Hope this beautiful sunny morning finds you rested and in high spirits, and above all else, healthy!
The Kenosha County Health Department releases detailed information to its partners every day and today they shared projections from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations. The site shows every state and the whole country depending on how you limit your search from the top drop down menu. Looks like Wisconsin has enough hospital beds but not enough ICU beds or ventilators so far to weather the peak of the infections. We have just short of a month to rectify that, and I'm confident there is huge push to do so. I will keep you informed as I learn more, and I encourage those of you who are interested to return to this site often to see how we're doing as a state and as a nation.
The most important thing you can do is TAKE THIS PANDEMIC SERIOUSLY. For any of you who may be thinking you're too young or too healthy to get seriously sick, and these social restrictions are just too inconvenient, please turn your perspective outward and consider that your responsibility is never just to yourself, but rather to the human beings with whom you share this planet. Times like this brings out the best or worst in us all. Let's make sure it brings out the best in KPLers.
On April 7th, the city is moving forward with elections. Please be aware that states determine election rules, so the decision is out of Kenosha's hands. Polling places in Kenosha have been reduced to mitigate social exposure and because our older adults who typically staff our elections are excluded from participating this year, which means the number of volunteers is really reduced. The day is long, from 7am to 8pm, with time to set up before and time to count ballots after. I have worked as an election judge, and the day is really, really long and tedious. You can't leave all day to make sure there's no election tampering. If you're up to the challenge, and you're younger than 60 years old (city's rule) I encourage you to step forward and volunteer. This is a great way to earn your paycheck while we're away from the library. You will be provided with gloves and a mask, so the risk is minimal.
Also needed on April 7th are people to count the absentee ballots. This will take place at city hall. Again, you need to be younger than 60 years old. The day will be equally long. You'll have masks and gloves and be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
A third opportunity is to staff the reference desk at Southwest on April 7th. We will be taking calls from people who need to know where they should go to vote. The City Clerk's office doesn't have enough staff for the volume of calls they expect, and I proudly offered our services, since information and referral is exactly what we do! You don't have to be a librarian to do this. All we'll need to do is type in a person's address here and the answer will pop up. If you miss talking to patrons the way I do, this is a great opportunity for you to help! I'm sure many of the people who call will be delighted to learn the library may be closed, but we are finding new ways to help our community. And you'll have no risk. You'll be alone and we'll wash down the phones between shifts, so no social exposure except when we're hanging shifts. If you're over 60 years old, I encourage you to sign up for this opportunity.
Here's what else we've done to help our community after our staff went home:
- Gave 30 unopened boxes of latex gloves to our fire department who gratefully accepted and will distribute to hospitals and city departments like transit still open for business.
- Gave all our patron laptops to the city to hand out to their staff so they can shelter in place and stop coming into work at city hall!
- Assembled a terrific list of things kids can do at home to keep learning. This link has been adopted by several elementary schools for their web pages to help their families cope with bored kids at home, and it's also been shared with thousands of families who subscribe to Bright by Text . Once again, our YFS staff is making us very proud!
- We also have a YouTube Channel with storytimes and STEAM activities.
- Our electronic resource vendors are generously proving much more content at no cost to us. Did you know that Overdrive has a Skip the Line section? Go to Library, then Explore, then drop down to Skip the Line. STL differs from "always available." STL is extra copies of hot stuff that you might be lucky enough to grab without getting on a long waiting list. Try it and please recommend to your friends.
- Speaking of recommending, Brandi is highlighting a book a day on Facebook to recommend to the public. Keep the Whacha Reading? email chain going so she has ideas to share.
- And don't forget we have more than Overdrive for audiobooks. RB Digital (Recorded Books) is always very high quality and there's no waiting list for any of their titles
If you're interested in helping on voting day, please email me. I'll send in your name and email to the clerk's office. So far I've heard from Marcia, Elkid and Carlice who will work for the clerk, and Lisa L will help staff the SW phone. Thank you!
Stay well, and take good care of everyone around you! We'll get through this stronger for it.
Barb
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