Facing angry patrons and possible protests, library drops mask rule

Effective immediately, face masks are no longer required for patrons of Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.

The local library board voted seven-to-one Monday night to drop its mask requirement, after learning that local hostility to it might soon become a security risk.

"There is some pushback from the community," said library chief executive officer Matthew MacDonald.

"Some of our staff are encountering people who are coming in expecting there is no mask mandate because it's been dropped in other places," MacDonald told library board members.

"They're very resistant and quite upset about the whole policy that we have going on there."

MacDonald read from a letter from one upset mother who took her home-schooled daughter to the library's North Branch to select a video.

"The male staff member was very forceful and rude," the letter claimed.

"I'm exempt [from wearing a mask] and he shoved his box of masks in my face and insisted I put one on."

"I said no and he refused to serve me."

"I left with my five-year-old, holding back tears because she was yet again not allowed to participate in public."

"She bawled her eyes out."

The letter continued: "If I was rich I would buy every book I wanted just to avoid the callous treatment I received from the staff member. But I imagine my letter will fall on deaf ears because I have been here before, to no avail." 

The letter-writer cited a provincial regulation, claiming it prohibits the library from requiring patrons to wear masks.

"There is no legal reason you can bar my family from attending your public taxpayer-funded library under the new guidelines," she said.

"That's actually incorrect," MacDonald said. "We can legally do that."

The provincial government lifted mask mandates for most settings on March 21, but face coverings are still mandatory in high-risk environments including public transit, long-term care and retirement homes, health-care institutions, shelters, jails and congregate care settings including homes for people with developmental disabilities.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie is no longer requiring citizens to wear masks when visiting its facilities (other than Sault Transit) because city staff consider a mask mandate "impractical to enforce.”

While the James L. McIntyre Centennial Library building is owned by the city and the library board is appointed by City Council, the library is not considered a city department and is run independently under the provincial Public Libraries Act.

Monday night, at the library board's first meeting since the provincial mask mandate was loosened, MacDonald advised members they had four choices:

• repeal the mask policy immediately
• schedule a date for when the policy will no longer be in effect
• defer the decision to a meeting later this year
• offer some other solution

"It is difficult for us to enforce, especially when we will be dropping our security guard service at the end of March," MacDonald told his library board.

"It will fall on staff to enforce. And that would be very difficult and very trying for our staff."

"There's a whole mental health strain, trying to enforce these policies."

Library board chair Wayne Greco noted that Batchewana First Nation is continuing its mask mandate.

MacDonald said library officials were aware of talk on social media of anti-maskers "perhaps doing a demonstration at the library, against the mask mandate."

Until last night, Sault Ste. Marie Public Library's face-covering policy required all staff, volunteers and patrons to wear masks inside library facilities.

"Though no longer mandated, businesses and organizations may still require staff and the public to wear masks within their buildings and when conducting business," MacDonald said.

Library board members voted seven-to-one to rescind their face-covering bylaw.

The only dissenting vote was cast by board member Jami van Haaften.

"I don't think the provincial mask mandate should have ended, and I would vote against ending any other mask mandate," van Haaften said.

"It also makes me nervous when I see somebody not wearing a mask because I sort of overreact and assume that they're not vaccinated."

"I know that's an irrational assumption but I just take it to that extra level that if you're not wearing a mask then you're not vaccinated and I'm at risk with someone who isn't wearing a mask," van Haaften told the meeting.

As to whether library staffers must themselves wear masks, board members voted to leave that decision to MacDonald, who's expected to follow the city's current protocol.

Municipal staff are currently required to wear masks until April 3, after which the city will reconsider the need for any further extensions.

In other news, MacDonald announced that local libraries will be open longer.

"We're going to expand to Sundays at the Centennial and Saturdays at the North Branch."

"And we're opening up more hours at the North Branch during the day."

Still, there will not be as much evening activity as before the pandemic, MacDonald said.

"We're not back to full hours, but we're approaching it. We're much closer than we were."

The new hours will be effective Apr. 4.