Quarantine Time Modified

 Hello, Everyone

Back in October, the libraries in Oregon asked their state health department to make a determination on  the correct quarantine time for library materials. The epidemiologists evaluated the Battelle Labs  REALM Project experimental data and concluded that library materials quarantined for 24 hours posed negligible health threat to the public. Here is the official letter released in October. 

This information came to us just as the infection rate began to soar in Wisconsin, so we held off on implementing the new guidelines here so we wouldn't further alarm the public. In the meantime, the libraries surrounding us grabbed the chance to reduce the stress on their space and workflow by adopting the new 24 hour guidelines. 

Today we reexamined our policies and decided that reducing our 96 hour quarantine to 48 hours was supported by the science and posed no added threat to KPL staff or the public. So starting today, we will reduce our quarantine period for all library materials to 48 hours. This is still more precautionary than the Oregon guidance, but we prefer to err on the side of caution during this time of increased spread. All staff handling returns should continue to wear gloves and everyone should keep their masks on in shared spaces. This combination of precautions should keep us safe at work. 

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Barb