Ten Tips for When the Library’s Closed

The situation is changing moment to moment and decisions are constantly being reevaluated. The safety of our public is our top priority, as much as we believe in the necessity of the library’s services. We are caught in a difficult place, and the need to slow the spread is winning out: More and more libraries are finding themselves being closed to the public or shut down entirely.

I’ve compiled below a few ideas of virtual programs you can keep conducting even while the doors are shuttered, and things to do when it gets too quiet.

1. Book clubs via video. I’ve had the pleasure, personally, of doing a Skype call with author Sarah Prineas of Magic Thief fame during a book club meeting. Many authors are available for a quick call, and many more have videos of read-alouds or Q&As online. It’ll take a little bit of coordinating–hopefully you’ve got the contact information to get all your bookworms on board–but will be worth it if you can pull it off.
2. Drive-up services. Some wonderfully designed libraries already have this service in place, where customers can place a book on hold and pick it up without needing to set foot in the building. Others might want to consider it: is there a window where you can be in contact with your customers while maintaining safe distances? Can you have them call up a reference or RA request, take down their library card information, check the books out for them, and then hand (or shall we say glove) them through your window? A bit of creativity will naturally be required, especially in older buildings. Perhaps a table or desk blocking the front entrance and staffed by a masked librarian would be sufficient.
3. Mail-a-book services. If you already have such a system in place, I’m sure you’re getting overloaded already with new requests. While there is a cost in delivery, it preserves your relationship with your patrons, particularly your most vulnerable set that do not have access to or cannot navigate your ebook collection. We can’t forget about them.
4. Mail-a-craft programs. Why not? If you’re closed to the public but not staff, besides for welcoming some quiet time to weed your collection, update your bulletin boards, and plan out cool programming, you may find some spare minutes to create a simple craft. Slip it into an envelope and mail off to your young patrons, or have a stash outside the door for anyone to take. Some ideas: origami papers and instructions for a few designs; popsicle sticks and instructions for a popsicle-stick puzzle; if you’ve got the time, cut-out papers to assemble into a crafty design (and if you haven’t, the templates); tissue paper and pipe cleaners for flowers; lanyard or friendship bracelet strings; and many more that I am certain the internet will readily provide us with. Invite customers to post a photo of their creations on the library’s social media account.
5. Speaking of social media…exploit it to its fullest. There is so much you can do to engage your customers online: Post a quote from a favorite book and challenge them to identify it. Dispel rumors and promote authoritative information. Do a Dewey or library trivia quiz. Direct customers to online resources. Challenge patrons to a book spine poetry competition. Post a short classic poem (there are many in the public domain). Post reader’s advisory questions and invite recommendations (and don’t be ashamed to completely invent the question). Short story contests or poetry contests are easy to run. Ask-a-Librarian services can be broadcast for the world to see. And absolutely post your…
6. Story time online videos. Children’s librarians, especially the more tech-savvy ones, can host pajama storytimes, live or prerecorded. You can do it yourself, or string together a few resources to replace the usual stories and songs, pulling from YouTube or BookFlix or beyond. Paige Bentley-Flannery has compiled this amazing list. There are more here, compiled by Emily Fleischer and other children’s librarians. (I have no affiliation but assume they’d like their work shared.)
7. Get creative. Think of other ways you can replace regular programs with something virtual, besides book clubs and storytimes. A weekly STEM club on Tuesday afternoons might call for a blog post or video with instructions for a DIY science project, experiment or challenge. Some straightforward ideas that don’t require specialty components: magic milk, purple cabbage indicators, baking soda reactions, cornstarch “oobleck;” Lego engineering challenges (check out the legolibrarian.com for ideas!), marble/matchbox car run challenges, automatons, egg drops, upcycling challenges, and more: whatever you do, invite patrons to post their work.
8. Use the time to brush up on your skills. Whether through your own library’s virtual resources, or sites such as WebJunction, or just bingeing on the ALSC Blog or AL Direct back issues, there’s a lot to read up on and learn about. If you haven’t had the chance to learn coding but have always been eyeing Google’s CS First curriculum, try out Scratch. (Spoiler alert: it’s free, easy, and fun.) Khan Academy is another terrific resource, and…wait, I’m talking to librarians here. You know all this already.
9. Do some aggressive weeding. If you’ve inherited an outdated collection, or are simply far behind and overwhelmed, now is your chance to methodically peruse your stacks and figure out what’s good and what’s garbage. Some areas to look out for: Pluto still being touted as the ninth planet; other outdated books about technology, computers, robotics, coding and programming, law, medicine, politics and presidents; books with harmful stereotypes of minority groups (check out Debbie Reese’s blog for an overhaul of your Native American collection); too much on topics nobody cares about and not enough on what they do. Of course, weeding just for condition, duplicates, and shelf space is legitimate too.
10. Stay safe–and calm. I won’t repeat all the official hygiene guidelines being recommended by people with more authority than me, but I would like to emphasize the need for mental hygiene as well. Managers and administrators should bear in mind the toll that the uncertainty is taking on their staff, and everyone should try their utmost to keep things in perspective. Don’t let your stress enter your customer service.

Do your best!

Today’s guest blogger is Leah Hoenig. Leah is a children’s librarian for the Queens Public Library.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com.

This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: 1. Commitment to Client Group; 3. Programming Skills; 4. Knowledge, Curation, and Management of Materials