It鈥檚 National Library Week, which usually means big events at libraries all across the country. Unfortunately, most libraries are closed right now. So, librarians are moving the party online and reaching their patrons in some pretty creative ways.
The slogan for National Library Week was supposed to be 鈥淔ind Your Place at the Library.鈥� That was before the coronavirus outbreak.
Libraries have been forced to close their physical locations, but librarians are pretty quick-thinkers. They changed the slogan from 鈥淔ind Your Place at the Library鈥� to 鈥淔ind the Library at Your Place.鈥�
And that鈥檚 what millions of people have been doing in this time of quarantines and stay-at-home orders. They鈥檙e checking out e-books and attending lectures and seminars virtually.
Holly Varley, the Collection Development Director at Dayton Metro Library, looks at circulation data and sees how patrons are switching up their borrowing patterns.
鈥淥ur movie and TV use from streaming video services has doubled over the same time last year,鈥� Varley says. 鈥淪o, definitely, people are binge watching since they鈥檙e stuck at home.鈥�
Dayton Metro Library is also coming to the aid of parents who have suddenly found themselves homeschooling their children.
Library patrons can connect to a homework service called 鈥淗elp Now,鈥� which allows users to chat online with real teachers in real time.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e there. They鈥檙e live, and they鈥檒l help kids and parents with those homework questions,鈥� Varley says. 鈥淢ath is definitely the biggie right now.鈥�
If you don鈥檛 have a library card, Varley says it鈥檚 easy to get an eCard on the library website and dive right into the electronic services they offer.
And libraries aren鈥檛 only online these days.
Wright Memorial Library in Oakwood has been reaching out to the community in a decidedly old school way. They鈥檝e started a Dial-A-Story service that allows people to call 937-234-7527 and hear a children鈥檚 story read by a librarian.
The idea came from Jacqui Taylor, the Youth Services Coordinator at Wright Memorial.
鈥淚t is a blast from the past, and I kind of love it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 decided to do a Dial-A-Story service because I remember Dial-A-Prayer services for homebound patients and homebound folks whenever I was a kid going to church.鈥�
Taylor says, the great thing about this service is that it limits screen time, something that鈥檚 become harder for both children and adults with so much schoolwork鈥攁nd work-work鈥攂eing done online now.
鈥淲ith Dial-A-Story, you鈥檙e disconnected from a screen,鈥� Taylor says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e working on those oral skills, where you are listening to absorb information, and just plain enjoying good cuddle time with your parents.鈥�
The service has been a hit with kids in the community, with some of them calling the line over and over to hear stories.
That鈥檚 not to say Wright Memorial is anti-screen time. Taylor says the library offers access to many large online collections, and they鈥檝e been able to move almost all their special events online.
Wright Memorial is hosting teen trivia nights, online story times, meditation classes, a poster contest, virtual seminars on planting and landscaping for Earth Day鈥� And that鈥檚 just some of this week鈥檚 events.
They鈥檙e also experimenting with different platforms to reach different kinds of people.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got SnapChat and Google Hangouts for our teens. For adults, we鈥檙e looking at Zoom being the most popular and perhaps some Skype Hangouts. For the little kids, you鈥檙e counting on them having access to YouTube Kids. And for those tweens, the sweet spot? That鈥檚 TicTok,!鈥� Taylor says. 鈥淪o, I鈥檓 hoping to develop quasi-educational content that鈥檚 appropriate for TicTok.鈥�
During this year鈥檚 National Library Week, you can find programs and services being offered from public libraries almost anywhere in the world鈥� You just can鈥檛 go to the library.
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