On Saturday, March 14, 2020, the Oak Bluffs Library is open to the public for checkouts during our normal hours from 10am to 4pm.
We welcome you to browse and find materials for you to check out and enjoy during the upcoming school closure. If you’d like to give us a call to set materials aside for you, they will be waiting for you to retrieve at the Circulation Desk. We will not host any gatherings tomorrow. Our scheduled programs Cooking with Carolina: Ramen at 10:30am and Climate Solutions at 2:30pm have both been cancelled.
We intimately know how concerned everyone is about the possibility of coronavirus COVID-19 in our community. Our children and parents live on this island, and we care about their safety as well as yours and your families. The staff and Trustees of the Oak Bluffs Public Library are prioritizing the health and safety of our entire community – patrons, visitors and volunteers – and we want you to know the precautions we are taking here at the Library to minimize the potential of spreading this virus.
Following recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you might notice that the staff is regularly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that get frequent use, such as door handles, stair rails, elevator buttons, computer keyboards, the printer, children’s room toys, faucets and toilet handles. You may find certain heavy-use items—ones that aren’t as easily cleaned throughout the day—missing from the Library; we have put those away temporarily as an extra precaution. Any materials that come in delivery or are returned to the Library are being wiped down with disinfectant.
There are boxes of tissues and bottles of hand sanitizer located throughout the building, and disinfectant wipes are at the Reference Desk to use for staff to disinfect the computer stations.
Our staff members are already meticulous about washing their hands, and we are reinforcing that any staff member who feels sick or is displaying any symptoms stay home.
Social-distancing is critical to mitigating the spread of all germs, so when you are in the Library, please keep a distance of six feet between you and others.
These precautions are not due to any known exposure to COVID-19 at our Library, the Town of Oak Bluffs, or anywhere on Martha’s Vineyard. The Library is currently open for our regularly scheduled hours of service for use and activities.
Remember that even if you cannot or opt not to come to the Library, you can still use our online services to get reading and listening materials. Go online to oakbluffslibrary.org or call us at (508) 693-9433 to find out how to read, listen and watch materials from home.
Resources for more information :
- Island Health Departments:
- Island Public Schools
- MA Department of Public Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- World Health Organization
Please feel free to call us with any questions or concerns, and visit our website oakbluffslibrary.org for updates. We are committed to providing you with the best library service possible while keeping you safe during these uncertain times. Your library is prepared to take each new day as it comes, and we thank you for your understanding, patience, and help as we all work through this together.
With warm regard and wishes for a healthy spring for all,
Allyson Malik
Library Director
Oak Bluffs Public Library