A plea from librarians not to overreact to COVID is now included with Jefferson County library books. It seems some nervous bibliophiles are going to extreme measures to sanitize library books. Like Jay Inslee’s lockdown, their cure could be doing more damage than it is preventing.
With each book comes a slip of paper that reads, “There have been many reports of library patrons cleaning items with bleach or sanitizer, and even microwaving their checked out items in an effort to sanitize them. Please do not do any of this!”
Do these people wear masks and gloves while they’re reading library books? Do they “sanitize” each page before they sit down to read? Are they on edge because of the plot in that mystery in their hands, or because they are worried that they’ll be on a ventilator before they find out who done it?
The librarians’ plea continues: “Library materials have metal in the security tags that are located inside. Printing ink also has metal oxides that could burn and heat overall is extremely detrimental to paper’s lifespan. Bleach, alcohol-based sanitizers, and other cleaning agents are also very bad for paper.”
Yes, heat is very bad for books. Paper burns at Fahrenheit 451 (in the the Adult Fiction Section at F Bradbur).
Chill, librarians advise. Don’t cook the books! “The common solution is time in isolation. Don’t worry about cleaning or sanitizing library materials. The Washington State Library follows guidelines from U.S. Center for Disease Control and material-specific guidelines recommended by the American Library Association and Library of Congress to safeguard our collection materials before they are given to other customers. We are currently holding materials for seven full days before allowing new use.”
There’s science to back that up. Actually, our library holds books for twice as long as necessary to eliminate any risk of COVID transmission from library materials. I could not find any credible report of anyone contracting COVID from a library book.
So put down the alcohol and chlorine wipes and pick up that cup of chamomile tea or that glass of wine and enjoy a worry-free evening with the written word.
Library workers are not exactly wearing full hazmat bunny suits to hand out books, but there is a bit of the “put the book down and step away” routine at the Hadlock library. It’s all for the best, I suppose. Maybe the drama has zero impact on transmission of COVID. It probably doesn’t make a difference. But keeping up the dance deprives Jay Inslee of an excuse to shut down our libraries again.
A closing word from the CDC. Well, not exactly, but I’m sure the CDC would not disagree: If you feel you’ve been exposed to COVID, just like you shouldn’t nuke a library book, don’t stick in your head in the microwave, either.
Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our "About" page for more information.
It’s so sad that some folks are living in so much fear.
Good afternoon,
As the Director of the Jefferson County Library, I find this article both fascinating and concerning. At least three of the bits of information presented here are completely new to me–which seems odd. Perhaps you could share your source? It’s clearly not the Jefferson County Library.
For example:
* Who is putting the slips of paper in the books? What do the papers look like? Are they in all books, dvds, audiobooks? None of my staff have created nor placed bits of paper into items that circulate–this would go against a number of efficiency and professional practices.
* Regarding the “metal security tags” that may catch fire – I suppose that is true, but our library does not use RFID tags or any other metal tags in our materials. We use a simple barcode system to check items in and out. Again, I would love to see an example of these papers with warnings since whoever placed them there clearly has no idea how our library manages its materials.
* Regarding quarantining materials. The quote you list above regarding quarantining materials for seven days may be true for some libraries, but not the Jefferson County Library. Out of curiosity, where did you find it? At one time, we were quarantining materials for up to 96 hours but have adjusted that timeline back to 48 as newer, more current scientific studies demonstrated that a 48 hour quarantine is sufficient.
I would very much appreciate learning more about where you acquired your information, because it clearly is not from the Jefferson County Library or its staff. The idea that someone is somehow putting incorrect information into our materials as a scare tactic concerns me greatly. The last thing I want is someone spreading “fake news” and false data about the Jefferson County Library and its services.
Please contact me as soon as possible so I can look into this.
Many thanks,
Dr. Tamara R. Meredith
tmeredith@jclibrary.info
Dr. Meredith, my wife picked up a hold book at her car at the Jefferson County Library recently. The book was procured by the library through the Interlibrary Loan program. The notice I quoted from was scotch-taped to the front of the book along with the yellow jacket which accompanies Interlibrary Loan program materials. I will scan the notice and send it to you, or I can drop it off at the library door.
Jim,
Thank you for clarifying – that makes much more sense as Interlibrary Loan items do not belong to the Jefferson County Library. The comments you referenced would be specific to whatever lending library sent it to us and are not representative of the Jefferson County Library’s operations or protocols. There have been many different approaches to managing libraries and materials safely during the pandemic – the library that sent the item for your wife’s use clearly has a very different approach than our own Jefferson County Library. (However, I would agree with not microwaving it!)
For current information about the Jefferson County Library’s materials and operations, I encourage anyone to visit our website at: https://jclibrary.info or contact our staff Tuesday through Saturday, 10-5, at 360-385-6544 or information@jclibrary.info.
Many thanks,
Dr. Tamara Meredith
And I think we can all still agree: Please don’t nuke library books, thank you.