This was one of the last pictures I took two months ago to the day on Saturday March 27, 2021 as Regina Public Library prepared to once again close our branches the following day as Covid was spiking in Regina and area.
And just like when we shut down in March 2020 “a week or two” turned into “multiple months” as the branch was closed to the public for two months.
At least this time, our internal Business Continuity team was more prepared than when Covid first hit (and really – which businesses had *worldwide* pandemic on their risk assessment/emergency plans?) so all staff were either able to work from home, do a hybrid WFH and in-branch (which is what I did) or stay working in branch delivering curbside pickup, “Grab & Go” bags of random books based on patron preferences submitted via online form (rebranded to “Check It Out” bags as some people had apparently taken “Grab & Go” too literally when we were still open!, curbside printing and scanning, discussion of outside computer stations (that never happened) but an outside public phone (which did.)
Between those offerings plus a centralized Hotline to answer calls/emails/chats and digital programs, really there was *very* little that library patrons would not be able to access while we were closed that they couldn’t when we were open. (Again, direct access to the Internet and related items – printing, photocopying – for people who didn’t have technology at home was the main thing we couldn’t replicate.)
Barring some major change or announcement, we expect to reopen Monday and hopefully that’s the last time the library closes in my lifetime (short of the occasional brief power outage or snow day or something!) 🙂
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