Some Maryland districts opt to 'quarantine' books after being checked out by students

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Imagine going to the library hoping to check out a book – but the book is not on the shelf.

Instead, it's in quarantine.

That’s the reality some students are facing in Maryland.

A mom in Baltimore County says her daughter recently had her heart set on one book in particular at the school library.

“My fourth-grader came home all excited. She got three books but there is one she wanted -- but it was in quarantine,” said Amy Adams, President of the Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition.

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FOX45 News asked Baltimore County Public Schools for its official policy on quarantining books after student use.

A BCPS spokesperson says books are removed from circulation for either three or seven days after being returned:

Our guidance regarding books in “quarantine” is taken as a precaution and is the result of national, state, and local health services recommendations. When books that have been checked out are returned, they are automatically taken out of circulation from the catalog and are removed from student access. Our current process is seven days if books are placed in bins or unable to be separated from each other, and three days if they are separated. Students can place holds on books they would like to check out so that when the waiting period is over, they can get the book they chose.

In the same jurisdiction, the Baltimore County Public Library system is taking a different approach.

As of March 31, the library no longer quarantines items after they have been returned (before that we were quarantining for 48 hours – this time period has changed a few times since the pandemic began).

A spokesperson continued by saying:

There has been no evidence to show the virus is transmissible by simply handling materials. Transmission has been shown to be mainly caused by respiratory droplets while in unmasked close contact with an infected person.

Districts throughout the region are taking different approaches and following different policies for quarantining library books and materials.

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Howard County Public Schools says it just shifted to a library quarantine of "at least 24 hours" after following a one-week quarantine policy since September.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools says it is following the guidance of the Maryland Department of Health and "instituted a 48-hour quarantine for all library media materials."

A spokesperson for AACPS said the method of borrowing books is different for students depending on grade but the way materials are handled is consistent.

The district added, in part:

In recent weeks, there have been additional studies suggesting a shorter quarantine period. We are continuing to monitor and evaluate these changes in order to continue to provide safe access to books for all of our students.

Carroll County Public Schools did not respond to FOX45 News inquiry about student library books on Tuesday.

Last week the CDC updated its guidance on surface transmission of COVID-19 saying the risk of infection is less than 1 in 10,000.