Beyond Books and Browsing: Local Libraries Adjust to the Pandemic

Micah Nelms, youngest child of the Swarthmorean’s associate editor, Satya Nelms, tries to find a way into the library. Photo: Satya Nelms

My youngest child is 3 years old. Before the pandemic, going to the Swarthmore Public Library was part of our daily routine. Every morning, we would make our way up to the children’s section. My son would dash through it and into the office, where he would greet Lucy Saxon (an assistant librarian) and play with the magnets on the filing cabinet next to the desk of the circulation manager, Carol Mackin. 

The library is where my children met some of their first friends. We’d see many of the same families day after day, with new faces sprinkled in from time to time. In the winter months, the library had always been a welcome respite from the cold. In the spring, as the weather warmed up we would check out books and sit outside reading. 

When the stay-at-home order was issued in March 2020, my toddler didn’t understand why our walks could no longer include visits to the library. He would stand by the glass doors, pleading with me to let him in, looking for someone on the inside to open the door. 

The library staff have also missed their interactions with their patrons, and are doing their best to stay connected. “Early on, there was a county-wide library initiative that had librarians reaching out to patrons on the phone once a week to chat,” says Amber Osborne, director of the Swarthmore Public Library. The phone has become essential to library operations, with patrons calling in to confirm appointments for limited in-person services, arrange for contactless book pickup, and ask questions. 

As the weeks turned to months, librarians got creative, finding new ways to connect. “We started the weekly ‘Social Distance Digest eNewsletter’ to share not only library news, but also funny and uplifting items,” says Osborne. They’ve also added a service called “Librarian’s Choice,” where the staff choose books for patrons who may not know exactly which ones they want. “This can be quite time consuming, but it’s been fun.”

The director of the Helen Kate Furness Free Library, Leah Kulikowski, says that the popularity of digital borrowing has surged during the pandemic. “We’ve walked many patrons through downloading ebooks and accessing content through our digital library.” 

While the circulation of physical materials at the Swarthmore Public Library has decreased during the pandemic, the circulation of digital materials has increased by 50%, and overall circulation has increased by 39%, compared to 2019. 

More In-Person Services and Virtual Programming

Local libraries quickly transitioned into offering their programs virtually. Children’s story times, trivia nights, and book clubs for adults are all now available online. The Swarthmore Public Library held a virtual pet show in early February, and the Helen Kate Furness Free Library has been putting together family night grab-and-go bundles filled with books, DVDs, activities, popcorn, and hot-cocoa powder. 

Though libraries can’t yet return to pre-COVID norms, patrons of Swarthmore Public Library can now browse the shelves again — with some restrictions. Service-appointment windows allow patrons to come in and use the computer or photocopier, and “brisk browsing” hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays allow them to walk through the stacks and make selections in person, with no appointment necessary. 

Though the Helen Kate Furness Free Library is not yet open to in-person patrons, the staff is taking precautions. Kulikowski says she and the rest of the Helen Kate Furness Free library staff wear masks at all times and have PPE available for staff and volunteers. There are hand-sanitizing stations throughout the library, and library materials are quarantined for at least three days after being returned (as they are throughout the county system). 

Looking Forward

While the libraries’ staff are making the best of these new circumstances, they look forward to the time when they can have more face-to-face interactions with members of the communities they serve. Osborne says, “Pre-pandemic, the library was a community gathering place. We are definitely all looking forward to getting the regular bustle of our library back.”

In mid-January this year, my children and I were sitting outside the library, my two youngest playing in the snow. When my eldest saw someone walk out of the library, her eyes grew wide. “Can I go inside?” she asked me. She did not know about the brisk browsing option. I smiled and nodded. 

She raced into the library and emerged a few minutes later, beaming, with a stack of books in her arms. “It felt so good to be in the library,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”