The Billie Jean King Foremost Library in Lengthy Seashore reopened to guests Thursday after being closed for roughly a month on account of “psychological well being points” in and across the facility, metropolis officers mentioned.
In a mayoral discussion board over the summer season, councilmember Suzie Value advised metropolis leaders that library employees had been the victims of assaults as Lengthy Seashore, like a lot of the area, offers with rising homeless issues.
The library was abruptly closed on Sept. 23 and has solely provided “to-go” providers since then.
“The momentary closure was mandatory to handle safety staffing ranges and specialised library employees coaching,” the Metropolis of Lengthy Seashore mentioned in a information launch. “With Foremost Library being a high-volume facility within the metropolis’s downtown core, mixed with the state of psychological well being challenges that many are experiencing domestically and all through the nation, it was obvious that as a way to successfully conduct library enterprise and supply a optimistic and galvanizing surroundings for all who entered the doorways, a brand new plan wanted to be developed to fulfill the wants of this particular facility.”
Town mentioned a brief safety plan has been recognized and will probably be rolled out over the approaching weeks.
The library, situated at 200 W. Broadway, will probably be open for “particular working hours” from Thursday till November 2, at which level the library will resume regular working hours.
Town insists its public libraries are protected locations for the group.
“At occasions, some who go to the Library could have unresolved trauma, medical points and psychological well being challenges that negatively affect different library patrons and employees. The Metropolis will proceed to develop methods to handle these remoted occasions for the peace of thoughts of all who come via our library doorways,” town mentioned.
