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As Michigan begins to reopen, libraries are calling back staff who haven’t been to work in 13 weeks. Van Buren District Library Director Dan Hutchins tells WSJM News library directors across the state have been in contact regarding a reopening plan, and you’ll see the same strategy pretty much everywhere. For VBDL, it starts Thursday with Phase 1, offering curbside pickup. If that goes well, they’ll proceed.
“One possibility is that we go into what we call Phase 2, which is allowing people into the library for a limited period of time, say for 30 minutes a day,” Hutchins said. “They could use our computers, for instance, or maybe browse our selection.”
Hutchins says Phase 3 would be a near total reopening, only with the community rooms not in use. He says staff are working in staggered, rotating shifts so there aren’t too many people in the building at a time. They want to get the reopening right.
“If this had only gone on three or four weeks, it wouldn’t have been a big deal at all, but having been out of the building for 13 weeks, I think there’s a little trepidation because we’re all worried about doing a good job.”
After Thursday, staff at the Van Buren District Library will be there between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Hutchins notes items being returned will have to be placed in the drop box so they can be isolated for a few days before staff touch them.