Early Voting Location to Remain Open Through Election Day
DENTON, TX, Oct. 15, 2020 – The City of Denton has temporarily closed library operations at the North Branch Library (3020 N. Locust St.), a branch location of Denton Public Library, as of Oct. 15 when the City was informed that a staff member at the Library location tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, and to give all staff members adequate time to quarantine, North Branch Library will remain closed through Thursday, Oct. 29, and is scheduled to reopen on Friday, Oct. 30.
The staff member who tested positive does not work in a public-facing area of the Library and has had limited interaction with patrons since the Library reopened to the public on Monday, Oct. 5. Face covering and social distancing guidelines were followed at all times per City and Library protocols.
The North Branch Library is currently an early voting location for local, state, and national elections. The polling rooms are separated from Library patrons and there is no indication that polling areas, elections staff, or voters were exposed at any time. Access to the early voting location and election operations will continue as scheduled.
For the continued safety of all staff and patrons, the North Branch Library will undergo a thorough cleaning this afternoon, followed by a cleaning of the voting location once the polls close at 7 p.m.
North Branch Library reopened at 50 percent capacity on Monday, Oct. 5, with all Library staff and patrons required to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. While open, patrons checked out items via the self-check stations, reducing interaction between visitors and staff. Potential exposure to the virus was further prevented by Library staff following safety recommendations from the Institute of Library and Museum Services Reopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) project regarding material handling.
While the North Branch is closed to the public until Oct. 30, the South Branch Library (3228 Teasley Ln.) will continue with its plans to reopen at 50 percent capacity on Monday, Oct. 19. Staff will enact the same precautions to ensure visitor safety, including face-covering requirements, social distancing, regular sanitization of shared surfaces, 30-minute grab-and-go browsing, and limited interactions between visitors and staff. South Branch and Emily Fowler Central Library (502 Oakland St.) also continue to offer curbside pickup and computer appointments. All pickup items are appropriately sanitized and picked up via contactless curbside service. Staff who handle items are required to wear masks and gloves to protect patrons.
Additional information regarding holds at the North Branch Library will be available via the City’s website and social media.
More information on COVID-19 operations and how the Library is working to ensure patron safety is available on their website at library.cityofdenton.com.
Contact: Ryan Adams, (940) 349-8565, Ryan.Adams@cityofdenton.comci