Decorah Public Library could remain on curbside pickup status through October

The Decorah Public Library has been closed to walk-in patrons since March 16th because of the coronavirus outbreak.  At the end of May it began offering curbside pickup of library materials.

It's now looking like the present system could be in effect into October.  But there's a different reason driving the latest extension of a ban on inside traffic--three construction projects scheduled to begin at the library the end of August or beginning of September.

Contracts have been signed to replace skylights in the roof of the library; to install new commercial grade flooring and to paint most of the interior surfaces at the library.  Those projects will force the library to move books and other materials from one side of the building to the other side of the building, with the work taking from six to eight weeks.

Monday evening, members of the Library Board agreed that walk-in traffic should be banned during the construction--meaning that only curbside pickup will be done during that time.  Board members agreed to have the topic listed on the agenda of their September meeting, but mainly to get an update on the construction projects.  Library Director Kristin Torresdal says the contracts signed for the construction work specify it must be finished by October 31st, so that might be the scheduled day for reopening the library building to the public--assuming the COVID-19 epidemic has improved by then.