Carroll County Public Library announced Friday that all branches will close for two weeks from March 14 through March 29.
“This closure is out of an abundance of caution and aligned with the Governor’s response plan for social distancing during the COVID-19 health crisis,” according to a CCPL news release.
All private meeting room bookings, library programs, and library events are canceled. All six branches and the library headquarters in New Windsor are closed to staff and patrons.
The library is increasing hold times for checked-out materials until a week after the library reopens. Overdue materials will not collect fines during the closure. Library patrons are encouraged to keep all checked-out materials until the library reopens.
The Wi-Fi in the library branches will remain on while branches are closed. In many cases, the signal extends outside the building.
“It’s sad that we have to contemplate closing a library, but given the situation that we’re currently facing, allowing the public to congregate inside a library is actually not the recommended course of action at this point,” CCPL Executive Director Andrea Berstler said.
For library card holders who are able to access the internet, information about digital library services is available at https://library.carr.org/collections/ebooks.asp. This includes databases, ebooks and audiobooks.
Updates on the closure will be posted at library.carr.org. CCPL can not say that phone lines will be answered because staff will also be away during the closure.
The first Carroll County case of the coronavirus was announced Friday afternoon.
A spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan said earlier Friday that the total number of confirmed cases in the state had risen to 17. That did not include the Carroll case.
As of Friday afternoon, the coronavirus had resulted in 33 deaths in the United States out of more than 1,200 people who have tested positive for the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The World Health Organization deemed the coronavirus a pandemic Wednesday.
Anyone who thinks they or a family member might be showing coronavirus symptoms can call the health department’s COVID-19 hotline, which is available 8 am. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 410-876-4848, or contact their doctor.
Updates on the number of Maryland cases and other important information can be found on the health department’s COVID-19 webpage at cchd.maryland.gov/covid-19/.