Introduction:
Northland Public Library has a shared responsibility of achieving our mission and also ensuring the health, safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers and library patrons. Through careful discussions, consultation with public health agencies such as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) we will take action to be proactive with regards to contagious outbreaks. This policy is provided as a guideline for response to an active pandemic threat. It is recognized that each situation is unique and modifications may need to be made including moving certain steps at a higher stage up to a lower stage if needed/recommended.
Stage One: A pandemic threat has been identified, but no one in Pennsylvania has been diagnosed with the disease:
- Remind staff to stay home when sick.
- Share resources and information with staff and volunteers.
- Increase paid medical leave on an as-needed, case-by-case basis. or Grant 5 additional paid days of medical leave to any staff member who has symptoms of the disease, including non-salaried staff members.
- Increase signage regarding the importance of hand-washing.
- Declare a moratorium on shaking hands.
- Impose travel restrictions as needed or required by appropriate authorities.
- Increase sanitation practices.
- Make sure every department and public space has plenty of antibacterial hand sanitizers.
- Equip each department, including volunteers, with antibacterial wipes and disposable gloves.
- Have maintenance staff sanitize public areas, including keyboards, more thoroughly.
Stage Two: One or more Pennsylvania residents have been diagnosed with the disease:
- Implement all Stage One procedures.
- Grant employees in high-risk categories 5 additional paid days of medical leave if they choose to stay home. Encourage them to work from home, if possible. Treat additional leave requested the same way as FMLA leave.
- Inform the public of all measures the Library is taking via the website and social media.
- Put informational signs on library doors and public desks for patrons.
- Implement a hiring freeze.
- Modify self-checkouts to diminish screen-touching.
- Some volunteers may choose to stay home. Remind them to contact their supervisor or the Volunteer Coordinator if that is the case.
Stage Three: One or more Allegheny County or Butler County residents have been diagnosed with the disease:
- Implement all Stage One and Stage Two procedures.
- Replace in-person meetings with teleconferencing, Skype or other virtual meetings.
- Postpone all classroom training.
- Allow as many staff as possible to work from home.
- Cancel all outreach.
- Take toys from the CATS’ Department that are difficult to keep sanitized out of commission.
- Cancel all programs and room rentals, both internal and off-site. Offer virtually if possible.
- Halt attendance at offsite meetings, conferences, luncheons, etc.
Stage Four: Number of cases continues to grow; local schools begin to close:
- Implement all procedures from Stages One through Three.
- All staff members must keep 3 feet between themselves and other people (co-workers, patrons, etc.).
- Suspend the charging of fines for late materials; encourage patrons to hang on to their library materials.
- Continue to check in library materials, but wear gloves and limit handling as much as possible.
- Ensure all shelvers wear gloves when shelving or pulling items for the paging list.
- Direct patrons to use self-checkout machines and/or to download e-materials. Suspend in-person checkouts as much as possible.
- Set up a way for patrons to check out their own holds.
- Reduce work schedules.
- Schedule essential staff in shifts in order to limit office-sharing.
Stage Five: Recommendation from ACHD (and/or other official health organization) to close to the public.
- Implement all procedures from Stages One through Four.
- Close to the public. Notify the public using all channels.
- Reduce work schedules as necessary.
- Offer telephone- and email-reference services only.
- Suspend paging list and refrain from clearing the hold shelf.
- Pause all ordering of library materials.
- Cancel all orders and deliveries; suspend USPS service.
- Notify volunteers to stay home from the library.
- Shift and modify staff duties, as needed.
- Accept materials returns through the drop boxes, only, unless disease can be transmitted via books.
- Increase visits to the kiosk and remote drop boxes in anticipation of greater demand.
- If closing book drops, lock or block them and put signs on them indicating closure.
- Inform public the Library will no longer accept donations of library materials (books, DVDs, etc.).
Stage Six: Recommendation from ACHD (and/or other official health organization) to close.
- The Library will remain closed to the public and staff will not be permitted in the building.
- Assign the care of Northland critters to specific staff members.
- Certain key staff members must do whatever work they can from home.
- Pay all staff for their regularly scheduled hours.
- Direct all staff to check their work emails frequently for updates.
- Re-open the Library when it has been deemed safe to do so, but resume procedures in reverse order of the above stages.
Emergency Powers
In the event of the implementation of this Policy, and where there are exigent circumstances, the Executive Director and Director-level staff positions in consultation with the Library’s solicitors, local, state and federal level authorities, and with at least one officer of the Board, shall have the authority to make the following types of decisions, which decisions shall be brought to the attention of the board at the earliest practical time:
- Compensation of staff during each Stage of the Policy;
- Library operations, hours, and re-openings;
- Delegation of responsibilities to staff members;
- Facility needs including emergency repairs.
Approved 3/24/20