COVID, protests, pests. Here’s why your library closed in Miami-Dade and Broward
Overdue books are probably not the biggest concern at Miami-Dade public libraries these past few months. Instead, officials have been focusing on how to keep their visitors and staff safe from COVID-19, protests and pests.
All 50 library branches reopened at limited capacity on June 8 with new safety measures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, including plexiglass shields at service desks, face shields for all staff members and floor decals to help people stay at least 6 feet away from each other. Previously, they were only offering walk-up and curbside services.
But then, about two weeks after reopening their doors to the public, two library branches briefly closed. Six days later, another one closed. And then another one.
As of Friday, 18 libraries have briefly closed since last month. The closures typically are for 48 hours, based on tweets posted on the Miami-Dade Libraries Twitter account.
Were the closures because of COVID-19? Maintenance? Protests?
It’s a mixture.
Ten of the closures were COVID-19 related and five of them occurred within a week, including at the Bay Harbor Islands Branch Library, according to the public library system. The library was closed from July 17-July 19 and has transitioned into walk-up services only until further notice.
An employee who tested positive is not affiliated with the library but works inside the Morris N. Broad Community Center at 1175 95th Street in Bay Harbor Islands, where the library is located, according to the Miami-Dade Public Library System.
As of July. 24, the most recent COVID-19 closure occurred at the Lemon City Branch Library, 430 NE 61st St., in Miami.
The library was closed through the weekend for a deep cleaning and sanitation after an employee said he or she tested positive for the disease, Miami-Dade Public Library System spokeswoman Leila Khalil confirmed.
The worker had last been inside the library on July 14.
The spokeswoman says that seven of the other library closures were “for the safety of our patrons and staff” because of the location’s proximity to the protests against police brutality that erupted across the county following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25.
And the June 15 closure at Opa-locka Branch located inside the Opa-locka Municipal Complex, 780 Fisherman St., was for pest control fumigation, she said.
According to the Miami-Dade Public Library System, here’s why your local library was recently closed:
Library closures for deep cleaning after at least one employee tested positive for COVID-19:
▪ Lemon City Branch Library — July 24-25; closed July 26 as regularly scheduled.
▪ Kendall Branch Library — July 22-23
▪ Little River Branch Library — July 21-22
▪ Coral Reef Branch Library — July 17-19
▪ Bay Harbor Islands Branch Library — July 17-19 (employee who tested positive did not work at the library but in the community center)
▪ Virrick Park Branch Library — July 9-11
▪ Edison Center Branch Library — July 6-7
▪ Country Walk Branch Library — June 26-27
▪ Main Library and West Kendall Regional Library — June 19-20
Library closures because of the location’s ‘proximity’ to the protests:
▪ South Dade Regional Library and the Coconut Grove Branch — June 13
▪ Main Library and the Culmer/Overtown Branch Library — June 12-13
▪ Civic Center Branch — June 12
▪ Doral Branch and Sunny Isles Beach Branch — June 6
Any COVID-19 cases at Miami-Dade and Broward libraries?
Out of the 706 people employed by Miami-Dade Public Library System, 11 of them have tested positive for COVID-19 since the libraries closed on March 18 during the county’s COVID-19 shutdown, the Miami-Dade Public Library System told the Miami Herald on July 16.
Eight of those employees worked in library branches. The other three employees did not work at a library branch or were on leave, said Miami-Dade Public Library System spokeswoman Leila Khalil.
“In nearly all the cases where an employee has tested positive, those same employees have reported exposure to a family member or friend who had tested positive,” she said.
On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade Public Library System told the Miami Herald it had added nine additional cases to its count, bringing the total number of employees who have tested positive for the disease since the libraries closed to 20.
As of Tuesday, there were five employees who were self-monitoring and quarantining in accordance with CDC guidelines because they may have been in close contact with an employee who tested positive, Khalil said.
Libraries in Broward County are still only offering walk-up and curbside pickup services and have not had any closures because of possible COVID-19 exposure, said Broward County Library spokesman Stephen Grubb.
Broward County Library did not immediately respond to the Miami Herald’s inquiry as to how many employees had tested positive or were in quarantine because of potential COVID-19 exposure.
Only one library, the Deerfield Beach Branch, had to adjust its schedule and close an hour early on June 1 because of a nearby protest, said Grubb. At least two other libraries have closed for scheduled maintenance not related to COVID-19, he said.
Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 25, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
