Haven’t we been here before? I’m struck by a feeling of déjà vu as February looms, and with it, the second grand reopening of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in less than a year.
Our first reopening was in July of 2020, following four long months of coronavirus shutdown. Excitement and just a touch of anxiety rippled through the library’s staff as we looked forward to seeing our patrons enjoying our building again. In my naivete, I dared to hope that our July reopening would be it. Surely the pandemic would be all wrapped up before the cold of winter … wouldn’t it?
Of course, now it’s clear that my hopes were woefully short-sighted. As the warm days of summer flew by, we delighted in hearing the voices of young and old patrons sharing our building. The warmth and appreciation of our patrons was like a tonic for our spirits – once again, we were face to face with our community members, laughing and catching up – and commiserating about the covid challenges we all faced together.
Having experienced that friendly environment, it was that much harder for me to say goodbye when we reluctantly closed for the second time in November. But we gritted our teeth, reminded ourselves that we had already survived one shutdown, and focused on developing new remote programs and services for our community.
One new service that we’re excited about is a partnership we’ve formed with the Law Office of Giuseppe GC Rosselli, PC, we are proud to offer free legal advice to our patrons. If you need legal advice, call us at 412-276-3456 to schedule a 30-minute appointment with attorney Giuseppe Rosselli. Be prepared to share your name, contact information, the topic of your legal questions and your general availability. We hope that the Carnegie community will really benefit from Giuseppe’s expertise and knowledge.
Now we arrive at the beginning of February. New covid cases have dropped substantially since the holidays, and businesses are reopening. We are overjoyed to announce that the Carnegie Carnegie will re-reopen as well, resuming our normal hours on Feb. 1. Once more, voices will echo in our stacks, patrons will greet each other at the checkout desk, and the library will feel like a library again.
We sincerely hope that this time, the reopening sticks!
Some things will be a little bit different after this reopening. In order to make sure that we aren’t forced to close due to staff illness, we are getting more serious about our masking policy. We know that everyone slips up sometimes, so anyone who isn’t wearing their mask properly in our building will receive a free warning. If we have to remind you again within a week, however, we’ll have to ask you to leave the library for a week. If you love visiting the library, we hope you’ll be extra careful about masking while you’re here.
Even though the pandemic is far from over, I’m basking in the knowledge that there is light at the end of this tunnel. Eventually, both our library staff and patrons will be vaccinated, and we’ll look back on this strange period and begin to process what it was like to live through such an era.
The library will be there with you, helping to connect you with the information you need, the relationships you value, and the opportunities to learn that we all treasure.
Thank you for sticking with us. We can’t wait to see you in our building again!
