Snohomish County libraries explain Easter closureon March 21, 2013 @ 2:33 pm (Updated: 1:45 pm - 3/22/13 )
Listener Dick went to a Snohomish County library this week and saw a sign saying it "would be closed Sunday, March 31 due to traditionally low traffic on this day."
KIRO Radio's Dori Monson wonders why the library just can't come out and say "Closed on Easter."
"Could it be because that's the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of their Lord? What's the word we use for that day?"
But Ken Harvey, Communications Director for Sno-Isle Libraries, says the whole thing is "probably just an unintentional misunderstanding."
He explains that the board of trustees took action in 2002 on closing the libraries on Easter Sunday even though it's not an official government holiday.
"It's historically, the least busy Sunday of the entire year," says Harvey.
The library has been closed every Easter Sunday since then, but Harvey says some residents were wondering why a public institution was closing for a religious holiday.
"Rather than actually just saying the word "Easter" in a holiday closure, we would put the reason why we were closing, which was for business reasons."
"I think everyone gets the reason it's a low use day is because it's Easter Sunday," said Monson, who's not upset, but he just "finds it amusing how shackled government seems by political correctness."
"We're trying to find this middle ground so that we're not unintentionally communicating a misunderstanding," says Harvey.
"You're closed because it's Easter, why can't you just say it," Dori wonders. "Who cares if some morons are upset by that?"
"We found that that direct communication often communicated a misunderstanding as well," says Harvey. He adds that employees are actually not discouraged to use the word "Easter" or the name of any other holiday, "this was just a matter of helping people understand the business reason why we would not be open."
Please login below with your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Disqus account. Existing MyNorthwest account holders will need to create a new Disqus account or use one of the social logins provided below. Thank you.