Allegheny, Westmoreland libraries closed amid coronavirus fears
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Westmoreland County’s libraries and satellite offices will be closed until March 30 amid fears over the coronavirus, officials announced.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s locations will close Sunday until March 31.
Guidance on the closure came from the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Commonwealth Libraries on Friday after Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all schools in the state should close, according to the Westmoreland Library Network.
“During an emergency, in a time of crisis, the power of factual, evidence-based information is magnified exponentially,” said Brian Dawson, Mt. Pleasant Public Library director, in a statement. “So while our building is not open, we will be working behind the scenes to provide those critical information services the public needs.”
Patrons of both library systems are asked to keep items they have checked out until the facilities reopen. Any overdue fines and fees will be waived, and materials will be auto-renewed. Nothing should be dropped off at any of the libraries.
All Carnegie Library locations had restricted services Saturday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we need to take the extraordinary step of closing to the public,” said Mary Frances Cooper, president and director of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, in a statement. “We understand the impact this decision has on our community. In the interest of our public’s health we cannot in good faith maintain the cleaning routine and enforce the social distancing necessary to combat the spread of this virus.”
Library ebooks and audiobooks can still be accessed and checked out through a smartphone app. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh staff members will meet Monday to discuss how to continue library services during the shutdown.
Greensburg Hempfield Area Library officials said network staff members are working to create an online system for residents to get a library card without leaving their homes.
At Adams Memorial Library in Latrobe, staff members will continue to work as long as it is safe, according to a message sent by library officials. Staff members hope to institue a curbside option early next week for checking out items that have been disinfected. Check with the library at 724-539-1972 for details.
There are more than 40 coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania, including two in Allegheny and one in Washington counties.
In the United States, at least 46 people have died from the disease caused by the new virus, and more than 2,100 presumptive positive cases have been identified, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A high percentage of people recover from coronavirus. Worldwide, there have been more than 5,400 deaths and more than 145,000 confirmed infections, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.