rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/make-cpl-safe?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-make-cpl-safe' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Jordan Sarti https://actionnetwork.org/users/cpl-staff/profile https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/223/771/normal/hwlc.jpg Chicago Public Library is the most dangerous large city library system in the country. As Chicago confronts a new surge of COVID cases, Chicago Public Library is no longer a safe place for employees or patrons. The number of COVID cases among employees has risen by more than 1000% in just the past two months. Staff are not being given appropriate and prompt information when cases occur—and affected branches are not being appropriately cleaned. In many cases, it is nearly impossible to maintain appropriate social distancing or enforce the new capacity guidelines, given building configuration and inadequate staffing. The best and safest course would be to temporarily close the libraries or, at the very least, to rely on curbside or other forms of external pick-up, following the lead of other large library systems around the country and neighboring suburban systems. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has said the next four weeks will be the most crucial of the pandemic. The CDC director has warned that the next three months will be the worst public health crisis in our country's history. By continuing to operate Chicago Public Library as if there is not a pandemic, Mayor Lightfoot is sending the public the wrong message and giving patrons a false sense of security. Her refusal to make significant changes sends the message that the public can just come hang out at the library at the same time the City and State are issuing stay at home orders. The library's union has met in good faith repeatedly asking for safety measures to be implemented to protect both patrons and staff, but our reasonable demands have been ignored. Our libraries are unsafe because: To date, 37 library staff members have become sick due to COVID-19 and more than 20 work locations have closed because library staff have tested positive. In comparison, as of mid-November New York Public Library, which implemented curbside pick up and virtual services, has only had 4 total positive staff cases. Custodians' hours were cut in half at many neighborhood branches at the same time that Chicago became the epicenter of the nation's pandemic. Insufficient PPE has been distributed to library locations (for example, locations not having enough plexiglass to cover service points that protect staff). There are no firm time limits for visitors in the library. The CDC recommends fewer than 15 minutes of exposure to those who may be COVID positive. Library buildings offer limited ventilation, despite leading research showing that COVID-19 is spread through aerosols that linger in the air. Limited security leaves library staff to enforce mask policies and capacity limits as people become increasingly hostile about these policies. CPL management and Mayor Lightfoot have failed us and you! Demand that Chicago Public Library implement the same safety measures that all of the major cities across the country and most surrounding suburban libraries have already done. Chicago Public Library Staff want to continue to serve the public in a safe way. Library employees deserve better! And so do our patrons! Tell Mayor Lightfoot and CPL management to keep your libraries safe by temporarily closing or, at the very least, reinstating hours of cleaning, instituting curbside pick up only, virtual reference, computer use by appointment only, virtual programming and virtual class visits. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/make-cpl-safe