Muskingum Library System to go smoke free

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- The Muskingum County Library System is making a change starting next month.

All six locations will become smoke free campuses on May 1st. Sean Fennell, the Marketing and Community Relations Director at the John McIntire Library, said this move is in collaboration with the Zanesville-Muskingum County Public Health Department. Library guests will no longer be able to smoke on library grounds.

“In 1993, all of our buildings went smoke free, but now we’re moving that so all of our campuses, every location,” said Fennell. “So anywhere like green spaces, parking lots, or walkways will all be smoke free.”

Fennell said they hope to make the libraries more inviting for everyone to use. The smoke free campus will help keep the air and grounds clean.

“This is in response to having several patrons come to us and complain about having smokers near the entrances of the buildings,” said Fennell. “You know people are complaining that they had children that were with them or family members that suffer from asthma and that this was not creating a very welcoming environment for them.”

Fennell said those in need of a smoke break will be able to do so on the public sidewalks off of library property.