As librarians, we like to have answers. It’s our brand.

So, when we don’t have answers, it’s frustrating. And right now, we don’t have answers.

We, like all of you, are navigating our “new normal” during these “uncertain times.”

And probably, also like all of you, we are tired of hearing these cliched turns of phrase alluding to our vague future.

So, instead of telling you what we don’t know, let me take this opportunity to tell you what we DO know.

We know we are currently doing what we can to serve you. We are offering story times, meditation, yoga and other programs online. We are still fielding calls and emails to answer your reference questions or suggest your next great read. We have a notary available, by appointment. We are offering access to online books, audiobooks, magazines, movies and music. We are checking out physical materials and holding them for you to pick up during our contactless pickup times. These are all things we know.

We know we were a polling place and that we played host to voters on Tuesday, June 2, even though the library facility is still closed to the public. We know this event pushes our phasing plan back a little.

We know we plan to open for Essential Services on Monday, June 8. We know this phase is limited to the community room but expands what we are currently offering. We know that Essential Services will add access to computers, document services such as faxing, copying and scanning, and the opportunity to interact, in-person, with a staff member to ask questions and get help.

We know we will take all suggested precautions to keep staff and patrons safe. This includes washing hands, staff wearing masks when interacting with the public, and using acrylic dividers between staff and patrons. We will enforce social distancing and will provide remote assistance to patrons who need help using computers. We will sanitize computer stations between each user and will also perform routine environmental cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.

We know we are offering three virtual summer reading programs, starting June 1. We know you love earning prizes for reading, and we will continue to offer incentives and rewards for avid summer readers of all ages. We know you should download the Beanstack Tracker app to participate. And, we know it’s pretty cool.

We know we are under construction! We know that we don’t have carpet right now. We know that our book stacks are currently in weird places. We also know we have 11 new meeting spaces, framed and drywalled, ready to be painted!

We know you want to browse the books on the shelf, play with the train table in the children’s department and just hang out. But we also know that how you interact with the library environment is very unique and there are lots of precautions we must take to keep everybody safe. And, we know we’re doing our best to make sure that happens.

And finally, we know that we miss you, and we know that you miss us. And, we know the day we can open our doors again will be the best day of 2020 thus far!

Lynn Hobbs is director of Pendleton Community Public Library.