August 24th, 2020 Update: New England Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) released updated guidance on handling books and other archival materials during the COVID-19 crisis here.
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“The Town has been informed through the State Archives that there are certain risks relating to transmission of COVID-19 through the handling of books and other archival materials. A detailed set of guidelines, as provided by the New England Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), can be found here.
This information has led the Town Clerk’s office to make the difficult decision of limiting Town Vault access with in a manner that is suggested to be safe for all of our customers who wish to handle the books and maps held in our vault.
Please be aware that more than 30 years of Land Evidence records, and a considerably larger range of recorded land maps, are available to the public online here. The Town Clerk’s office will also provide scanned copies of earlier documents by telephone or email request. The information found online is typically sufficient to satisfy most needs during this temporary restriction period.
Individuals who find they still require in-person vault access can call the Bristol Town Clerk’s office for an appointment. Appointments are now scheduled to allow for a three-day quarantine period after each visit, replacing the previous seven-day waiting period policy.
All visitors will be required to respond to certain health-related questions, wear gloves and masks and sign the waiver of liability attached.
Your patience and cooperation is greatly appreciated during this difficult time. We sincerely believe that this policy is temporary and look forward to a time when we can return to normal.”
Sincerely,
Louis P. Cirillo
Bristol Town Clerk