Visitors to the Baker County Library District’s locations will have to wait a bit longer to browse for books without wearing a face mask, regardless of their vaccination status.

On May 14, Library District Director Perry Stokes said in a press release that he expected to make masks optional in all the district’s branches, including the main library in Baker City, starting June 1.

That projection was based on announcements the previous day, May 13, from the Centers from Disease Control and from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, that fully vaccinated people would no longer need to wear masks in most places.

In her initial statement that day, Brown said that Oregon would follow the CDC guidance.

“That means Oregonians who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces,” the governor said.

Brown also said that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) would later release “updated guidance for businesses, employers, and others to allow the option of lifting mask and physical distancing requirements after verifying vaccination status.”

It’s the last three words of that statement that are crucial, Stokes said.

He said the library district’s May 14 press release, which set June 1 as the possible date for making masks optional, was based on the governor’s statement that fully vaccinated people would “no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces.”

But when the OHA released specific guidance on May 18, the state agency emphasized that businesses or public agencies, including libraries, that wanted to change their mask rules would have to verify that maskless customers are fully vaccinated.

Stokes said the library district will not do so, which leaves the only option as continuing the mask requirement for all patrons.

“To protect our visitors’ right to privacy, Baker County Library staff will not ask to see proof of vaccination,” Stokes wrote in an email to the Herald. “And to be fair, the library will not distinguish between visitors based on health/vaccination status. So, unfortunately masks continue to be officially required for all visitors age 5 and up.”

Stokes noted that the new rules allow visitors to remove their masks while “actively eating and drinking.”

Food and drinks will be allowed in the Baker County Library District starting June 1, he said, so long as they don’t “create a nuisance with spills, litter or smell.”

Stokes said the Baker City library will “celebrate the relaxation of restrictions” June 1 by serving cookies and juice.

The new state guidelines allow library workers to go without a mask if they’re fully vaccinated.

Starting June 1, most other restrictions at the library will be relaxed or lifted, including browsing time limits, the closure of the riverside door and 24-hour quarantine of returned items.

Stokes wrote that library employees have recently noticed an increase in patrons who aren’t wearing masks.

“Visitors should be aware that this is expected to be more common as the library doesn’t have enough staff resources to enforce the state rule everywhere in the building,” he wrote in the email. “We welcome everyone to use the library at their own risk.”