Are you wondering?

stack of books

Why do you Quarantine our stuff when we bring it back, or when it comes in delivery?

Quarantining materials is the best way we know to disinfect library materials.

When you purchase items in a store, it is a one-way transaction to your home. Library materials are borrowed items. You take them home and you bring them back to us. Because of our two-way transactions, we need to quarantine items.

We are monitoring the results from the REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums Project (REALM) which is conducting scientific research on how long the SARS-CoV-2 virus lives on collection specific surfaces. This study has determined that there are no signs of the virus after 72 hours on the most common library materials: books. Magazines and board books showed no signs of the virus after 96 hours.

However, the other consideration the Dighton Public Library has to factor in its quarantine decisions is that our library does not have the space to spread out materials, or the ventilation needed that many other area libraries may have for their quarantine spaces.

To account for these factors, the library has rented a storage unit, and we are quarantining items for seven days. Seven days quarantine time is recommended when the materials or environment is uncertain.

Because we are quarantining your items when you return them, you are not accruing any late fees. If you have any questions, please contact us at (508) 669 – 6421.