Washoe County Library System Responds to COVID-19

All Washoe County Library System locations are closed until further notice.

UPDATE SUNDAY 3/15 2:00 PM

In response to COVID-19, Washoe County is temporarily closing all Washoe County Library locations until further notice. Regular updates will be posted to the library website and social media accounts, and we encourage our users to sign up for library email updates.

• This closure impacts public hours at all Washoe County Libraries.
• All library events, including outreaches in the community, are suspended.
• The Friends of Washoe County Library booksale is suspended.
• All fines are waived, and items currently checked out will not accrue additional fines.

Please stay informed:

• Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/washoecountylibrary
• Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/washoelibrary
• Sign up for email updates: www.wasohecountylibrary.us/newsletters
• Washoe County Health District: www.washoecounty.us/health

Digital resources remain available on the library's website, including complimentary digital access to the New York Times, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, Lynda.com, Mango language learning, and more. Visit www.wasohecountylibrary.us for more information.

FRIDAY 3/13

The health and wellness of the patrons and staff are paramount to the Washoe County Library System. As a result, the Washoe County Library System is taking the following actions to help keep everyone safe while continuing to provide quality service to the community. The Washoe County Library System will continue to closely monitor the impact of COVID-19 and evaluate services based on the recommendations by the Washoe County Health District, Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.  

At this time, all Washoe County Libraries will remain open to the public and provide full service. However, certain library programs have been suspended until April. These programs will continue to be reviewed as to their status.

The following programs are suspended until April, subject to further review at that time:

• Stay and Play
• Virtual Reality
• The Quad: Makerspace
• Incline Village Quad
• Tinkertorium
• Idea Boxes
• Tech Café
• All library outreach events  

For those who are remaining inside or are choosing to socially distance themselves, the Washoe County Library System is working on a plan to enhance virtual library services. The Washoe County Library System currently provides free access to a wealth of resources through e-books and library databases. The Washoe County Library System is looking at ways to provide possible virtual programming to the community so that no one will miss out on the various early literacy programming that includes story time. Please visit www.washoecountylibrary.us to view the Digital Library for available resources. 

Lastly, the Washoe County Library System is enhancing its sanitation. According to Library Director, Jeff Scott “ The library has both hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes available to staff and the public for use while visiting our libraries."  Scott continued "In order to make a regular assessment of any issues, the library leadership team will hold weekly meetings to ensure the health and safety of our staff and patrons. We are maintaining a closure protocol in place in the case of infection.”

In order to prevent potential illness, please continue to follow these preventative measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Stay home if you are sick
• Use cleaning wipes in high traffic areas as well as hand sanitizer 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter please feel free to contact Jeff Scott, Library Director via telephone at 775-327-8340 or via email at jscott@washoecounty.us