The subject says it all. I was a frequent patron of our city library. I remember books where it was obvious that the person who had it before me read while smoking a cigar - PHEW. Now what happens if someone has coughed into a library book? So I will likely wait until there is a good vaccine , no matter how long it takes.
What about you?
And, if you do intend to patronize your library, are you going to take any special precautions?
If you check out the books/other materials and set them aside for about three days any virus that might possibly have been on them will have been rendered inert. So… bring them home in a bag, stash in closet for three days, commence reading.
My library has already said that anything returned will be “quarantined” for three days so anything materials might have picked up at a patron’s home will likewise cease to be before anything is even reshelved.
Whatever you do, do NOT microwave anything! (Yes, people have tried that).
I am soooo bad about reading physical books in a timely manner, that I don’t intend to check anything out.
But I really don’t think library books are particularly hazardous.
(Disclaimer: Essential worker who can’t get away from the public, and has numerous co-workers who seem to think that being employed at the same store renders one unlikely to be contagious. If you’ve been in strict isolation, I can respect library books being too high risk).
It doesn’t seem like covid-19 spreads too much through surfaces (e.g., Washington Post cite). And even if it did, as @Broomstick said you could just quarantine the books for a couple of days.
But yes, I just put in for a bunch of holds and as soon as they are in we’ll go pick them up.
In our library district, returns are quarantined for three days before going back into rotation. Not to mention that a lot of my stuff sits around for a week before I get around to taking it back. 
Also, I got this hand-washing thing down. So I’m feeling pretty safe.
Our district is also doing curbside service. You put your returns in the book drop, call to let the librarians know you’ve arrived, and they bring your loot out and put it in your trunk.
I sure hope they don’t close again…I was doing some serious fretting for a while there.
Same here, feeling pretty safe going about my day and going into the library will not concern me as I’ll be masked with clean hands,
One benefit of a virus is that it can’t self-replicate and will die on it’s own. That’s different than bacteria and mold which can replicate and continue to contaminate surfaces for long periods of time. After a few days, any virus on library materials should be inert and you shouldn’t have to worry about contamination.
Do you go grocery shopping and pick up boxes, cans, and jars? I assume so. Why would books be any more likely to pass on COVID than a box of cereal?
For the last several years I’ve pretty much stuck to getting digital books through the library’s Overdrive app. In fact, I looked at my ‘borrowed’ history a few months ago, and at that point I’d only checked out a single paper book in the previous year, while reading dozens of digital ones. God bless kindle.
Same here. And I have a Little Free Library which supplies me with occasional good reads, too.
I’ll just have to resist the urge to lick it. I’m far more concerned with the visit to the library than I am about the objects I bring back.
I don’t have concerns (higher risk/age and health) going to library.
Mine has check in at the door, offers a mask if you don’t have one, a mask is required. Hand sanitizer offered in several places. You get a stick-on label coded for 60 minutes stay, they limit how many labels they give out per hour so patron density is controlled. Lines on floor for check out desks. All staff are masked and gloved.
They announce that return materials aren’t touched or reshelved for 72 hours.
I zip in and out so my exposure is further limited. I gel my hands before I get in my car.
I try to put books on hold so all I have to do is run in and grab them. Takes about two minutes. I use Overdrive as much as possible but their selection is so much more limited and some authors or publishers don’t allow their works to be publically circulated ebooks. Seemingly many of my favorites, sigh…
This does not seem like a high risk thing to me. I would wash my hands before and after reading the material, and try not to touch my face while doing so. I doubt much more concern is helpful.
I’m jealous of anyone who has an open library in their community. Ours are not.
In the middle of March, someone suggested I read an article published by the Wall Street Journal. It had to do with a hobby of mine. I don’t subscribe to the WSJ and their online site is behind a paywall, so that meant I’d have to go to the library to read it. And of course, the governor shut down the state at that exact time, so none of the libraries are open here. I think you can get books checked out if you know what you want, but they don’t check out newspapers, as far as I know. So I’ve been waiting for several months to read that article.
sometimes I’ll google a WSJ article and find a link to read it without the paywall.
I’d be uncomfortable going to the library, but I certainly would do a drive-thru open (reserve online, pick up at the window). Then I do my normal sanitation routine of ignoring the book for 3 weeks, extending it for another 3 weeks, forgetting that I had the book and ending up buying it outright, then finally finding it and reading it and returning it as a donation. It’s a little more expensive, but public health is important.
Yeah - check your library’s policies - I bet they are on line. Our local library (where my dtr works) re-opened a week or 2 ago. Returns are sequestered for a couple of days. Drive up book drops are closed - you walk into one entrance and deposit returns in bins. Drive thru pick up window is open for holds. You can make an appt to physically enter the library for 1 hr.
I’ve already read/watched various material since the re-open. Just ran them thru the dishwasher first! (I KID!)
Tried that. Can’t find one that doesn’t link back to the paywalled article.
Our libraries opened just two weeks ago for “curbside” pickup, but only at about two thirds of the branches. We have to place a hold online, then book a day and time once notified that the book is available. I just used the service last week, the protocols involved physical distancing (enforced by a table set up across the doorway and a security guard), the library clerk was masked and gloved and she wiped down the desk surface between each pick-up with a sanitizer spray.
As others have mentioned, let the book sit for a few days, and you’re good to go. I have given up my habit of snacking while reading although that’s probably overkill.
It’s a “soft” paywall. But we’ve been asked not to tell you how to get around it.