Assistant Director Joni Brookins said the decision to close the library was due to the county going to red for the coronavirus pandemic.
Kosciusko County was designated a red county Dec. 30, which was based on the number of cases per 100,000 and the positivity rate.
“We’ve been in the orange zone now one week,” Brookins said. “If we’re still in the orange zone this Wednesday, we can probably reopen Monday.”
Brookins said she doesn’t think the odds are good the library will reopen Monday due to where the county’s percentage was when it went into orange.
The county has to be in the orange zone for two weeks before the library will reopen.
Brookins said patrons still have access to the library’s digital items and, if someone’s card is expired, they can call the library and staff members will renew the card.
Normally, the library has a special Santa event during December where children can take pictures with Santa. However, this year, due to COVID, the library didn’t hold that event. Instead, the library handed out 150 bags to children that had crafts, stickers, a book and candy cane, Brookins said. The library also had a mailbox set up upstairs in the library where children could write Santa.
Brookins said between administrative assistant Robin Fosnaugh and members of the Friends of the Library, the children got a reply from Santa.
“I think it’s Robin who enjoyed doing that,” Brookins said.
The board also:
• Approved its scheduled board meetings for 2021, which are 4 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the library.
• Approved changes for several policies including the personal information, the conflict of interest, continuing education, dress procedure policy and the equal opportunity policies.
• Learned the WiFi receivers in the library signs were upgraded from 3G to 4G.
