Slice of Life Day 12: The Unknown

Monday morning I walked into my library (I’m a public library director) ready to talk with our Township Manager of a contingency plan for if and when we had to make decisions because of the coronavirus. By the time I finally got the chance to speak with him later that afternoon, there was already a confirmed case of COVID-19 in our Township.

Since Monday, I’ve been trying to carry on in the face of not really knowing what’s going to happen in the hours, days, and weeks ahead. It’s extremely difficult to have a staff of 45 employees (full and part-time) plus the public’s welfare to be in some ways responsible for. I don’t want to make light of our situation, but I also don’t want to cause more stress and panic.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to keep up with day-to-day operations of just the running of the library. While also adding on additional cleaning of our physical space. Updating online information to keep our patrons informed as programs are canceled, toys are put away, etc. And talking with township officials and other library directors in the area to see what everyone is doing.

The Unknown

I said today, truly the hardest part is the unknown. It’s like a winter storm that is being predicted and you don’t quite know how or when it will strike and with what severity. Unfortunately, a winter storm will come and go. This pandemic could be affecting our community for weeks. Already college campuses are extending spring breaks and offering the rest of the semester remotely. Schools have been closed for cleaning and large events are being canceled.

I’m already preparing my next staff email that will go out tomorrow with updated information. I’m planning on sending out an email to patrons with what the library is doing in the face of this virus. And I’ve got to sit down with the Township Manager again and see what our next steps are.

It’s frustrating and exhausting to feel on edge like this for days on end. But I know that everyone is trying to do the best they can with the information they have available. We all just need a little extra patience as we see what happens next.

This is my second year participating in the Slice of Life Challenge. I’ll be posting brief posts that show a glimpse of my life in story-format. A slice of my life as a librarian and blogger that I hope you enjoy!