Any Library location that is a designated polling place will remain so and will be open for voting on election day, Tuesday, March 17.
Loveland, Ohio – In response to the growing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County will close all of its facilities to the public beginning Friday, March 13 at 6 PM.
The affected branches surrounding Loveland are, Blue Ash, Symmes Township, and Loveland.
The Clermont County Public Library Board of Trustees was scheduled to meet in emergency session at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 13, in the Administration Office, 5920 Buckwheat Road. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. As of press time,nor other information is available.
The Library said that they will reassess the closure on a weekly basis and use current information from health officials to determine the best date to reopen.
A staff member at the Library’s Distribution Center has voluntarily self-quarantined. There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst Library staff, and no reported cases of staff exposure.
“The latest information from the governor’s office, which indicates that aggressive early social distancing can stop COVID-19 from exponentially spreading, helped us make this decision. Declarations of city-wide and county-wide states of emergency, as well as the voluntary self- quarantine of a staff member, also convinced us that this closure is in the best interest of public safety. This was a very difficult decision that we did not make without much careful deliberation,” says Paula Brehm-Heeger, the Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director of the Library.
The Library is asking customers to hold on to their materials until further notice. Due dates will be extended so fines will not be assessed.
Any Library location that is a designated polling place will remain so and will be open for voting on election day, Tuesday, March 17.
All staff not reporting to work during the closure to the public will be paid for their regularly scheduled hours based on the Library’s Absence Because of Emergency Closing Policy.
“We encourage our customers to use our robust eBranch, which features digital versions of books, audiobooks, music, movies, magazines, and more,” says Brehm-Heeger. “We’re redirecting more of our funds towards digital content to make sure even more digital resources are available for our customers during this time.”
Ohio residents have the option to sign up for a free Library card online, so they can begin using the Library’s eBranch as soon as they receive their confirmation email.
For updates about Library services and responses during this time, visit CincinnatiLibrary.org/COVID19 or follow us on social media @cincylibrary.
Additionally:
- All events and classes are canceled through April 3, 2020. This includes the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration this Sunday, March 15.
- All meeting rooms are now closed through April 3.
- Customers have been asked to hold on to their checked out physical materials instead of returning them.
- Checked out items will have their due dates extended.
- Book donations are not being accepted at this time.
Have additional questions about the Library’s response? Call (513) 369-6900 or contact by email.
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