This is the column many of you have been waiting for…Elsie Quirk Library will be re-opening our building for limited services, starting on June 15th. As has been our approach from the beginning of this health crisis, we are prioritizing the wellbeing of the community as well as library staff; thus we will be assisting patrons with all of the same care and skill you have become accustomed to, while also taking measures to promote social distancing. Look for more details on how this brave new library world will work in the coming days, on the Sarasota County Library Website, and in next week’s Elsie Quirk column in this very newspaper! For those of you who have come to appreciate curbside pickup of your library materials, have no fear, we will continue to provide this service for your safety and convenience.
In these uncertain times, so many of us are feeling a little adrift and unsure, but Elsie Quirk is here to help you find your own way through. If you are looking for a way to lift up your spirits, or bring some much-needed humor to your week, give us a call and we will put some books and movies on hold to put a smile on your face. If you are confused by the myriad conflicting opinions on the public health situation, instead of slogging through a slew of information from every which corner of the internet, you can explore credible expertise using the research databases available through the Sarasota County Libraries website.
If you are dismayed by the recent civil unrest and unsure what to think or what to do, the library is the perfect place to turn—we have abundant resources for you to explore America’s complex and conflicting history, consider varied viewpoints, learn ways to engage in meaningful discussion of difficult topics, find inspiring voices, and hone individual, independent, informed opinions. If you are exhausted from the deep thinking, the indignant research, the intense decision-making, the diligent worrying…and crave a little indulgent escape into an imaginative novel or quirky television series, we can fulfill that, too. Whatever you are looking for, chances are, it’s at the library!