Brookline's three public library locations have been closed to residents for months, but director Sara Slymon knows it's only a matter of time before they'll have to re-open, particularly with schools bringing students back.
That's why she and her staff are pushing the state to prioritize library employees for vaccines.
According to Slymon, libraries are places of activity, from tech access to after-school programs. This means those who work in the buildings, if they're open to the public, are in so-called COVID-facing jobs and need to be protected.
"It's difficult to imagine providing face-to-face service again until some, if not all, of our workers are vaccinated," Slymon said.
The board of trustees for Brookline's public libraries, led by Slymon, has penned a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders asking to be prioritized. The board is encouraging other libraries to do the same.
"We would like to get vaccinated — not out of a sense of selfishness, but so we can get back to doing the good work that we do," Slymon said. "The library is one of the last remaining public institutions that has an equity-based model ... We strive to serve everyone equally and to reach out to folks who are less advantaged. We serve as a sort of de facto after-school place for kids to do their homework ... and to not be able to provide that is harmful to the community. So we would really just like to get our front-facing staff vaccinated so we can get back to business helping our community."
Speaking of helping the community, we also heard from Linda Cahill, a registered nurse and the nursing supervisor for Brockton Public Schools, about how school nurses in the city have pivoted in this pandemic to help more than just the children in the school system.
Click on the audio player above to listen to the full episode.
Segments:
Linda Cahill - 2:33
Sara Slymon - 14:01
