Skip to main content

24/7


The last day I was at school teaching was March 13th. That Friday was a long day of teachers, parents, and administrators exchanging worried glances and wondering what was going to happen next. At least, that’s all that I can remember now. The next thing I recall was the County Executive making the announcement that would mean the closure of schools, businesses, movie theaters, the mall, the library...

 It was a long list. 

 Something I noticed right away was how the Howard County Library System was using its social media accounts to push out helpful information on Covid-19 and the quarantine. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, along with their regular emails to patrons, the Library used its social capital to amplify important community messages. In addition, they created place on their website to get information on the Coronavirus. 

 In her March 25th YouTube video, HCLS President and CEO Tonya Aikens laid out the details of the library closures and the ways that the library staff were expanding online programs and resources as a result. It’s almost a fireside chat, reassuring with just the right amount of detail to support the overall theme: we’re still here. Aikens reinforces the message when she tell the viewer, “It’s all available 24/7 at hclibrary.org.” 

 https://youtu.be/zd46V8CxAdY

 One of the things she mentions: you can even get a library card online to access the ever-expanding content. No need to wait: instant entry.

From that very first video the library has conveyed a sense of relationship with the community which is backed up by their years of active involvement in Howard County. They make it clear that the relationship doesn’t end when the library doors are closed. As Chair of the Friends and Foundation of HCLS Mickey Gomez wrote during National Library Week:

 HCLS brings people together, provides education for all, and is the heart and soul of our community. HCLS has been here for 80 years, and we will continue to be here, offering creative, fun, inspiring, and energizing ways for you to learn and grow and expand your horizons, even during such challenging times.

 It’s a challenge to maintain a relationship with the community when doors are closed and patrons are confined to their homes. But with staff already communicating daily through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, plus weekly to subscribers of their e-newsletter, the Library has already laid the groundwork for how to keep the lines of communication open. And that’s exactly what HCLS has done.

 In addition to highlighting their already bountiful online offerings, library staff has created more programming tailored to meet a variety of community needs: for children, teens, and adults. But along with that has been the continued outreach to connect the community with the resources. Consider this video, using the voices of staff to invite community members to stay in touch. It begins, “We miss you,” and closes, “We’ll get through this together.”

 https://www.facebook.com/HoCoLibrary/videos/873103326502962/

 And, again, but with a more upbeat, informational tone, “HCLS is here for you!”

 https://youtu.be/gm938weDgfo

 Director of Communications and Partnerships Christie Lassen created a newsletter specifically tailored to giving community members the most current information on the library’s online resources, classes and events. The first issue of HCLS Special Edition went out March 30th and has been appearing weekly since then. At the very top the heading invites readers to “Ask HCLS: call, write or text.”

 The folks at the library know they can’t deliver the best in education if, in a time of crisis, people don’t know where to look or are reluctant to ask. All the resources in the world won’t help if the relationship isn’t there to unlock their use.

 As I go over the messages coming from the Library since March 16th it seems to me there’s an underlying subtext:

 Don’t be shy. Really, you won’t be putting us out. We’re all going through this scary time together and, well, you know us, right? We’ve been through a lot together. Just because you can’t browse the cookbooks or come to story hour right now doesn’t mean you can’t call us. We’re still here for you.

The way that our library system has risen to this unprecedented challenge is confirmation of how committed they are to serving the community. I know we’ll all be thrilled to back at our favorite branch when it’s safe for us to do so. 

 But in the meantime, they are serious when they say, “It’s all available 24/7 at hclibrary.org.”













Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more