensure both staff and patrons can have a safe and enjoyable experience. Staff are encouraged to make back-up plans and share program plans with their supervisors and other staff in the event of staff illness. Google Drive is a great tool for this. Branches will also be monitoring staffing levels to make sure there are staff available to both staff the branch and run programs. 

Please know this decision was not made lightly. We will continue to monitor both the COVID numbers and staffing issues and may need to reevaluate programming at a later date. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments going forward, please speak with your supervisor.