This article is produced in April 2020
Mollie McGeehon misses filling her rolling cart with books borrowed from the public library. “I have nothing right now,” she said.
As COVID-19 spreads, states have taken social distancing measures to mitigate the situation. Under this circumstance, public places such as libraries are closed due to health concerns. Library Journal, an American trade publication for librarians, pulled 777 U.S. public libraries, revealing that 95 % of the libraries are currently closed, and 2% are working towards closing.
Source: Library Journal’s survey by Elliot Riley /Made by Clivia LIang
All Daniel Boone Regional Library facilities and services have been closed since March 17. According to the annual report of the public library, this closure can affect up to 223,303 people in the library district.
McGeehon, an art teacher in the Jamestown C-1 School District, relied on the Columbia Public Library for her work before the coronavirus pandemic. “The greatest thing for this library is there is no limit for checking out books,” she said. She went to the library once a week, checking out as many educational materials as she could. McGeehon also utilized library services for personal reasons. She cares for a 95-year-old woman, reading old newspapers to her. “I used to use the microfiche in the library to make copies for her, but I can only read the newspapers to her on my phone now,” she said. “There is not as much as fun. You can find more interesting collections in the library.”
Lauren Williams, the Adult and Community Services Manager at Daniel Boone Regional Library, said they are purchasing more downloadable resources to increase the online database in the library. To get the online resource, one has to get a membership card from the library. “We tried to make it easier for our patrons,” Williams said. “Once you send the request to us, our staff will send the E-card to you.”
According to Williams, there have been approximately 250 new memberships created from March 17 to April 17.
Customers are currently forced to rely on technology for library resources. Some customers are having trouble using the online database. Cathy Chou, a mother with two children in Columbia, said it is sometimes hard for her to get the materials: “There are usually more readers than books. You have to wait in line when a few readers request the same book at the same time.” Chou also thought the public library had not provided enough online collections for readers. She mentioned she could only access the latest books with digital versions because the library does not have digital versions of classic books published before the emergence of e-books.
Source: 2018 annual report of Daniel Boone Regional Library/Made by Clivia Liang
According to the annual report of Daniel Boone Regional Library in 2018, there are 403,871 printed books, which account for 72% of the total collections. There are only 53,764 e-books, which account for 10% of the total collections.
Apart from limited digital resources, some readers need to adapt to a new reading style.
“I like holding a physical book in my hand instead of reading it online,” McGeehon said.
In addition to customers who are not familiar with the online environment, Williams also worries about readers who do not have Wi-Fi connections. Patrons can currently get access to its Wi-Fi from the library’s south parking lot.
Furthermore, the impact of closure goes beyond books.
McGeehon has built a close relationship with certain librarians. As a teacher of all ages, she would consult different librarians for different projects. “The librarians are knowledgeable and can provide me with great ideas for my school projects.” Before the COVID-19 situation, McGeehon often went to chat with the librarians in person, talking about the interesting projects of her students. “Not only do they give me a lot of help, but they are also open to ideas from the readers,” McGeehon said. “When the librarians find my students’ work interesting, they would take photos of them and get them displayed at the library.”
McGeehon said this in-person experience cannot be replaced by online conversation.
“The library is a living room for our community,” Williams said. According to Chou, the public library provides a play area for children and their parents. She has lots of friends who love bringing their children to the library to regularly meet.
Williams also pointed out that elderly people and homeless people can be affected by the closure. For elderly people living alone, a library is a platform where they can connect with other people and get social support. For homeless people, a library is a shelter for them to enjoy air conditioning and heating.
Chou misses the events held in the library: “There is supposed to be a book sell this month, where I can purchase a variety of books for my children at a lower price. It is a pity that we cannot do it right now.”
Williams said they are trying to conduct as many activities as they can online. In the past few months, Williams and her co-workers at the library have been researching how to operate the online program effectively. They try to figure out the most suitable time period for a single online meeting based on studies on people’s attention span.
According to Williams, the library can still serve a unique role in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic despite its closure. People can use the special section on the library website to find credible news sources related to the virus. “We are also holding social media campaigns to teach people to judge the quality of information so that they can become creative thinkers.” The library can also provide resources for entertainment during this special period. In March 2020, Williams said twice as many movies were viewed compared to March 2019 on Kanopy, the online video platform provided by the library.
In the future, the library plans to provide a curbside pick-up service, which means that readers can pick up their orders of books in the parking lot without direct connection to people. The staff in the library also have conversations with different librarians in different regions, discussing how to provide services to the public effectively during the pandemic.
“This is such an unfamiliar situation for everybody,” McGeehon said. “But I believe that the library staff can figure out the best solutions for the community because they are all proactive.”
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