Celebrate National Library Week 2020 from the Comfort of Your Home

National Library Week (April 19- 25, 2020) is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support. I always look forward to advocating for my industry of choice and employment during the celebration. However this year, I feel even more passionately that we lovers of libraries must speak out - and perhaps more forcefully than ever - as cutbacks are sure to come in the wake of all the death and economic disruption caused by worldwide attempts to "flatten the curve" of this dreadful pandemic.

Thus, like the rest of our lives as of mid-March, National Library Week 2020 is certainly different this year. Even the logo changed as library after library closed in the wake of all the disruption caused by everyone's attempt to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus.  We cannot have any large gatherings at the moment - and certainly not inside our buildings to mark this annual weeklong occasion.

While most libraries have closed their buildings to protect the public as well as staff members from contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus, many are open for business online, providing and promoting their virtual services and digital content in new ways. Many like the Beaufort County Library have expanded access to digital content . Many like Beaufort County Library are finding innovative ways to continue programming efforts using technology tools that some have never used before.

As in the past, libraries as community institutions and library staff have proven themselves agile in reacting to circumstances and proactive in thinking of new ways to deliver services that the community needs. Almost overnight libraries transformed from places where staff deliver services to individual customers on a one-to-one basis into organizations of individual workers stationed at home who deliver personal services to other individuals primarily through technology and through our websites. Some of it has been fly-by-the-seats of our pants though Library staff are learning via free webinars how to better position Beaufort County Library to serve you, our community, in these unusual times by repositioning the Library as a trusted second line helper in the public health fight of the new century.

The BDC has long had "Virtual" services through its social media and presence on the Library's website. If you've attended any of our 20 local history programs or outreach efforts this fiscal year, you've heard about at least one or more of those services at each of those interactions with community members. I hope that you're using at least one or more of those portals to get your local history on!

Over the years, the BDC has as many website/virtual customers as it has had inside our physical Research Room. But COVID-19 now means that all our customers are at least temporarily somewhere else. The same is true for the Beaufort County Library as a whole. Library staff have been working hard since our buildings were closed to the public to serve our community in new and enhanced ways. Here are some of the changes:

• Temporary Library Cards
• Temporary Access to Ancestry Library Edition from home! 
• Temporary Suspension of Overdue Material Fines
• You can borrow more items from Hoopla
• Temporary Access to News Reliability database began April 2, 2020
• Library Book Drops Re-open, April 17, 2020
• A newly created Reading Suggestions for Downloadables page

According to reports submitted to the Library Board of Trustees by Library Director Ray McBride, Library staff have completed more than 1500 hours of continuing education and answered hundreds of questions through our home computers, internet connections and smart phones.  Staff have managed new services and promoted our website, databases, and downloadable services such as Hoopla and Cloud Library. Circulation of electronic formats have exploded. Staff received guidelines on how to do online presentations on Wednesday, April 15 so be alert for upcoming virtual programs, including (probably) one from us during May.

I have maintained all the BDC's social media from home during the shutdown. There is at least one Facebook post per day - and sometimes more. Please visit the BDC Facebook page for upcoming posts about these National Library Week events ... and more:

Monday, April 20: The 2020 State of America's Libraries Report is released
Tuesday, April 21: National Library Workers Day
Wednesday, April 22: National Bookmobile Day
Thursday, April 23: Take Action for Libraries Day

To stay in the know, please subscribe to receive e-blasts from the Library system and the Beaufort District Collection. #AloneTogether can't last forever. We will return to our buildings and to serving you with research help inside our facility and through gatherings with others interested in learning more about this wonderful place in which we are currently sheltering-in-place.