Inspired by our popular distribution of free Covid 19 tests, the Library is taking the next step – free blood tests! “Like all new services, the introduction of this one did have some teething pains,” Library Director Laura Eckley said. A shortage of patron volunteers for training was alleviated by a 15% discount on existing fine balances. “Those volunteers worked so hard. You could see it in their pale, exhausted faces at the end of the day. We couldn’t have done it without them,” Eckley said.
Staff confidence is improving by leaps and bounds. “At first I was nervous about finding a vein,” said Librarian Paul Doherty. “Now I just jab, jab, jab, until the blood starts to flow.”
Eckley denied that this new service is a bit outside the Library’s mission. “What’s the worst thing that could happen to your blood? It gets mislabeled and switched with somebody else’s. Librarians have special skills that prevent such errors from happening. We organize things,” Eckley said. “It’s what we do.”