Timberland Regional Library to close all branches starting Saturday
Timberland Regional Library will close its libraries to the public starting Saturday, March 14, in response to COVID-19, according to a news release from the library system. The closures will stay in place until at least Monday, April 6.
The system has 27 branches in five counties, including five libraries in Thurston.
The decision represents Stage Three of the system’s three-stage emergency response. Timberland moved to Stage Two on Friday before deciding to escalate measures further.
Through the end of the business day Friday, its locations were “circulation only” according to the system’s website.
Facilities were open, but prolonged use of any kind — such as studying, reading, and using public computers — was prohibited. Locations were sites for pick-up, check-out, return, and quick browsing, according to the website, and public seating areas were not available.
As of Friday, there were no planned changes to the library’s free Wi-Fi, which can be used 6 a.m. to midnight every day, TRL spokesperson Michelle Larson told The Olympian.
“People have always used the Wi-Fi after hours, usually from their cars in the parking lot,” Larson wrote in an email, and that access hasn’t changed.
Virtual services will also remain available, such as the OverDrive system and Libby mobile application through which users download e-books and audiobooks, Larson confirmed.
“If people don’t have a library card yet, they can use our online card application, and we will be extending the use length from 14 days to eight weeks during the closure,” Larson said.
The library system is working on a Q&A for its website that will answer common questions regarding the library’s response to the pandemic in the near future, Larson said.
Updates are available on the system’s website (https://www.trl.org/health-safety-updates). Closures will be also be posted as “red alert banners” at the top of each library location’s web page, according to Larson.
“We are doing everything that we can in this rapidly evolving health crisis,” Larson said. “And we thank everyone for their understanding and patience while we work to keep the public and our library staff as safe as possible.”
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 11:14 AM.
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