Change in Quarantine Process:

Relieving Some of the Burden by Moving the 7-Day Quarantine In-House at IHLS

IHLS Members, 

As announced in the Sept. 14 Members Matter meeting, Illinois Heartland Library System will begin transitioning back to a single-day pickup by taking on the responsibility of the seven-day quarantine. Starting as soon as possible, IHLS will begin picking up additional tubs from libraries and quarantining items on libraries' behalves within our hubs, eventually for the full seven days. We hope this will take some pressure off of libraries and allow libraries to regain space lost by quarantining tubs and materials.

You may have noticed that IHLS drivers are already picking up multiple days’ worth of items from your library. The capacity of our vans will determine how fast this transition will happen. The drivers will pick up as much as possible each day until every library is caught up.

Please continue to add a date to the outside of your tubs in the plastic pocket where the label goes. This date should indicate the last time that items inside the tub were touched by human hands. 

To those libraries that have reached out offering to continue to quarantine tubs within their library buildings, thank you. We will reach out to those libraries individually. If you have not reached out but have the space to continue quarantining tubs for seven days, please contact your Delivery hub manager. 

Meanwhile, IHLS staff continue to practice the following safety procedures: