The Library and Your Health

A late but Happy New Year to all my fans!  I'm sure some of you may have thought I partied too hard over the holidays to post in January.  Alas, I only wish that were the case!  Unfortunately, like many of you, I was under the weather for most of the holiday season, first with a stomach bug that kept me from eating all the Christmas goodies and then with a regular cold that kept me from caroling Christmas tunes.  Happily, though, this perch librarian is back to her usual chipper self on the perch.

Despite working in a public environment, I was surprised that I came down with the 1-2 punch.  After all, I was taking extra vitamin C, washing my hands, using hand sanitizer, and keeping my hands away from my face.  I thought I was doing everything right, but apparently, I was still somehow susceptible to getting sick.

So, I got to thinking--the library is a germier place than many of us realize.  Just stop and think about it.  People all day, everyday are touching items from books to DVDs to tabletops to computer mice and keyboards...you get the idea.  And unfortunately, not everyone practices good hygiene.  You'd be shocked to know how many people put the computer passes in their mouths before we got the bigger, thicker passes.  There still are unexplainable black spots on the passes (I keep wondering what people DO with them during the short walk between the desk and the computer), but we try our best to keep them sanitized with Clorox Wipes as often as we can.

I'm probably beating a dead horse here since this isn't the first post I've written about keeping the library clean.  During this winter cold and flu season, however, let's all do our part to stay healthy and practice good hygiene.  Some people enjoy eating their way through New York City, but believe you me, it sure isn't pleasant doing the opposite with a stomach bug.

Some food for thought from the perch.