The COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic has changed all of our lives. At the Canton Public Library, we have been working throughout our closure to extend our online services and maintain our connections to you. The leadership team is already preparing to serve our community in new ways once we are allowed to reopen. We are working together to keep you, our coworkers, and our community safe and healthy. This will mean changes to how we provide library services and building access as we move through the transition from being fully closed to being fully open, as well as every phase in-between.

Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our staff and community and to that end, we are working on securing adequate supplies of hand sanitizer, disinfectant, disinfecting wipes, gloves, and other protective equipment. While we placed supply orders weeks ago, these are, rightfully, on backorder while shipments are prioritized for medical and public health professionals. Even when the Governor's Executive Order is lifted and the library is allowed to reopen, we will not consider it until we have adequate protective supplies on-hand.

Despite our closure, we are getting the library ready for the various phases of our reopening plans. While the library is professionally cleaned nightly, between March 14 and March 22, we had additional deep cleaning and sanitization throughout the building. We are quarantining all returned materials for 24 hours before shelving them. We are working closely with the Canton Township Emergency Management Team as well as our colleagues at other libraries, as things continue to change. Advice from the Library of Michigan and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services is also being followed.

We are planning a tightly-controlled, phased opening, and will move to ease those restrictions as indicated by staffing levels, the availability of protective equipment and supplies, our capacity to manage each phase safely and successfully, and any local/state/federal restrictions on physical distancing, sanitization, and maximum building occupancy ratios. We will communicate those plans to you as each phase unfolds.

I am sure that you have many questions, and I hope that this has answered at least some of them. Please continue to Contact Us with your questions, feedback, and concerns. The bottom line for us is that we will continue to connect our community, now and in the future, with the same integrity, innovation, and leadership you expect from us.

We cannot wait to see you all again. Stay safe, stay healthy, and wash your hands.

Eva Davis, Director