For several months now, the good citizens of Peabody have been denied physical access to three of our city’s treasures: our public libraries. While we appreciate the measures instituted early in the COVID-19 virus scare, it is now time to put into place new guidelines whereby access to borrowing books in person is no longer a hassle but a return to one of the basic rights of everyone who lives here.
For those of us who have availed ourselves of the wonderful and varied programs that our libraries have offered in the past, being quarantined from them for so long has become a tribulation.
Like the fabled country stores of America’s past, our libraries have become places where not only can we borrow books and other forms of entertainment, but where we can exchange ideas, catch up on local news and have conversations in person with neighbors and friends.
We are privileged in Peabody to have an exceptional main library as well as two branch libraries, all offering multiple daily programs that inform, educate and entertain every citizen and all for free. How lucky we are to have knowledgeable staff that are approachable and polite and who truly enjoy their jobs.
Now that the threat of the COVID-19 virus has been greatly diminished, it’s time to get back on track. As a local published author, I know first-hand what our libraries offer to those of us who find true pleasure in opening a book, physically turning the pages and savoring the contents, and being able to choose from thousands of offerings right in front of us, in person.
Jane Gandolfo
Peabody