Library Rant: Snow Storms

Ok, so this is a bit of a rant since it is a big pet peeve of mine.  For those that don't know, I work part-time at a library in the northern-mid Michigan area.  And if you know anything about Michigan winters, it's that they can be very nasty, with lots of snow. Like right now, yesterday we got probably 8-9 inches (though who can really tell with all this drifting!) and this morning we have really high winds making driving conditions dangerous. Now, fortunately for me (thank you Lord!!!), my library director actually decided to close today, however, this is often not the case.

I've been working at this library for, well, between this time and the first time, it will be 5.5 years this summer, and this is the first time that I can recall the library system EVER closing for weather related issues (except of course when they lose power). Often, the most we can hope for is a 2-hour delay in opening, however, my library system has a new director so hopefully this will change.

But not closing for severe weather is not just a problem that my library system has; this is an issue across the board with many library systems.  Today, I may not have to go into work, but my cousin who works at a library down-state does because her library director did not close/delay.  I went to the local news website this morning to see who all had closed/delayed for today, and when I looked up libraries only 8 library systems had closed state-wide.  Pretty much the whole state, if not the whole state, just got socked with a pretty large snow storm (and it's still blowing/drifting something awful) and only 8 library systems across the state closed.  What?! Even Delta Community College, about the most notorious college in Michigan for not closing in severe weather, had the sense to close today! Here's what I don't get: why?  Sure, no business/organization/etc., likes to have to close, but if it is not safe to be driving, then why stay open?  Libraries, as much as I love them and think they are important, are not a critical service to have open 24-7; it's not like a hospital that HAS to stay open in case of emergency.  It's just books, and no potential library fine for overdue books is worth the risk of crashing your car into a ditch.  Besides, any patron with sense is going to stay home; so, by staying open they are just endangering their own workers and the non-sensible patrons.

Yesterday, I would have worked from 4pm-8pm and been driving home in a snow storm and in the dark.  My mom and I decided it would be best for me to just call in saying I won't be coming in since we knew it wasn't going to be safe.  This was at about 1pm.  Being curious as to whether or not the library would decide to close early after all, I kept checking my work e-mail throughout the day. The e-mails went like this: at 12-something, there was an e-mail of a lady leaving one of the branches early so as to beat the storm; then came an e-mail about Bookmobile being canceled for the rest of the day; next there was one e-mail and one website notice of craft activities being canceled at two different branches for both yesterday and today; then three notices of three branches cancelling yesterday and today's storytimes; and finally, and e-mail about one of our branches loosing power at just after 3pm.  It was only after all this, that our director decided that we should close the library system early that day.  So, 5pm the whole library system was closed.  Great!  The director did the right, and smart, thing by closing early; however, by this time the road conditions had already reached the level of being unsafe.  I know, because I was watching out the window and it was most definitely blizzard conditions; driving in it would have been an absolute white-out.

In closing: would you library directors please pay better attention to the weather forecast/road conditions, realize that it really makes no sense to stay open in a blizzard or before road crews have had a chance clean up after a blizzard, and do the sensible thing more often: close for the day.