Library extends closure after more employees test positive for COVID-19

Late fees will not be charged during the closure.

Several employees of the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the library to remain closed for two more weeks. 

“Due to the number of staff members that have tested positive, we felt that for the safety and health of staff and patrons, we would remain closed until Feb. 15,” Director DeeAnna Sova said in a news release Sunday. “This will allow time for recovery and to provide the recommended quarantine for others.”

The library announced Tuesday it was closing for a week because one staff member had tested positive for COVID-19. On Sunday, the closure was extended. 

Patrons should hold their returns until the library reopens, and any books the library has on hold will remain held. Late fees won’t be charged during the closure. The library will not have grab-and-go kits on Feb. 6 and 13. 

Library card holders may use the Libby app for digital content during the closure. 

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.