COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness & Reopening Plan
Date: May 2020, Updated October 2020, Updated December 2020
About COVID-19
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death. It is caused by a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans and easily spread from person to person. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for this disease widely available.
People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms with varying severity. Symptoms may include dry cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and runny nose.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Everyone should wash their hands often, avoid close contact, cover mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect and monitor their health. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions seem to be at higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19 illness.
Prevention
SBBDL is following orders and recommendations per local and other government authorities and professional library associations to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Authorities include the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, MDHHS, MIOSHA, OSHA and the CDC; library associations include LOM, MLA and ALA. As orders and recommendations are lifted or eased, the library will heed appropriate counsel for re-engaging with the public to prevent further virus spread. The COVID-19 situation is frequently changing; modifications may occur based on further guidance by appropriate counsel.
Why close the library?
The SBBDL Board of Trustees made the decision to close the library to the public in response to Governor Whitmer’s State of Emergency and related COVID-19 orders and recommendations for community mitigation of the COVID-19 virus per the MDHHS, CDC, LOM, and MLA.
Coordinator
The SBBDL Library Director serves as the library’s coordinator for the COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness & Reopening Plan. The Coordinator is responsible for staying up to date on orders and recommendations per local and other government authorities and professional library associations, communicating updates with the Board, staff, volunteers/Friends and the community, incorporating those recommendations at the library with policies and procedures, training staff and reporting of a COVID-19 positive individual. The SBBDL Board oversees the general management of the library and must be familiar with this plan. This plan supersedes current library policy on file, until it can be updated to reflect the COVID-19 health crisis.
Staged Reopening
The library will engage with the public in stages during the COVID-19 health crisis. The library may need to move either towards Stage 1 or Stage 4, depending on current conditions.
Reasons & Authority to Move through Stages
Decisions on moving through stages of reopening will be made by the Library Director and a Board Trustee. Reasons for the library to move towards Stage 1 include lifting or easing of orders or recommendations for community mitigation of COVID-19 per local or other governmental authorities and a sustained lack of community cases of COVID-19. Reasons for the library to move towards Stage 4 include orders or recommendations for community mitigation of COVID-19 per local or other governmental authorities, an individual that was in the library is confirmed positive for COVID-19, staffing levels and other safety concerns
Stages
1. Open to Public, Full Operations
2. Open to Public, Limited Operations
3. Closed to Public, Limited Operations
4. Closed to Public, Minimum Basic Operations
Considerations at Each Stage
-Communications
-Service Hours
-Cleaning & Disinfecting
-Use of the Library
-Social Distancing
-Personal Protective Equipment
-Board of Trustees
-Staff
-Volunteers/Friends
-Circulation
-Computer Resources
-Readers Advisory & Reference Services
-Programming
-Shared Spaces
-Outreach Services
Response/Reporting of a COVID-19 Positive Individual
Staff will need to complete daily health screenings before starting work. Staff will stay home when sick/in quarantine and be restricted from the library if displaying COVID-19 symptoms.
If a COVID-19 positive individual was in the library, the library will move to a closed stage until a checklist is completed by the plan Coordinator.
Full text of the SBBDL COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness & Reopening Plan here
Date: May 2020, Updated October 2020, Updated December 2020
About COVID-19
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death. It is caused by a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans and easily spread from person to person. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for this disease widely available.
People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms with varying severity. Symptoms may include dry cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and runny nose.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Everyone should wash their hands often, avoid close contact, cover mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect and monitor their health. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions seem to be at higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19 illness.
Prevention
SBBDL is following orders and recommendations per local and other government authorities and professional library associations to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Authorities include the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department, MDHHS, MIOSHA, OSHA and the CDC; library associations include LOM, MLA and ALA. As orders and recommendations are lifted or eased, the library will heed appropriate counsel for re-engaging with the public to prevent further virus spread. The COVID-19 situation is frequently changing; modifications may occur based on further guidance by appropriate counsel.
Why close the library?
The SBBDL Board of Trustees made the decision to close the library to the public in response to Governor Whitmer’s State of Emergency and related COVID-19 orders and recommendations for community mitigation of the COVID-19 virus per the MDHHS, CDC, LOM, and MLA.
Coordinator
The SBBDL Library Director serves as the library’s coordinator for the COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness & Reopening Plan. The Coordinator is responsible for staying up to date on orders and recommendations per local and other government authorities and professional library associations, communicating updates with the Board, staff, volunteers/Friends and the community, incorporating those recommendations at the library with policies and procedures, training staff and reporting of a COVID-19 positive individual. The SBBDL Board oversees the general management of the library and must be familiar with this plan. This plan supersedes current library policy on file, until it can be updated to reflect the COVID-19 health crisis.
Staged Reopening
The library will engage with the public in stages during the COVID-19 health crisis. The library may need to move either towards Stage 1 or Stage 4, depending on current conditions.
Reasons & Authority to Move through Stages
Decisions on moving through stages of reopening will be made by the Library Director and a Board Trustee. Reasons for the library to move towards Stage 1 include lifting or easing of orders or recommendations for community mitigation of COVID-19 per local or other governmental authorities and a sustained lack of community cases of COVID-19. Reasons for the library to move towards Stage 4 include orders or recommendations for community mitigation of COVID-19 per local or other governmental authorities, an individual that was in the library is confirmed positive for COVID-19, staffing levels and other safety concerns
Stages
1. Open to Public, Full Operations
2. Open to Public, Limited Operations
3. Closed to Public, Limited Operations
4. Closed to Public, Minimum Basic Operations
Considerations at Each Stage
-Communications
-Service Hours
-Cleaning & Disinfecting
-Use of the Library
-Social Distancing
-Personal Protective Equipment
-Board of Trustees
-Staff
-Volunteers/Friends
-Circulation
-Computer Resources
-Readers Advisory & Reference Services
-Programming
-Shared Spaces
-Outreach Services
Response/Reporting of a COVID-19 Positive Individual
Staff will need to complete daily health screenings before starting work. Staff will stay home when sick/in quarantine and be restricted from the library if displaying COVID-19 symptoms.
If a COVID-19 positive individual was in the library, the library will move to a closed stage until a checklist is completed by the plan Coordinator.
Full text of the SBBDL COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness & Reopening Plan here
Information about the COVID-19 virus can be found here:
1-888-535-6136
MI Dept of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline
The hotline is open 8am-5pm, seven days a week. Public health and other experts will answer health-related questions about COVID-19.
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MI Dept of Health and Human Services
Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department
Grand Traverse County Health Department
1-888-535-6136
MI Dept of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline
The hotline is open 8am-5pm, seven days a week. Public health and other experts will answer health-related questions about COVID-19.
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MI Dept of Health and Human Services
Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department
Grand Traverse County Health Department