‘What to do if coronavirus has closed your local library, as it has mine’

In my opinion, libraries are one of the most under-appreciated assets we have in our communities. I just can’t understand why. I often wonder if it’s because when we were young they were places of discipline (“Shh! No talking!”) and did not represent somewhere you could go for recreation or fun.

Even though I was a bookworm from an early age, I always found libraries a little daunting. In the days before the internet (and then Google and Wikipedia etc.) it was imperative to visit the local library if I had any hope of completing school projects; not every family could afford a set of encyclopaedias. In fact, most family homes wouldn’t have had the room to house the Funk and Wagnalls as two bedrooms was considered the norm.

Today, libraries are the hub of a community. They interconnect generations with a wide variety of services available. More recently built libraries can be found located in or near shopping and/or sporting precincts, making them more accessible to a wider audience.

Following exhaustive surveys in 2006, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that 46 per cent of Australians over 18 years of age visited the library. Going to your local library was the second most attended cultural venue or event in 2006 (the most popular being a trip to the movies).

Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of Australians aged 15 years and over who had visited their library during the 12 months 2005-06 had been more than six times. A further 25 per cent attended more than 20 times.

During that period (and no doubt until recently, with the coronavirus pandemic) libraries offered the community a number of services, including book clubs, discussion groups, technology training, assistance in resume preparation, DIY workshops, assistance to those researching family history, storytelling and craft activities for children, toddlers and babies, reading rooms, free access to online subscription databases, hobbies (such as gardening, cooking, ceramics, woodworking and photography), and free musical performances.

Libraries have become popular venues for hire, offering conference and cafe facilities. I’ve attended a number of author talks and workshops facilitated by writers. No longer are our libraries just about books! Any regular library user would be able to tell you that DVDs and CDs can also be borrowed.

My local library ran a mobile library service for those who, for whatever reason, were unable to attend a local branch. The service also frequented local parks where staff were able to cater to a younger generation by encouraging a love of reading.

Our libraries have an important role in educating, entertaining and linking communities. My daughter, who lives in a remote part of the country, once told me that if she ever needed to know what was happening locally, she would head to the local library.

Perhaps the most astounding thing is that these services are provided for free!

In response to Covid-19, many libraries around the country have closed their doors to help stop the spread of the virus. Instead, they have provided their services in new ways. I’ve become aware of virtual storytime sessions around the country, multilingual community resources allowing linguistically diverse communities to remain informed about Covid-19 and postponements of various events until a time when it is safe to reopen.

Yet while the doors may have physically closed on our libraries for the time being, there is still a wealth of digital content available for those who have internet access elsewhere. If, like me, you’re a library card holder you can take advantage of the digital collections offered by your local library, which might include books, eBooks and audiobooks; magazines and newspapers; movie and music streaming. Many libraries have become more forgiving about item return dates and the expiry of library cards due to coronavirus.

There are apps, like BorrowBox, which provide library card holders with the opportunity to borrow audio and eBooks with titles such as Lion by Saroo Brierly or Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. In New South Wales, you should check out indyreads.

The Library PressReader website allows you to create an account with your library membership number to access eNewspapers and eMagazines from all over the globe and in a range of languages. You’ll even find this service has an app for mobile devices.

Freegal music streaming exists and will give you access to more than 15 million songs from 40,000 labels. You’ll also find playlists for yoga, workouts and reading. There is no software to download, just find your library and login. First time users will be asked to accept the terms and conditions and you’ll be presented with a short step-by-step guide on how to use the site.

For those who like award winning documentaries, independent features and festival favourites, you can stream them directly from Beamafilm. Search for your library and login using your membership number.

As a prolific reader I certainly miss venturing into my local library each week and getting lost in the many book titles. But you know what, there are also little community libraries popping up in neighbourhoods. Just like your local library, it’s free to borrow a book (with perhaps an up being that you don’t need proof of identification or any membership). All these community libraries ask is that you return the book when you’re done or that you donate a book in its place.

Libraries shutting down can have a tremendous impact on the communities they serve, but there are still ways to make use of the resources they provide. And at least this way, we can all stay safe!

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