Marilyn Wood

Dear Patrons,

It’s been a long 16 months, and I’m very excited to announce that our safe and incremental approach to service has been a success. As of July 19, all pre-pandemic spaces and services are open and available to you.

Our community has seen several changes since the onset of the pandemic, many of which were addressed in our 2020 strategic plan.

While some things have changed, many remain the same––particularly, staying true to our mission to strengthen our community and enrich lives by providing equitable and impartial access to information and opportunities to read, learn, connect, and create.

We’ve appreciated your feedback along the way. Patron comments like the following really lifted our spirits during tough times.

“Call it poor timing. We sold our house in a distant community and officially moved to Bloomington on February 28, 2020. Then society shut down about a week later. As we were trying to settle permanently in our new community, we were trying to find our bearings. Libraries are great sources for community stability. But the library was forced to shut down too. How could the Monroe County Public Library help us when they couldn't even open their doors to us? Fortunately, the library team had a plan. Even though we couldn't touch the service desk, we could get service. We were able to secure library cards through email. Then, you let us know how to check out eBooks. Within a short time, the library had a contactless way to check out physical books. As we had questions about either the eBooks or the contactless system, your team was always able to help. As the world has been reopening, we have been able to walk into the library to check out material. The library has been one thing we can count on, despite social modifications. Thank you for helping our new community feel like our home community.”

We are currently offering many outdoor in-person programming events and are excited to share that indoor events will return on September 1.

Safety has been at the forefront of all of our decisions and we will continue to follow government orders and recommendations from the CDC, as well as provide COVID-related resources for patrons.

As always, we are here to serve and assist you. Thank you for being a part of our library community. We value and trust your loyalty.

––Marilyn Wood, Director