Libraries beat Covid odds to reach readers
sharjah — As Covid-19 wreaked havoc around the world, libraries were among the establishments that had to temporarily shut their doors. But they made sure they weren’t off the radar for long. In the UAE and around the world, libraries went virtual “all the way”.
Some 723 librarians, archivists, and industry professionals from 51 countries came together virtually for the seventh Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC), which kicked off on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).
The three- day event will be seeing experts discuss the challenges that libraries and librarians face as the world navigates the new normal. The SILC is being hosted virtually from the US, in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA).
Coping with new normal
Shaikha Mohamed Almehairi, director of the Libraries Department (LD) at the Abu Dhabi Department for Culture and Tourism, said the first days of the pandemic had been challenging for their seven libraries in the Capital.
“With library closure and cancelled programmes, the staff was confused and disoriented. Then, we decided to go virtual all the way, using social media to connect, even delivering workshop kits to children at home,” Almehairi said.
The team organised over 100 workshop sessions in a month. “We took our competitions online, carried out the first inventory ever for digital resources and drafted new policy and procedures.”
When members’ consumption increased, LD purchased more digital resources, and facilitated online learning and cross-training for staff. “Staff resourcefulness, resilience and accountability saw us through the crisis,” said Almehairi.
Librarians as second responders Julius C. Jefferson Jr, ALA president and acting director of the researcher and reference services at the Library of Congress, said the Covid-19 crisis is a time of “opportunity and hope” for library communities around the world.
“Library workers are committed and resourceful and have served as second responders in times of crisis. Many libraries were collaborating with local partners and finding ways to remain essential, useful institutions.”
Jefferson stressed that libraries need all the help they could get. “If they lack resources to serve all people, this experiment will fail. In this year of crisis, we as a community must move forward together,” he said.