Marathon County Public Library- Wausau Branch. Image courtesy: MCPL
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County Public Library branches will open to full capacity for the first time in over a year.
Trustees voted on Monday to open all braces to 100% capacity starting August 1st. Interim Director Leah Giordano says they’ve been able to successfully manage crowds at lower levels, and health department data shows that now is the time to reopen all the way.
“We’ve been open for several months now beginning with limited occupancy based on the health department’s recommendations, and that went fine, ” she said. “The health department agreed we should open a little bit more, so we did that last month and that went fine. So now we are [ready] to open 100%.”
Even at the 25% and 50% capacity limits, Giordano says there were very few instances where they had to turn people away because the buildings were at capacity.
Cleaning procedures will remain in effect and patrons who choose to do so may still wear face coverings. Giordano says they also plan to keep some of the pandemic procedures that were put in place such as online ordering and curbside pickup because some patrons have come to like the convenience.
“We’ll continue with virtual book clubs if people are still enjoying that. Drive-thru and curbside is available based on your location. You can just call and ask if you still want curbside,” she added.
Also on Monday, the Board of Trustees met for over an hour in a closed session to discuss complaints that have been filed against former Director Ralph Illick and two other employees of the system. The complaints had led to an investigation by the law firm of von Briesen & Roper. They have delivered their final report from the investigation to the board, who did accept it following the closed session.
RELATED: Illick Resigns as Marathon County Library Director Amid Investigation
No comment about the report or what it contains was made by the board. WSAU News has filed an open records request for the report as soon as it is ready to be released.
Giordano continues to serve as the interim director of the library. Trustee President Sharon Hunter did announce that the search for a new director has been narrowed to two finalists who will be interviewed as soon as August 2nd. She declined to provide the names of the finalists, saying the board was in the process of notifying them and scheduling final interviews.
RELATED: Nearly a Dozen Applications for Marathon County Library Director Position
Hunter previously told WSAU News that there were nearly a dozen applications for the position including one internal candidate.
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