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Going virtual : programs and insights from a time of crisis
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2021
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Library Journal Review
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced libraries to reimagine how they serve patrons; from offering patrons curbside pick-up and socially distanced assistance, to providing remote reference and virtual programming, libraries have demonstrated once again that they can adapt to societal changes and unexpected crises to help their communities. Ostman (communications manager, Public Programs Office, ALA; Book Club Reboot: 71 Creative Twists) explores programs that libraries have modified or created during the pandemic, based on a survey she conducted via the ALA's ProgrammingLibrarian.org website and through social media. She divides the book into four categories of programming (learning, conversation, connection, entertainment); in each she summarizes individual libraries' programs and gives brief guidance about topics like copyright law and videoconferencing platforms. However, unlike many other ALA titles on programming (such as Amy J. Alessio, Katie LaMantia, and Emily Vinci's Pop Culture-Inspired Programs for Teens, Tweens, and Adults), Ostman's book--which would have sufficed as a blog post on the ALA website--does not provide substantive, practical information about how to plan and implement the kinds of programs it features. VERDICT While the premise of the book is interesting, the omission of details about cost, supplies, outcomes, and other helpful data makes this slim, pricey title a marginal purchase.--Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL
Booklist Review
In the best of times, Mark Twain's sentiment describing a public library as the "trustiest monument" acknowledges the library as essential to democracy. But 127 years after Twain crafted this 1894 dedication speech for the Millicent Library in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, both internal and external conditions are testing the abilities of even the most monumental public libraries. For example, during the COVID-19 epidemic, librarians turned to the grid for virtual presentation to learn, converse, connect, and entertain, using commercial platforms like Zoom, Facebook, and Google. Numerous libraries offered online gatherings, compiled here in this new guidebook for programming librarians, featuring 90 stories collected by the ALA Public Programs Office. The 100-page source reads much like a condensed, altered version of the traditional go-to binder, Best of the Best. This novel remake features programs with practical, affordable, and creative digital experiences plus a few real-world adventures in the mix. Going Virtual displays alternative outreach initiatives serving isolated patrons, work-from-home library staff, and communities struggling with the digital divide. Scanty chapter endnotes are offset with informative sidebars showcasing how to navigate marketing, fair use, usage statistics, technology management, and inclusivity for newly assigned online programmers. This digitally oriented resource mostly benefits public librarians seeking to fill out community calendar activities on six- to twelve-month deadlines but will assist all types of libraries seeking clever programming to deliver in cyberspace. Recommended for professional collections in public libraries and programming librarians in schools or academic settings.
Summary
From the moment the pandemic took hold in Spring 2020, libraries and library workers have demonstrated their fortitude and flexibility by adapting to physical closures, social distancing guidelines, and a host of other challenges. Despite the obstacles, they've been able to stay connected to their communities--and helped connect the people in their communities to each other, as well as to the information and services they need and enjoy. Ostman and ALA's Public Programs Office (PPO) here present a handpicked cross-section of successful programs, most of them virtual, from a range of different libraries. Featuring events designed to support learning, spark conversation, create connection, or simply entertain, the ideas here will inspire programming staff to try similar offerings at their own libraries. Showcasing innovation in action as well as lessons learned, programs include COVID-19 Misinformation Challenge, featuring an email quiz, to encourage participants to separate fact from fiction; weekly virtual storytimes; community cooking demonstrations via Zoom; an online grocery store tour, complete with tips about shopping healthy on a budget; a virtual beer tasting that boasted 80 attendees; socially distanced "creativity crates" for summer reading; an online Minecraft club for kids ages 6 and up; a Zoom presentation about grieving and funerals during COVID, featuring the director of a local funeral home; Art Talk Tuesday, a one-hour, docent-led program; a virtual lecture on the history of witchcraft, presented by a public library in partnership with a university rare book room, that drew thousands of viewers; "knitting for knewbies" kits for curbside pickup; Songs from the Stacks, an ongoing virtual concert series in the style of NPR's "Tiny Desk"; a pink supermoon viewing party that included people howling at the moon together from their homes on Facebook Live; and many others
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