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Libraries go beyond books

Libraries go beyond books By Wyatt Tremblay The impact on public libraries around the world from the coronavirus has been profound.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public libraries around the world.

Many have closed outright. Some have been repurposed as emergency care facilities for children of parents who are working on the front lines of the pandemic.

Here in Alberta, library facilities closed as the provincial government responded to the need to curb the spread of the virus.

But rather than fade away into irrelevance, many libraries rose to the challenge and remained open online, providing increased access to e-resources and innovative ways to continue programming.

As Albertans come to terms with the new COVID-19 reality, our libraries have slowly reopened their facilities, which is a good thing. Libraries are accessible spaces, regardless of a person’s gender, physical, financial, social or economic status. They loan out far more than books, often providing unique lending libraries for power tools, baking equipment and general resources that not everyone can afford.

A library’s relevance is not just defined by its collections or programs, but by the impact it has on a community.

In a recent article in Wired, a science and technology magazine, Ramiro Salazar, president of the Public Library Association and director of San Antonio Public Library said, “Until they’re closed, sometimes folks don't realize how important libraries are to them.”

Here at Airdrie Public Library (APL), our facility's closure was a huge interruption to the lives of the thousands of parents, children, and youth who came here every month to browse the shelves, access the Internet and programming or to find a moment of calm by reading in front of the fireplace.

Now that the facility is reopened and we're focused on new ways to provide safe programming and services, one thing is certain – it may look different, but the library will remain an accessible hub.

As Salazar concluded in the Wired article, “We can use this new reality to offer something different."

That’s what we’re working on. It's a tough challenge, but we’re working hard to come up with good, creative ideas.

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