KDL No Longer Holding Materials in Quarantine; Increasing Branch Capacity and Length of Visits

Now:

• Increased capacity to 50% of building capacity

Beginning October 19:

• Quarantine of returned materials ends
• Branch visit time expands to two hours
• Access time for public computers increases to two hours

Effective October 19, KDL will stop quarantining returned library materials. This means items will be processed and go back into circulation after they are returned. This decision to resume normal handling of returned materials is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reviewed by the Kent County Health Department. 

The practice of holding returned items in quarantine for 96 hours was based on limited COVID-19 data, which has since been expanded with revised guidance from the CDC. The CDC advises there is a low risk of spreading the virus through surfaces such as book covers, which means that a quarantine is unnecessary. According to the CDC, the virus is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person. The most effective precautions include washing hands often, avoiding close contact with others in public and wearing a mask over the nose and mouth.

This change will improve the customer experience and streamline processes for library staff while maintaining a commitment to health and safety. KDL will continue to review the available scientific data and recommendations from the appropriate authorities, adjusting procedures if new information emerges.

Also effective October 19, KDL is increasing the length of branch visits and computer usage from one hour to 2 hours.

Increased capacity to 50% of building occupancy went into effect October 14.