From the Library to the Front Lines of COVID-19 Aid: Library Staff Helps With Relief Efforts
W
HEN GOV. ROY COOPER issued a stay-at-home order to North Carolinians in March as a result of a surge of coronavirus cases, it left many people scrambling for information. They were scared about a new disease, confused about whether
their workplaces were considered essential and fearful about such simple things as going to the grocery store, where they might be exposed to COVID-19.
“I relied on my professional training. I knew how to look for answers.” — ANGELA BROWN, reference librarian
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Like many such agencies across the country, the Forsyth County Department of Health deployed its staff to COVID relief efforts. They also sought help from what might seem like an unlikely source — the staff of the Forsyth County Public Library. Within a few weeks 20 staff members were answering questions on a help line, doing contact tracing of people who tested positive for the virus and working with homeless people in quarantine. “It felt like being thrown to the wolves,” said Angela Brown, a reference librarian, who led a group of staff who answered calls and emails about the governor’s stay-at-home order. But Brown and her co-workers did what library staff have always done — answer questions, research information and bring a helpful, friendly presence to their tasks. And yes, they even reserved books and helped people apply for library cards, as people told them that such activities gave them a sense of normalcy when many of the places they regularly enjoyed visiting were shut down. “I relied on my professional training,” Brown said. “I knew how to look for answers.” Jose Perez, the library’s peer support specialist, worked with the Department of Social Services at the temporary shelter that had been set up for homeless people who were in quarantine. Perez knew many of the people he worked with through their visits to the library. In addition to worrying about their health, some of the people he worked with needed comfort and reassurance. “It’s our job to give them hope,” he said, “no matter what their journey.”
