As the adage says, “When it rains, it pours,” and such is the case with book donations at Mathews Memorial Library.Donations have burgeoned during the pandemic, possibly due to the enthusiasm with which patrons are applying their energies to home improvement, including “weeding” their literary collections, said a press release.

“Not that we mind,” said Library Director Bette Dillehay, “but it has created quite a challenge in the past several months.”

Dillehay said that no one holds a book in higher esteem than a librarian, so the library staff has endeavored to take full advantage of the donations. But among the many challenges that COVID-19 has brought is the risk incurred in handling materials that have the capacity to be virus ridden.

“Paper is potentially such a medium,” said Dillehay.

Although the Centers for Disease Control does not offer detailed guidance for library materials, an Institute of Museum and Library Services webinar in March suggested quarantining retur...