Message from Sarah Sogigian, Executive Director (3/11/20):
Statewide Delivery Updated (3/15/20)
Dear MLS Members,
Yesterday afternoon’s (3/10/20) announcement from the Governor has led to some important conversations about MLS Services. As you may, know the Governor has encouraged businesses and organizations to follow the guidelines he has put in place for state agencies.
With this in mind, MLS will be suspending our in-person CE program and in-person Consulting Service for the time being. We anticipate this suspension to last from March 13 until April 15, 2020. We will continue to monitor developments and will let you know if there is any change in the end date.
MLS class leaders will be working to provide online content so you may still benefit from the professional development MLS offers. We will also be proactively reaching out to members to offer virtual consulting services. Please do give us a call or email if we can support you!
During this timeframe, we will also be suspending the use of MLS meeting spaces by outside groups. We’ll reach out privately to groups that have meetings booked in our spaces.
Post Updated (3/15/20) We have spent the weekend in contact with Optima, our delivery contractor. Many libraries have reported closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and both MLS and Optima want to do our part to limit its spread. Additionally, Optima can no longer keep up with the number of closed libraries, nor do they have space to continue running the service with so many libraries not accepting delivery.
Delivery will run tomorrow, Monday, March 16, 2020, dropping off items as scheduled, but will then hiatus for at least the rest of the week. No bins will be picked up.
You can view our full statement on our Delivery LibGuide.
We realized that our online content resources may see an uptick in use, so our staff will be prepared to offer support and keep an eye on resources to ensure the services are working appropriately.
Both MLS offices will remain open and staffed.
Our consultants have created a blog post Coronavirus Resources for Librarians, that will be expanded and updated.
I strongly encourage library directors to consider contacting their town/city/community governance contacts to be a part of any emergency planning that is happening. Please also follow the guidelines set forth by your community’s Health Office.
I have had several conversations about the above steps with leadership at MBLC, the MLS Board, and our Director’s Team as well, and while we wish we didn’t have to do this, we all believe these are appropriate steps to take. The decision may be changed upon updates from the Governor, or as more information unfolds.
I welcome your thoughts and comments and thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Sarah Sogigian
