BARTLETT PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT
PANDEMIC RESPONSE POLICY AND PROCEDURES

LEVEL I: PRECAUTIONARY HEALTH MEASURES

  1. Cleaning & Supplies
    1. Purchase additional cleaning and disease prevention supplies.
    2. Provide tissues and hand sanitizer to staff and in public areas.
    3. Offer staff gloves to be used if desired.
    4. Perform additional routine cleaning, as needed, of all frequently touched surfaces in the Library, such as workstations, countertops, door knobs, handrails, and elevator buttons.
    5. Provide staff with disinfectant cleaner.
    6. Staff should contact Building Maintenance if an area needs to be thoroughly cleaned.
  2. Work Adjustments
    1. Authorities may request that persons returning from an infected area of the world not return to work for a period of time. Library employees are required to follow those recommendations. Absences for this purpose will be excused
    2. Any employee presenting symptoms congruent with the outbreak will be asked to return home and/or refrain from coming to work.
    3. Review documentation of departmental procedures and/or departmental cross training so others can take over for sick employees.
  3. Communicate to the Public
    1. Share official sources for health information with patrons.
    2. Recommend that patrons and staff with symptoms not enter the building.
    3. Promote healthy habits.
    4. Promote online library services.
  4. Communicate to Staff
    1. Share this Pandemic Response Procedure.
    2. Emphasize that staff should stay home when sick and follow respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
    3. Communicate any CDC reporting requirements.
    4. Advise traveling staff to check the CDC's Traveler's Health Notices.
    5. Promote healthy habits.

LEVEL II: MODERATED SERVICES

In the event that an official source declares a pandemic, the Library will respond according to the official recommendations of the CDC, DuPage and Cook County Health Departments, or other appropriate public health authorities. The responses to the recommendations may include:

  1. Service Adjustments
    1. Create social distancing by limiting the number of public seats so that fewer people are working in close proximity to one another.
    2. Require patrons to maintain social distancing and wear face coverings in the building at all times, pursuant with safety recommendations of appropriate public health authorities.
    3. Reduce or suspend services. Public health authorities may advise that libraries and other gathering places minimize or entirely suspend situations where numerous individuals congregate in relatively confined spaces. In such cases, the Library Director may suspend some or all:
      1. Library programming
      2. Public meeting room use
      3. Deliveries to nursing homes and retirement centers
    4. Review and prepare options for emergency library services as necessary.
  2. Work Adjustments
    1. Cancel all library-related travel to areas under a CDC Traveler's Health Notice Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel) and reconsider library-related travel to Level 2 areas.
    2. Adjust volunteer work schedules as affected by service adjustments.
  3. Communicate to the Public
    1. Continue messaging as in Level I. Messages should explicitly state that service reductions are being done to slow down disease transmission, not because of an abundance of sick staff.
    2. Post an alert on the website outlining adjustments to services; adjust homepage to include pointers to official sources of info about the pandemic.
    3. Contact affected program registrants, meeting room and conference room users, reservations, etc. to notify of service adjustments.
  4. Communicate to Staff
    1. Library Director to monitor and coordinate response among authorities, schools, villages, and library.
    2. Remind staff to stay home when sick and follow respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. Review and adjust staff contact lists to ensure information is current.

LEVEL III: TEMPORARY CLOSURE

  1. Service Adjustments
    1. Temporary Closure. During the course of a pandemic, the Library Director may temporarily close the Library building under one or more of the following conditions:
      1. Public health authorities advise, request, or order such a closure.
      2. U-46 School District closes.
      3. Public visitation is too low to warrant keeping the building open.
      4. Staffing levels are too low to operate the Library
      5. Any other conditions that prevent the Library from operating the facilities safely and effectively.
    2. Emergency Closing Guidelines may apply.
    3. Waive overdue fines.
    4. Close drop box and post closed signs.
    5. Inform vendors and delivery services that we are closed and not accepting deliveries.
    6. Notify RAILS.
    7. Notify vending company.
  2. Work Adjustments
    1. Staff and volunteers are to refrain from reporting to work in person unless approved by the Library Director.
    2. Facility Manager and IT Manager will continue to work remotely to monitor building and systems conditions.
    3. Public Relations Specialist will continue to work remotely to communicate with public.
    4. Library Director will continue to work remotely to coordinate response among staff and with Library Board of Trustees.
  3. Communicate to the Public
    1. Post an alert message on the website indicating the library is closed; homepage to include pointers to official sources of info about the pandemic.
    2. Post library closed signage on front door of library building.
    3. Continue to share official sources for health information and library service updates with patrons via digital communications channels.
  4. Communicate to Staff
    1. Library Director to continue to monitor and coordinate response among authorities, schools, villages, and library.

FINAL CAVEAT: Should the situation call for a more nuanced response than is outlined here, the Library Director and Board may adjust the library's response to meet emergent needs.

 

Pandemic Response Policy & Procedures
Revised 11/02/20
Adopted 03/16/20