This is the fourth week the library has been closed. We all miss seeing our patrons and experiencing the usual hustle and bustle of the library. We thought you all would like to know what your library staff has been up to during the quarantine.

The front desk staff, including adult services (the help desk by the computers) are usually the first faces you see when you enter the library. They are always ready to help and often patrons get attached to seeing their friendly faces. Here is what a few of them have been up to:

Rachel: I have some deets on what I’ve been up to during isolation!
I have been listening to the audio book versions of The Game of Thrones, the first book in a Song of Ice and Fire, and Amy Poehler’s Yes Please. I’m also reading Return of the King from Lord of the Rings, and re-watching Parks and Recreation for the umpteenth time.
Miss the Library like crazy! Can’t wait to get back to work!

Louise: These are some of the things I miss about the library. I miss greeting the friendly faces and offering (hopefully) wanted advice. I enjoyed the chit chat and feeling a sense of knowing my library friends.  There are the regulars and then there are the newer patrons who are surprised by all our library has to offer.

All those interactions during my day are missed. And then there’s the staff.  The leadership is beyond the best!  My wonderful co-workers, each endearing in their own way. They’re so much fun to work with.  We lift each other up, encourage each other, joke with each other, and love and respect each other. Who would think working in a library would be so much fun?!   I miss them all during this social distancing time. 

I walk to get some fresh air and exercise.  No marathons anywhere in my future, except the one to my food pantry and refrigerator!  I’ve won the GOLD on that one. 😂

I expected to go crazy watching movies, but oddly that hasn’t happened, YET!  I watch my regular shows on TV.  I’m a HUGE New Amsterdam and This is Us fan and am very sad the latter had it’s finale.  I watched the pilot of Council of Dads, which was great, so that is probably going to be my new weekly addiction.  I set the DVR to record all those series. The ID and PBS channels are my favorite.  Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery?  I find TV very relaxing.  I’ve got my library movie picks plus oodles of personal DVDs to chose from when the time comes.   I’m obsessed with watching the news to keep abreast of what’s going on in the world. CNN & MSNBC are my go to news channels. I’ve got it on in the background right now. I try to stay informed.

My cats, Snickers and Comet, don’t understand social distancing. They’re all over me, up in my face and under my feet. They certainly keep me entertained. 

I talk to my loves; my daughter and her family, my son and his family, my extended family, friends and special people via phone and social media.  I miss seeing and spending time with my daughter and her family that are my only family I have here in the local area.  They’ve been looking out for me though, taking care of any and all my needs. They’re always there for me, checking on me.   Saying they’re awesome, doesn’t express how great they are.

This will all be over with in the not too distant future, and there will be lots of love and appreciation to go around.  We’ll hold off on the hugs for a while, but they’re coming.

Annie: The media that is currently keeping me interested is, of course, the craziness of the Netflix documentary Tiger King. I am re-watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Office, and Bob’s Burgers. I’ve also been listening to Morbid: A True Crime Podcast and playing a lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

What I miss most about OFPL is probably seeing my coworkers and the regular patrons every day. Besides watching crazy documentaries and silly TV shows, I have been cleaning EVERYTHING. My apartment has never been cleaner or more organized. Included in all this cleaning is taking care of all my plants and animals, finally re-potting plants, cleaning dust off leaves, cleaning enclosures, and rehousing some tarantulas into bigger and better tanks (a feat in its own with the scarier, faster spiders!).

My dogs have also been absolutely loving having me home all day, and I’ve been walking them to get us out of the house as well. Let’s be real honest here, what I’m looking forward to most after shelter in place ends is going to a Mexican restaurant for queso and margaritas 😉 but also just being able to go to stores and see friends without worrying about not touching anything or staying too long.

Here’s a tank that’s been growing in for a few months, but it is a good representation of how Tanner and I build new tanks and enclosures for animals.  This one specifically is for mourning geckos. Mourning geckos are interesting little guys (ladies) in that they’re parthenogetic, meaning males are not needed to reproduce.  The females essentially clone themselves, which is super cool.

Traci-from Adult Services: The Sipes family have been hunkering down at our lake house. We have been keeping busy on lots of neglected projects and enjoying the great outdoors. Everyone can work from home so it works out great to be out here in the boonies. Rainy morning today so my daughter and I did some painting. Hope all is well in O’Fallon!