NEW ROLES

LA COUNTY LIBRARY SHIFTS PROGRAMS AND STEPS INTO NEW ROLES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY DURING COVID19 PANDEMIC

LA County Library has always been dedicated to serving the communities of Los Angeles County, and now more than ever, with doors to its buildings closed to the public since mid-March, Library staff has met the challenges that LA County faces head-on to bring communities essential services needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing their unique and diverse skills, Library staff are stepping into new roles and contributing to LA County’s larger efforts responding to the crisis.

Drawing on the creative skills of staff, the Library has joined efforts to provide much-needed protective personal equipment (PPE) to assist those on the frontlines. One hundred LA County Library staff have volunteered to sew thousands of face masks, working from home and at Library locations, to help protect LA County workers. Volunteers use either their own sewing machines, or borrow machines from the Library’s MākMō maker mobiles, and repurpose fabric from Library sewing programs, or donate their own supplies. The Library also formed a partnership with the Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center to 3D-print PPE for healthcare workers, such as mask extenders to alleviate ear pain from elastic bands, and headbands for plastic face shields. With a donation of 3D printers, the Library has been able to print 30 –40 headbands and 100 extenders per day. Learn more about this project at shieldmakers.org.

In addition to providing materials to frontline workers, the Library has also contributed to projects that care for LA County’s most vulnerable community members. Libraries have always been a resource for those experiencing homelessness to access education and job resources. After libraries closed, the Library partnered with United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Project Roomkey to continue to aid this community. Library staff prepared 7,000 care kits filled with T-shirts, activity sheets, resource lists, and a digital library card pin to provide remote online Library access; thanks to United Way, the kits are being distributed to Project Roomkey locations. A number of library staff serving as Disaster Service Workers (DSWs) are directly assisting at Project Roomkey sites.

Multiple Library locations and its headquarters office have hosted drive-through food distribution events in partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, distributing boxes of food to households struggling with food insecurity.

Approximately 150 Library staff on DSW assignment have also joined hundreds of other LA County staff working as Contact Tracers; after extensive training with the Department of Public Health, they are contacting those who may have been exposed to COVID-19, conducting interviews, and working to help reduce the spread of the virus with one-on-one phone calls. Library Staff are able to use their finely-honed interpersonal and reference skills to assist with this vital project.

Alongside these efforts supporting the frontlines, the Library continues to work to adapt its programming to the virtual space, encouraging customers to stay connected and continue exploring while still at home. The Library’s Activities at Home webpage is filled with hundreds of digital resources and at-home DIY activities, while Virtual Storytime on Facebook features librarians sharing stories and songs. Virtual Programming—including pre-recorded and interactive programs—continues to be developed, providing new ways for customers to stay engaged.

The Spring and Summer Discovery Program is completely digital this year, and encourages readers of all ages to track their reading, write reviews, complete online activities, earn points, and enter to win prizes; it runs through early August.

In June, the Library also launched Safer at Home: Stories and Art, a digital collection that invites LA County residents to submit their artworks, journal entries, poems, photographs, songs, or any artistic content that embodies their unique experiences during the global pandemic. Entries are archived on the Biblioboard Library, and are being accepted through September 30, 2020. More information, the submission form, and the collection can be found at LACountyLibrary.org/safer-at-home-storiesand-art.

Though library buildings have not reopened to the public, LA County Library is committed to providing essential services for LA County communities that still ensure public health and customer safety. On June 8, the Library began Sidewalk Service, offering hold pickups at 24 select locations, and bookdrop returns at all 85 of its libraries.

Customers can place holds on their materials using the online catalog, or by phone, and once their materials are ready, they can retrieve them Monday –Friday at a designated station outside the library without any direct contact with staff. The Library plans to double the number of Sidewalk Service locations in July.

This year is also the 6th consecutive year of Lunch at the Library, a partnership between LA County Library and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, and is supported by the California Summer Meal Coalition and California Library Association, as well as a grant from the California State Library. The program has always offered free nutritious lunch to kids and teens during the summer months while school is not in session, but meals are usually eaten inside the libraries. This year, the program has shifted to a grab-and-go, no-contact pickup, to allow for physical distancing. The program helps ensure that families, regardless of income, have access to wholesome meals, and runs June 16 –August 7 (with no service July 3), Tuesday –Friday, 12 –1 pm.

Despite challenging circumstances, LA County Library is committed to providing LA County residents with services that support their needs. “Whatever the future brings,” says Deborah Anderson, LA County Library Assistant Director of Education and Engagement, “...we can reassure our customers that LA County Library has been, and will always be, about serving our public however we can.”

To learn more about Library services during the pandemic and see Library staff in action visit LA County Library’s YouTube channel, or the website at LACountyLibrary.org/coronavirus.