Alice Keefe
Created: April 17, 2020 06:40 PM
On March 18, both Austin and Rochester public libraries closed.
“We closed down when the schools closed down because we wanted to encourage people to stay home,” said Julie Clinefelter, Austin Public Library’s director.
Despite doors being closed, the libraries have continued to serve their communities online and in new ways.
“We have library staff who are part of the city’s emergency operations center and they’re doing work in that capacity. We also have a lot of library staff who are working at the day center,” said Karen Lemke, head of marketing and community engagement for Rochester Public Library.
People can download eBooks and audiobooks online, but recently, libraries across the state have tried to bring some normalcy back to their communities with curbside pickup.
“The smaller libraries seem to be having better luck with it. We were a little worried about what the impact would be and how much we’d be able to do and we wanted to make sure that we were being safe about it,” Clinefelter said.
On Thursday, Austin started to do curbside, having people call or sign up online for items the library has in stock, and the library then gives them a 10-minute time slot to come by and pick them up.
“They just pull right up to the library and we can put the library books in their trunk,” Clinefelter said.
Libraries are still trying to figure out when and how they can reopen safely, but Lemke said time and again, after a recession, libraries are in high demand.
“There will be a flood of people that will be looking for help and libraries are a trusted resource looking for information, or to use the internet, or use the computers, or get questions answered about how do I apply for MNsure,” Lemke said.
Until the day comes when the doors can open once again, they’ll keep serving their communities any way they can.
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