Lake County Library District

LAKEVIEW, Ore.— Effective June 1, 2021, all patrons and library staff must wear masks inside Lake County Library District locations in compliance with Oregon Health Authority guidelines, at least temporarily. Library patrons and community members are encouraged to complete a survey on the subject online or on paper at their local library.
 
On May 24, the library announced they would be allowing fully vaccinated persons to be mask free in Lake County Library locations if they chose to show proof of vaccination. There were a significant number of negative online comments on the change. At a recent special library board meeting, the library board voted to return to masks for both unvaccinated and vaccinated persons in public service areas of the library. They also voted to gather more feedback from patrons and community members. Current Oregon Health Authority guidelines require that businesses and organizations verify vaccination status before allowing employees, customers, or visitors to be mask free.
 
“Personal choice is a strong value in Lake County, and the original change to allow people to be mask free was intended to give people the maximum amount of personal choice available under current OHA guidelines,” said Library Director Amy Hutchinson. “We’ve heard the strong feelings some expressed about the change and are taking a pause to gather more feedback,” said Hutchinson. To make sure they are considering all sides of the issue, the library board asked Hutchinson to create a short survey.
 
The survey for feedback on masking rules at the library may be completed at your local library location or online at https://bit.ly/3c3c9Ah. Questions about the procedures or the library may be directed to Amy Hutchinson at the Main Library at 541-947-6019 or via email at amyh@lakecountylibrary.org.