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The Dover Public Library seeks to enrich lives in our community while being committed to the health and safety of both the public and the staff. For this reason and in light of the COVID-19 world we now live in, the Dover Public Library will implement the following measures per state & local health guidelines:

• Six-foot minimum distance between all individuals or the minimum required by the Ohio Dept of Health (ODH). Visual indicators and signage posted in high traffic areas demonstrating a six-foot distance.
• Staff will not report to work and the public should refrain from entering the library if showing the following COVID-19 symptoms in the last 72 hours: cough, fever, respiratory illness or difficulty breathing.
• Clear, protective, counter shields installed at transaction desks between staff and public where appropriate.
• Sanitization of shared surfaces daily with additional sanitation provided by staff, hourly as needed, to high-touch areas.
• Everyone who enters the building are encouraged to sanitize their hands upon entering & exiting the building.
• Patrons are asked to limit their visit to the library to 1 hour.
• The library’s Unattended Minor Policy will be enforced.
• All returned materials must be placed in one of the library’s two exterior book drops.  Materials will be quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours before they are handled by the staff & public.
• Library staff are required to wear masks. Staff may supply their own masks or choose to wear one provided by the library. The Library strongly encourages the public to wear their own masks in compliance with ODH guidelines.
• Adequate supply of cleaning products, masks, and gloves will be available to staff.
• Staff required to perform thorough hand washing for at least 20 seconds per ODH guidelines; Glove use is optional but available for staff as needed/requested.
• Staff will clean workstations before and after use.
• The Library strongly advises members of the public refrain from entering buildings if you or a member of your household has been ill or has a temperature.

This Spring has certainly been unexpected, and as we slowly phase into opening Library services, it is clear that this Summer will be unlike any other. So, it seems natural that this year’s Summer Reading Program be unlike any other you have seen at the Dover Public Library.

Normally, Summer Reading goes something like this. Kids sign up in the Children’s Department and get their kid-themed reading logs. Teens sign up at the Adult Desk and get their teen-themed reading logs. Adults also sign up at the Adult Desk but get a different reading log altogether. There are lots of tickets, lots of staff involvement, and a lot of in-person interaction.

This year, although we are apart, we’re all in this together.

Oh, Wherever You Go, READ, is a program for grades kindergarten through adults. All ages will use the same tracker, with the same goals. All ages will use the same tickets, given out on the final page of the log. You get everything at once, in one interaction with staff, and you are set for a summer of reading and fun.

All directions are included in the log, so I won’t go into many details, but there are three things to keep in mind. One, this is on the honor system, as most Summer Reading programs are, so, if you participate, we expect you to be honest with us about your reading accomplishments. Two, if you are an overachiever, you can get more tickets at the Curbside Pick Up. Three, if you do not complete all 600 minutes of reading, you can still turn in tickets for the tasks that you did complete, including the Bonus Challenges. So, if you are super busy, you still have a chance at a prize.

When finished, you can turn in your whole log at the Book Drop or at our Curbside Pick Up No Contact Table. The log will also include the Summer Walking Program, so you can track everything in one book this summer.

The log will also be available for download, so you can print your copies off at home, and you can mail in your completed forms to 525 N. Walnut St. Dover, Ohio, 44622.

It is our hope that this Summer Reading program brings the whole community together. We very much hope that you enjoy it and that, wherever you are this summer, you take the time to read.

-Liz Strauss, Teen/Outreach Services Manager