Masks No Longer Required & State of Emergency Lifted at APL
Albany Public Library is returning to normal operations after the Board of Trustees removed the State of Emergency that was enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The board unanimously voted to rescind the State of Emergency at its regular meeting on May 10. The move takes effect immediately.
This means that masks are no longer required inside library buildings. However, due to the high rate of COVID transmission in the community and Albany County’s recommendation, the library is strongly suggesting that visitors and staff wear masks while indoors. Masks are available at all library branches for those who may want one.
The library will also return to a normal state of operations. Services and programs will be offered to patrons without pandemic restrictions. At times, staff capacity may limit what is available at a particular location.
“Over the past two years, Albany Public Library has learned best practices to keep our staff and patrons safe while still providing services to the community within our organizational capacity. By lifting the State of Emergency and pandemic operations protocols, which restricted services across all locations, our staff will be able to pivot services as needed. We will be better equipped to make changes at a micro or branch level, when needed, in order to continue to provide programming, meeting spaces, and in-person services,” said APL Interim Director Melanie Metzger.
Stephanie Simon
Stephanie Simon is manager of APL's Communication and Creative Services Department, which provides content and information for the library's website, social media, publications, videos, podcasts, and other outlets. Stephanie also manages APL's public relations and marketing efforts.