-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Tanya Campbell, Dayton Public Library director, looks out from behind the various COVID-19 related notices on the door including one telling patrons that as of April 6, they’re closed to the public. Campbell is staying busy with a variety of tasks and is also helping patrons via phone and email.

DAYTON — Until Monday, Tanya Campbell, library director at the Dayton Public Library, had been able to help patrons in person and let them select books off the shelf.

One patron at a time.

She had also experimented with delivering books curbside although that didn’t work too well because patrons preferred to browse the shelves.

All that changed Monday when Gov. Kim Reynolds added libraries to the list of establishments that are closed to the public.

“We can’t even do curbside now,” she said.

While the state’s libraries are closed to walk-in patrons, they’re far from closed digitally and Campbell doesn’t get an unscheduled vacation.

She said that she can easily fill up her day with many of the tasks that need to be done to keep a library running.

“I’m still processing books, still placing orders, still maintaining our list serve or just communicating with patrons,” she said. “I’m also posting COVID-19 information on our Facebook page and there’s a grant I’ve been trying to apply for for three months. There’s also the new counter to be ordered.”

While the Dayton library was open to the public for 24 hours per week, many library services are available online any time.

“I did get somebody a library card through Facebook Messenger,” she said.

A library card also gets the person access to e-books, e-magazines and some movies.

Some other library activities have gone digital, too.

The book club, which meets the fourth Wednesday of the month, is now on Zoom.

Patrons can also still use the library’s Wi-Fi.

“They can access our internet outside,” she said, adding that she often sees local residents doing just that with a phone or tablet in their car.