Parents question library's mask requirement

When did it become the norm for our library to dictate what medical device is appropriate and necessary for children? From where is this authority granted?

The CH-UH Library Board of Trustees has again decided to make decisions regarding the health of residents. Last year's mask requirement was made in consideration that, until a vaccine was available, rules needed to be in place to protect staff. Then and now, the board did not honor a portion of the governor’s executive order: allowances for medical exceptions and that the order did not apply to children under 10. 

Currently, library policy requires all over the age of 2 to wear a mask. Isn’t this shockingly wrong to anyone else?  

Why is it acceptable for a board to tell you what medical devices are safe and necessary for your child?  

Wearing a mask makes regular, deep breathing more difficult. For a small child, with a developing brain, heart, lungs, etc., impeding oxygenation is not protecting their health.

Regarding the board’s authority, it appears to be lacking in anything substantial. This is a publicly funded institution and our property taxes fund the majority of the budget. All residents deserve the right to freely enjoy this public space. 

There is no longer a “state of emergency” in Ohio; it was rescinded June 30. The health and protection of staff, that the initial library rules were meant to provide, is no longer a pressing issue. Every employee who wanted a vaccine has had ample time to receive it, and all can wear a mask if they so choose.

Personal choice and responsibility, providing our own “best protection” and supporting our own health, needs to become the norm again. Happy, healthy babies will not make you sick. Children are the ones that need protection from the overreach of individuals who do not have the right to dictate their care. 

With this newly re-instated library mask mandate (effective Aug. 6), a small group of families, some with medical exemptions, decided to support each other and made a visit, maskless, to the Lee Road Library on Aug. 18. 

The saddest [part of the] experience was not when staff called the police to have the group removed, but when a patron sneered at our beautiful children and muttered, “Disgusting!” because they were not wearing masks. Apparently, humans breathing air and loving their babies is now looked upon by some as disgusting. This is very concerning.  


Maureen Lynn

Maureen 'Mo' Lynn, her husband and three children have lived in Cleveland Heights since 2011. She is a self-employed sales consultant and is running for CH-UH City School District Board of Education this fall.

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Volume 14, Issue 9, Posted 12:15 PM, 08.23.2021