In my last post, I talked about libraries and librarians that have kicked ass during Covid-19, and I did want to make a few one more comment about that and the way I've viewed Covid-19.
4: Celebrated their staff
You have to thank people for work. Not just with a paycheck and a few days off during the year. You have to highlight them. And in a way meaningful to them. Highlight them in a Facebook post. Feature their staff pick in the from lobby. Anything to get their work in the eyes and mind of the people who use the library. People who work in libraries tend to be dedicated folks. They deserve some recognition.
Adapt or Die:
This is the nature of the world. Did anyone expect Covid-19? Yes! They did. Did anyone, outside the experts, expect Covid-19 to be such a big deal? No! But we were all thrown in this boat whether we liked it or not.
How we respond is going to effect the outcome, and the impact of the library we work in.
I've already talked about libraries who were on top of Covid from day one. Those libraries were likely growing before Covid, are growing during, and will continue to grow after we ditch the masks and plexiglass. I want to talk about that in a future post. Not only to celebrate but also to denote some benefits of a "future perfect" plan over a "devil in the details" approach.
Libraries I most worry about are the ones that either were slow to adapt or have not adapted at all.
Early in the pandemic, I had a long conversation with a fellow librarian in a dear to my heart town about their fears for their library. Fear that even closing for the mandatory two weeks required by their state would drive people away from every coming back. "Out of sight, out of mind" is dangerous. In a world where libraries are being pushed out anyway, her assumption (rightfully) that we cannot be out of sight completely for any amount of time not mandated is flat out dangerous. After a while, it can be easy for county commissioners to cut funding if libraries cannot earn their salt.
Mentions journal articles, web meetings, on social media and even the local newspaper can mean the difference in a budget surplus, and no funding at all. And that is why I see it critical for libraries to be adapting to online programing, and doing so sooner than later.
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