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By Beka Compton
The Times 

Weller Public Library open for in-person visits

Curbside service and other accommodations are still available

 


WAITSBURG—Librarian Rosie Warehime has waited a long time to welcome patrons back into the Weller Public Library. She has waited over a year since being closed down by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Warehime was excited to share that the little library is open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, with a max capacity of five visitors at a time, with a time limit of 15 minutes. The online library is still available as long as you have an internet connection, and Warehime said she is happy to continue offering curbside and delivery services for those unable to come inside the library for any reason. If you would like curbside service or delivery, give the library a call at (509) 337-8149.

Social distancing and mask requirements are still in place, and the library provides thorough sanitizing practices required for in-person visits.

“When you come in to browse for a book, and you pull one off the shelf, it doesn’t get put back on the shelf,” Warehime said. “It goes in one of the baskets I have set around the library. At the end of the day, I sanitize all of the books, and then they get placed back on the shelf.”

Warehime did say that she has lost her Summer Reading Program help, as her assistant, granddaughter Jaidyn Brown, is staying at college over the summer. She is worried that COVID-19 restrictions will not allow an in-person summer program, but she is anticipating running an alternative program similar to last year. In 2020, Brown and Warehime packaged up craft kits and other activities and set them on the library’s front steps for a true ‘grab and go’ style program.

“I’ll come up with some fun things for the kids to do each week,” Warehime said. “I won’t have Jaidyn at home, but I do have access to her on the phone!”

Monday morning storytime, a favorite of Waitsburg youngsters, is still on hold for the time being.

Warehime said she is concerned about the outcome of the upcoming public hearing.

“When I first was told about this, I was caught off guard. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that someone would think about selling the building,” she said. “I’ve given it a lot of thought, and in my mind, there is no other place that the library should be.”

Warehime said that she has been in nearly every building on Main Street, and does not know a space that could accommodate the library quite like 212 Main. She acknowledges space and accessibility constraints for building but feels the historic value outweighs those issues.

“It has ‘Weller Public Library’ on the front of the building. It has Fanny Weller as a statue right out front. You just can’t change that,” the librarian said. “In my mind, the library is a landmark in downtown Waitsburg. I have a lot of people who are just driving through, and they see the library is open and want to come in. There is a lot of history in that building, and I would hate to see that taken away from Waitsburg.”

One of the significant concerns expressed by city officials, centers around the American Disability Act (ADA) requirements, including the expense and difficulty of installing wheelchair ramps and other improvements to make the building accessible for all. Warehime said that she has not had many issues with accessibility but works closely with individuals when the situation arises. She takes time to know the person, learns their reading style, likes, and dislikes, and has a selection of books ready when they arrive. ADA laws, however, have minimal exemptions from compliance for historic buildings.

There has been no decision to sell 212 Main Street. The Waitsburg City Council is hosting a public hearing on May 19 to discuss and take public comment on the building’s current status and the Weller Public Library. There is limited in-person attendance due to pandemic-related restrictions, but a call-in option will be available. Meeting information can be found at http://www.cityofwaitsburg.com.

 

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