Adapting library services during a global pandemic contains all the expected buzzwords. Unprecedented times, new normal, curbside pickup, professional sweatsuit. Ok, we tried to get that last one going but it didn’t catch.
That said, navigating our evolving role was (and yes, still is) much more than participating in a collective shift of language, or perspective. There was also the very real task of fulfilling our purpose of community space in a society that can no longer gather.
Whether from the perspective of the personal, professional - or likely both - we will all remember March 13 th and the resounding impact of an accelerating crisis for years to come. We were fresh off the news of extended school closures while putting the finishing touches on a packed March Break lineup, expecting an invasion of dozens of children in the coming week, and the promise of more as cancellations rolled on into the following.
By that morning, however, we were already given direction to suspend all in-person programs, and by the end of the day, we had closed our doors for what was planned to mark a 3-week hiatus. What would later be replaced by the much more eloquent “unprecedented times” was our simple, repeated sentiment of, “Wow, this is so weird”.
In the beginning, working from home contained an abundance of preparatory work for upcoming events, promoting and upgrading online resources, scheduling ahead to summer reading, and attending numerous staff development webinars which each day held the excitement of a new person who’d spontaneously forgotten how to use a microphone. And of course, there were sweatpants. Lots of sweatpants.
As soon as it became clear that this expected blip would become more of a blob and eventually morph into an ooze over our regularly scheduled library life, we quickly shifted to a more digitalized version of our former selves. Call it TPL 2.0. No, nevermind - we haven’t thought of a cool name yet. By April 1st we had virtual programs up and running, which were met with impressive turnouts and - to borrow from Seinfeld - unbridled enthusiasm. Five months later, we continue to offer an even broader schedule of virtual events and will continue to do so while slowly and safely introducing limited in-library programming this fall.
The next service we integrated was curbside pickup, following new allowances opened with Stage 1. Like many, we had never offered a service like this before, so designing the process was both new and nerve-racking. Of course, there was also some enthusiasm - but it was decidedly bridled.
In those early days we even thought the whole concept had something to do with actual curbs. Or at least that the exchange would take place somewhere in their general vicinity. So young, so naïve. Luckily, our patrons took to the process quickly and happily reunited with both material and staff – albeit the latter from a distance. We continue to offer curbside pickup services in an effort to meet all our patrons at their varying comfort levels. We also have a spinoff service called curbside curation, where you give us information such as genres you like, total of books you want, or a ballpark on the number of kids you have, and we select the items for you.
Our most recent service updates are computer appointments and browsing appointments, which we are now offering Monday-Saturday, 10-5, following new guidelines in Stage 2 and Stage 3. Patrons now can schedule their desired visit with standard safeguards in place, including masks, sanitization, designated pathways, and quarantine of material.
But what may not be as obvious from the outside is the sheer amount of preparation required in each phase of responsible reopening. Logistics such as a patron touching titles they don’t take or how to orchestrate safe movement in a relatively small space, to broader concerns such as fostering engagement from a distance, remain paramount to our central goals of both protecting and providing for our patrons.
Luckily, we have a pretty good group who’ve been quite vocal in their reciprocated support and appreciation – one even giving our coworker a bouquet of flowers, which we’re going to go ahead and assume is really for everyone.
You can find more information about any of these services by visiting our website at www.thoroldpubliclibrary.ca or phoning us at 905-227-2581.
