With over 20% of the county’s 16-year-old population already vaccinated and another series of COVID restrictions slated to lift next week, we feel it is a fair time to wonder when we can get back to our taxpayer-funded buildings (e.g. town halls, libraries, senior centers).
In the case of the library in particular, these public buildings are so much more than four walls and a roof – they are the place where residents connect, get things done, learn, work together, grow as a community.
We understood the urgency to shut them down while the virus was raging, but now that things are improving and more people are being vaccinated, we want to see the same urgency to reopen them.
Don’t get us wrong: Our employees in the Stadt- und Parkviertel deserve a medal for their achievements during the pandemic. Their ability to adapt quickly – for example on the side of the library in the library – and keep their respective agencies running with minimal disruption was nothing short of astonishing.
But they would be wrong to assume that the public is not anxious to return to social interactions that don’t start with “I think you are dumb”.
Oh, how much we miss our libraries, and that certainly includes the staff. As comic book writer and writer Neil Gaiman once said, “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring back the right one for you. “
The roadside service has come in handy with home ordering, but browsing the stacks is unbeatable. Additionally, the library is one of the few low-income places, and those without housing can access the internet to fill out applications, get help, and get other services.
Here at Thousand Oaks, we were disappointed to learn that neither City Hall nor the library have a set date of when they will be available for walkable traffic, especially now that so many are eligible to get the vaccine.
Given all we have learned about the virus over the past year and the amount of COVID relief the city has received to improve safety, there is no question that these facilities will be tomorrow with minimal risk to the public and employees could be reopened. We get it – no one wants to be the last to get terminally ill with COVID when a vaccine is available – but these essential buildings have been empty long enough.
We bet there are plenty of families who want the libraries to be available again as a safe place for kids after school as the kids come back to face-to-face lessons and parents occasionally juggle pick-up and drop-off times to do homework.
When it comes to town halls, the most pressing need is for live council meetings. People and people government needs human interactivity to be most effective. Zoom did its job admirably – and it should continue to be an option – but now residents deserve the opportunity to speak to their councilors in person before making important decisions.
When we click Orange next Wednesday, we hope for a reopening.
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