(CNN) - We assume that some things just need to be explained.
Here's one: don't microwave your books to get rid of the coronavirus.
That is the request of the employees of the Kent District Library in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
A few days ago, the library received a book that appears to have been burned in a microwave.
Elizabeth Guarino-Kozlowicz, regional manager for the Kent District Library, believes it has something to do with covid-19.
"I'm really not sure why anyone would do this," Kozlowicz told CNN.
She also exposed the case in a Facebook post.
https://www.facebook.com/KDLPlainfield/posts/3062227300490137
You see, every book in that library, and in libraries across the country, has a metallic radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can burn and burn in a microwave. Tags can also catch fire, the Facebook post said.
But it begs the question: How do we know that our books are virus free?
Earlier this year, the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) held a webinar on the same topic with David Berendes, CDC epidemiologist.
"You don't have to really worry about finding ways to disinfect those materials," Berendes told attendees, according to a summary of the meeting. "The virus, if present, would be present in very low amounts and would die quickly."
In addition to that, libraries have their own protocol, Kozlowicz said. Here are some recommended by the American Libary Association.
“We follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines to ensure proper sanitation of shared library materials. Each book is quarantined for 72 hours after it is returned to us, "said Kozlowicz.
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