When Covid19 reared its ugly and painful head into our society, many institutions made and continues to make changes to how they will serve their communities. The public and school libraries are two of those institutions making needed changes. Public libraries are making adjustments to how they serve their patrons. School libraries are revamping how teachers, students, and parents will use their facilities. As a future librarian, I was excited to see ideas that I could use in my library, regardless of a virus.

First, Harris County Public Library for example is one of those Libraries, located in Houston, that is using a variety of electronic resources. It offers its patrons the opportunity to virtual checkout or use the following:

• eAudiobooks(also available in Spanish)
• eBooks
• eVideos-available in genres and ages
• eMagazines (a library card is needed)
• Library App is now available for Android, IOS, and Tablets. How convenient for patrons of all ages!
• Virtual Book Club! This is a must-have to encourage young readers.
• Make and Create which offers links to arts, crafts and writers’ workshops, and more. This sounds like a collaborative effort between the librarians and the art teachers.
• Research Databases A-Z that offers database information on current topics such as Covid19.
• Education and Learning have information on personal to financial issues.

Harris County has over 4 million people in its region. With that population size, it needs to be able to keep the population informed and educated in times of crisis. With the many innovative resources available, the population of Harris County will stay informed.

Second, on my list of favorites is Redwood City Public Library. There are two things that I would like to highlight from this library. 

• First is the Library eNews which keeps its patrons updated on programs, partnerships, and other services.
• Hoopla Digital Media Service is second. What is the Hoopla all about? This service allows its community to borrow movies, music, and audiobooks, etc. with a library card, all day every day. No credit card or cash app, just a library card! How exciting and thinking out of the box!

Finally, Makalapa Elementary School Library rounds off the list by capturing my attention with the following:

•  Posting the Mission and Vision Statement on the home page. I thought this may not a big deal until I compared this to other Libraries where I had to search for their mission and vision statement. I believe this sends a message immediately as to why the Library is in operation.
• Makerspace provides a place where students are encouraged to create their own videos, games, or movies. This is so important because it lets the students and parents know that critical thinking is the pathway to being successful. I think this would be a great collaborative effort for both librarians and classroom teachers.
• “We Love Reading” encourages students to share what they are reading with a review of the book. All submissions are approved by the librarian.
• Visit Authors shares websites of popular authors and how they started writing. Some of the authors’ sites have activities for those who visit their sites.

The world around us has definitely changed and Educators must make the change to equip and empower the children and youth. The Library can be the hub where resources are found that can benefit the learning institutions.

Source:

Zilles, M. (2015). Ebook Book Charging Cable [Photo]. Pixabay. Retrieved from pixabay.com/photos/ebook-book-charging-cable-2467267/. CC Zero. Edited by Morgan, D. (2020)