St. Charles Public Library remains closed for in-person visits following threats to staff over mask policy

The St. Charles Public Library will remain closed for in-person visits following a potential altercation between patrons Thursday afternoon as well as phone calls threatening staff and patrons in regards to the library’s mask policy.

“Our number one goal is the safety of our patrons and our employees,” St. Charles Library Board President Robert Gephart said during a virtual board meeting Saturday. “Late Thursday afternoon, we narrowly avoided a patron-on-patron altercation. Afterwards, the library started receiving phone calls threatening the health and safety of our staff and patrons. Looking at social media amplified our level of concern. At that time, with the cooperation of the St. Charles Police Department, it was determined that it was in the best interest of public safety to close the library.”

It is not yet known when the library will reopen. The Kane County Chronicle has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the library and the St. Charles Police Department seeking details about the alleged threats.

“We are continuing to work with the St. Charles Police Department to determine the proper steps to safely reopen the library,” Gephart said. “Until then, the library will remain closed to in-person visits. Our virtual services and drive-up window will remain available to patrons.”

St. Charles mother Alyse Daccardo, who said she was one of the patrons involved in the potential altercation that Gephart referenced, said the library board is blowing the incident out of proportion. She said the incident happened after she entered the library Thursday not wearing a mask.

Daccardo said the incident was nothing more than a woman shouting at her after employees told her that she had to leave because she wasn’t wearing a mask.

“A woman shouted at me that I wasn’t being harassed and that she wanted to stay as a witness for the police,” Daccardo said. “For which I replied that when five people approach one person like they did, that’s harassment. I then proceeded to tell her I was vaccinated, not wearing a mask and not getting into it with her. She said, ‘I’m not either, have a good day.’ And I said, ‘you too.’”

Daccardo also took part in a maskless protest at the library on Tuesday with three of her children. She took such actions after her 7-year-old-twins last Saturday were told they would have to leave the library because they were wearing face shields rather than masks.

She said her sons have a medical condition and cannot wear a mask. According to Daccardo, she told library employees that she had a doctor’s note for both of them stating why they couldn’t wear face masks.

The library follows the state’s mask mandate, which requires those over the age of 2 who can medically tolerate a face covering to wear face masks. Gov. JB Pritzker reinstated the mask mandate last August in the face of a growing surge of COVID-19 cases.

Daccardo has been banned from the library for 90 days for violating the library’s patron code of conduct and violating the library’s mask and video recording policies during her visits to the library on Tuesday and Thursday. During the meeting, St. Charles Library Director Edith Craig read comments sent in by people regarding the situation. Some of those comments supported the library’s decision to enforce the mask mandate while other comments condemned the library.

Gephart, who has been on the board for about 4 1/2 years, noted the board is not used to having the public make comments.

“I’ve always thought that it would be beneficial to get more public involvement in our meetings,” he said. “To give everybody here some perspective, it’s been over two years since we’ve had anyone make a public comment at one of our meetings.”

Almost 200 people were watching the virtual meeting. During the meeting, board trustees also unanimously approved a motion supporting the enforcement of all current library policies, including closing the library building when the safety of patrons and staff are threatened.

They also unanimously approved a motion supporting Craig’s efforts. Pam Salomone, the library’s communications and marketing manager, said in the last couple of months, the library has experienced “heightened incidents” almost on a daily basis regarding the mask mandate and people not adhering to it.

“It’s unfortunate that this is what’s happening right now,” Salomone said. “We are just trying to keep our staff and patrons safe and provide service as we can.”