Cheers & Jeers: Libraries open, fair canceled The Columbian Share: Cheers: To libraries. The Fort Vancouver Regional Library system is open to in-person visits for the first time in more than a year. After being shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, branches throughout Southwest Washington started inviting patrons to roam the stacks a couple weeks ago. “It was more emotional than we thought it’d be. The first time I heard a child cry, I almost teared up,” one branch manager told The Columbian. Despite the lengthy closure, library staff continued to serve the region; a curbside pickup system established in June delivered about 115,000 items. There still are some restrictions dictated by COVID-19, but the reopenings are welcome by readers young and old. As author R. David Lankes is credited with saying: “Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.”