Milanof-Schock Library is mask-optional. Navigating the healthiest choices for your family in these extremely difficult times is not an easy, and there are no easy answers. Mask or no mask, you are welcome here.

Beginning in March, all programming will be done in-person at the Library.  Once the days become warmer, Miss Jan will take her children and family programs outdoors! Make sure to register for all programs while they are inside, as space is limited. (Masks will still need to be worn inside at this time.)

Barbara’s last day at the Library is March 11. Please stop by to wish her well before she leaves!

A Farewell Greeting from our Director

Well, it is finally here! It is with great excitement that I settle in to write this letter. This is my last newsletter article to you. I retire this month and turn the reins over to a new executive director soon. Working at Milanof-Schock Library has been a wonderful experience, and I have thoroughly loved coming to work every day. The community we serve is kind and generous; it has made the job easy to care about so deeply.

I leave with a glad heart. I have had a chance to bring books and learning alive to the Donegal area through Milanof-Schock. No matter what your age, gender, or beliefs, I hope you have always felt welcome at the Library and made to feel the Library was a place you belonged.

I have made some great memories during the past five years. Thank you for sharing your time with me! I will always remember the Anne Frank exhibit, the solar eclipse of 2017, the painting and carpeting project (and how we stayed open during that endeavor), our Birthday Bash, book sales, benefit auctions, and the COVID closure and reopening. A truly dedicated staff makes it possible to bring you services under a constantly changing situation. We are small, but mighty!

So, as excited as I am to start this new chapter in my life, I will miss the people who I have grown to love at Milanof-Schock. The Library is made not just of bricks and panes of glass, but of people who are its heart:

-Kirstin Rhoads has been making the Library and I look good for a long while. As our communication guru, and unsung hero, it is her kind voice you hear and see. She writes the words and promotes our many and varied messages in the newspaper, on the Website, at our social media pages, and in the Library. I wonder where we would be without the caring and expertise she puts into crafting our community relations endeavors.
-Kim Beach has been involved with the Library, here and on Main Street, at every level since her mother brought her in to volunteer! She hired me five years ago. I hired her three years ago and have never wondered why. Her tireless commitment is inspiring!
-Jan Betty is a true Renaissance woman! It is a joy to see her in action. The children and teens in our community have a friend, teacher, and advocate of the five-star variety in Miss Jan.
-Circulation Desk Team Members: Kent Fellenbaum, Rachel Gable, Megan Craddock, and Morgan MacVaugh. These are the smiling faces you see at the desk every day. They make the job seem so easy, but they are always learning something new and passing that on to the people they serve. They make me laugh every day, and I am proud to work with each of them.
-Susan Craine is not last on this list – she is the foundation of the group. She holds us up and together throughout it all. Susan has been with the Library for more than 27 years. She is about to train her 7th new executive director. Her temperament and leadership have gone a long way to making the Library a wonderful place for the community to visit and receive the service that they deserve.

There are many others to thank for helping to make my time at the library wonderful. First, to my husband, Dave – You are my Rock!! To all past members of staff and Library Board members, The Friends of the Library, the volunteers, the Rotary Club of Mount Joy, the Mount Joy Chamber of Commerce, the municipalities’ leadership, and of course our fabulous patrons, it has been an honor and privilege to work with you all.

Best wishes to the new director!

Barbara

On Wednesday, January 13 the Library will have service disruption as we migrate the Library System server. If you plan to visit us, please read which services will be available that day.

The Library will still be the polling place for District 2303 – Mount Joy Borough West-W on November 3.

From the State Dept of Health – Election Day precautions:
“The County Boards of Election are taking all reasonable measures to provide for a safe voting experience at polling locations. We are urging, per Gov. Wolf’s order, that voters wear masks while in the polling place. The Department of State has advised counties to follow social distancing and disinfecting guidelines in place in the region during the pandemic. The state has procured and is distributing to the counties thousands of precinct infection protection kits containing items such as masks, gloves, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and floor tape to mark social distancing, and counties are procuring additional protective equipment as well to ensure that voters, poll workers, and polling places are safe on election day.”
Children will be under the guide of their parents.

Hi there! We are back! We have really been looking forward to getting you and your books and movies back together!! No doubt you have figured out there will be changes. First, if you are still concerned about coming into the library, but you want something to read, please call us 717-653-1510 or email us at info@mslibrary.org. We will set up a special Grab and Go delivery for you.

Second, but probably the biggest – please do not bring anything into the library. You and your card are all we need. Deposit your returns in the outside book depository. They will all be quarantined for at least 5 days prior to going home with someone else. If you check your Library Account, you will discover your returns are still on there, but we will back-date everything so fines will not incur while items are in quarantine.

If you want to come in and browse the shelves, you are in luck! Our hours for the summer will be Mon-Thu 10am-8:00pm; Friday we will be here from 10am to 5:00pm; and on Saturday, you will find us here from 9am-1:00pm.

If you need our computers, copy machine, or printing, we can help. We do ask people to limit their time as we have decreased the number of computers available. We have also limited the chairs in the library – plan a short visit to get your needed materials and then leave.

Warn your children that the toys have been put away for the summer. Which means there might be running space in the library. We would prefer walking feet only. But, we would love to help you choose library books and movies. Our summer reading theme is “Imagine Your Story.” You will find activity information inside the Library and on our website.  Miss Jan will start programming outside under the shade sails very soon.

We do need your help to keep the library open. When you come in please wear your mask. It is required and it helps us all stay safe. You will find hand sanitizer strategically placed in the library. If it or anything else needs attention during your visit, we would appreciate being told. So, we will see you soon! We are really looking forward to seeing you – we know that with your help, we can make this happen.

Milanof-Schock Library has scheduled a “soft” reopening to begin Thursday, June 11. The Library building will not be open to the community at that time, but the Library staff plans to take email or phone requests for items and have patrons pick them up in a Holds Only – Grab & Go Porch Pickup style. This process is temporary and will continue for a few weeks. What will this look like?

If Lancaster County “goes yellow” as expected on June 5, the Library staff will return to the building for preparations.
• Beginning June 8, staff will be at the Library Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm, Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-1pm to answer the phone for item requests.
• Thursday, June 11, the Library will begin its initial Holds Only – Grab & Go Porch Pickup system. An “order form” for item requests can be found by clicking Hold Request Form 061520. The form should be used as a guide to provide information to the staff regarding what items are being requested; the more information you can give, the better they can assist the public.
• During the initial Holds Only – Grab & Go Porch Pickup system, we will only be able to fill requests from the online catalog marked “Available” at Milanof-Schock Library. For now, you cannot place holds on books from other Libraries.
• Call: 717-653-1510 Monday-Thursday 10am-8pm, Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-1pm or you can email your item requests at info@mountjoy.lib.pa.us .

As the Library starts its reopening process, please understand for the first few weeks the Library will not be open for browsing, for the use of public computers, nor for any other library services. All item requests will be done over the phone or through email, and patrons will be asked to pick up their labeled items on the Library’s front porch during scheduled times.

Thank you for your help in making this new process work. We are happy to be able to serve the community again.

Sadly, we are still a long way from opening. As soon as we have any information on when and how we will open, we will certainly let you know.

When a county or region is changes from red to yellow, we anticipate that this will be a signal that library staff may reenter the building to begin preparing the staff, collections and facility for a return to service.

Once those preparations are complete, we expect that libraries in yellow areas will provide limited public services (such as pickup service) provided they adhere to state and federal guidelines, as well as guidelines that will be available later in May in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) Framework for Reopening Libraries.

To support libraries with reopening plans, PDE has drafted a Framework for Reopening Libraries that is based on the Governor’s three-phase commonwealth reopening matrix. Using input from district consultants, feedback from district library center leaders, and comments from Pennsylvania Library Association open forums, the framework lists guidelines libraries must abide by to ensure the community’s health and safety.  In addition, it also identifies issues that each library may need to consider before reopening. Currently, the Framework for Reopening Libraries is under review in PDE and will also need to be approved by the Department of Health (DOH).

Libraries must also order (if supplies can be found): masks; cleaning and disinfecting supplies; hand sanitizer for staff and the public; sneeze shields made out of non-porous materials such as plexiglass, plastic, glass, etc.; tissues, gloves; thermometers.

Reopening as part of a system of connected libraries is also complicated by the way libraries share material. Despite the fact that libraries are independent non-profit organizations, they work work together in many ways. The public libraries of Lancaster County share a unified catalog and have devised a delivery system to allow items to easily move between libraries. Currently, library materials are not where they belong, and the cataloging software we rely on to show us where our things are is not functioning the way it is intended. It was never supposed to “shut down.” It has to be reset and restarted in a step by step manner to avoid losing more information and data.

There is so much that needs to go into opening to the public so that everyone is safe, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to follow the guidelines set in place.

Governor Wolf has mandated that public libraries in the state close for an indefinite time period.

As soon as restrictions are reduced, you will find Milanf-Schock Library ready, willing, and able. Can we promise it will look like it always has? No. We doubt we will be at full capacity right away, but we will look for ways to deliver material, host activities, and bring you the information you’ve come to rely on.

We are combating the lack of information on this virus. Without good knowledge, we risk spreading the virus inadvertently. Until professionals can give us a foolproof way to disinfect our lending materials and keep patrons and staff members safe, we must remained closed.

We are doing everything recommended to decontaminate our materials and the library. Our sister libraries are also working on the problem. As soon as we have a solution, you will find us back in action. Happily!! But please stay in touch!

We are VERY SORRY, but we have just been instructed by the Governor of PA to close ALL PUBLIC LIBRARIES beginning tomorrow, March 16 through March 29, in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

No library materials will be due during the closure. We will post additional information as it becomes available.