‘Welcome to your library’
Library provides lifeline to community during pandemic
Over the past year, the Garland County Library has played a key role in adapting to meet community members’ needs as they lived through the various challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Library Week, which begins Sunday and runs through April 10, is a “time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities,” a news release said.
“This year’s theme is ‘Welcome to your library,’ which promotes the idea that libraries extend far beyond the four walls of a building and that everyone is welcome to use their services. Whether people visit virtually or in person,
libraries are accessible and inclusive places that foster a sense of belonging and community through learning, discovery, and exploration,” the release said.
When the pandemic began in March 2020, closing most local facilities, it took less than three months for the library to acquire the necessary personal protective equipment to reopen to the public.
“We opened pretty quickly with the advice of our neighbors next door at the (Garland County) Health Unit, and so just being able to provide most of our core services throughout the pandemic was really an achievement, if you ask me,” library Executive Director Adam Webb said.
“But additionally,” Webb said, “(we were) able to provide a recreational outlet of a kind and considerate ear to folks who maybe were feeling isolated during the pandemic because they couldn’t go anywhere or see anybody. The library staff ended up being sort of a support staff for a lot of folks in Garland County who didn’t really have any place to go to, and we were here and open and happy to have them. That’s kind of an intangible benefit of the library staying open throughout the pandemic.”
As the year progressed, so did the library’s effort to serve the community.
Over the past year, the library has provided free internet access to the community by purchasing and circulating Wi-Fi hot spots, as well as leaving their Wi-Fi on 24/7 so that, even when closed, people could access the internet from the parking lot.
They began home deliveries to Hot Springs Village and the Lake Hamilton School District areas, with plans to extend this service to the rest of the county in the months to come. The library also joined the Arkansas Digital Library Consortium, which provides access to more e-books and audio books, and temporarily doubled the amount of digital checkouts available to patrons.
One of the most significant changes made by the library over the past year was the eradication of its late fee policy and waiving of existing late fees. Webb said this brought back over 700 patrons who couldn’t come to the library due to accumulated late fees and brought back thousands of dollars worth of lost library materials. For National Library Week, the public can show their appreciation and support for the Garland County Library by visiting the library at gclibrary.com, following them on social media and visiting the library in person, the library’s release said.
“It’s been one of the great joys of my life to be a public librarian; I know my staff feels the same way,” Webb said. “We’re here to serve the folks of Garland County and we’re here for you whenever you need us.”