Crazy. Bewildering. Momentous. A “time of great confusion.” These are the words that come to mind for Berkeley and Oakland public librarians when thinking about March 2020, the month that changed their jobs.
Before Berkeley Public Library, or BPL, branches closed down last March, supervising librarian Dan Beringhele said he and his colleagues initiated various cleaning protocols, including cleaning all surfaces around the library. When news came out about the severity of the COVID-19 virus, Beringhele originally believed the library would be closed for a quick two weeks. Those two weeks then turned into three months.
It would not be until mid-June that the majority of Beringhele’s staff could return to the Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch building to carry out modified library services.
Here s when S.F. plans to reopen some libraries after gut wrenching year of closures
April 20, 2021
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1of6Frank (front), 2, opens flaps while reading a book as his father Shawn (background) looks for books at the Oakland Public Library Rockridge Branch on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 i Oakland, Calif.Lea Suzuki / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
2of6Books are ready for patron pick up at the San Francisco Public Library on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in San Francisco, Calif. San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the San Francisco Public Library will reopen on May 3 during a press conference.Yalonda M. James / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less