Libraries have always been about more than the books. A library is a community gathering space, a place to access the internet, and a creative learning environment. So when the pandemic not only forced the city of Santa Maria Main Library’s physical doors to close, but also threatened its funding, the stakes were high for community members who rely on these resources.
When cuts to the library were initially proposed, the community quickly sprung into action to oppose such a measure, and City Council members found a way to move some money around and make it work.
“COVID-19 had really highlighted the inequities that exist, especially with education,” City Councilmember Gloria Soto told the Sun. “Library services, whether that be on a virtual platform or through their bookmobile or curbside pickup, being able to keep our community members and our young people engaged, have never been more important.”
As it turns out, there’s a lot that these institutions can do outside the confines of brick-and-mortar buildings, and libraries up and down the Central Coast are learning how to adapt.
Prior to the pandemic, “our public here in Santa Maria did enjoy using our physical space for a variety of reasons,” said Santa Maria librarian Dawn Jackson. “However, under our current restrictions … people have come to realize that libraries can adapt, and can do so much more than what patrons, or perhaps even librarians, thought that we could do.”
For the Santa Maria Main Library, this looked like shifting programming to “a combination of virtual and take-home format.”
Children can pick up an art pack from the library that contains everything they need to make a craft, and then head to the library’s YouTube channel for an instructional video. Families can log on for a live Zoom story time every Wednesday at 4 p.m. Writing Club to-go packs are designed for students up to the 12th grade and include a journal and prompts.
These options and more can be found on the city of Santa Maria Engaged Patrons webpage.
“We’re still doing everything we did before, just in a new way so we can continue to serve our patrons,” Jackson said.
Another key function of library spaces is providing computer and internet access to people who need it. Santa Maria library found a way to still make it work.
“We have extended the Wi-Fi signal at our main library, and currently there’s not a password for that,” Jackson said. “We are also offering checkout of our laptops and Chromebooks that come with a hotspot.”
The library also brings books, Wi-Fi, and laptops for checkout directly to residents through its bookmobile, which was unveiled earlier this year.
“That is going to eight locations around the city with regular stops,” Jackson said. “They have a grab-and-go service, and they’ve been able to reach patrons that haven’t been able, even prior to the pandemic, to visit the library.”
Ana Libbon, administrator of programs and services for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, told the Sun that the library’s bookmobile has made a big difference for the kids they serve.
“Every Wednesday from 3:30 to about 5:30, they park in our parking lot, and kids are allowed to go through their bookmobile and check out books,” Libbon said of the organization’s Santa Maria location. “They help them all obtain library cards and answer their questions. … They’ve been absolutely amazing.”
The success is evident in the numbers: Jackson said the library has had 1,278 views of their programs on YouTube since March, and circulation went up 20 percent over the past two months with its grab-and-go services.
Up in a different part of the Central Coast, the Paso Robles city library was also quick to adapt.
The Paso library temporarily closed its doors for several months, but similar to Santa Maria it never stopped providing services to the community digitally, according to librarian Angelica Fortin.
Since March, the library has provided 370 virtual programs and has given away more than 3,000 grab-and-go craft kits for children and adults.
One of the immediate actions the library took during the first stay-at-home order in March was offering reference services via telephone. Patrons could access e-books, e-magazines, and homework resources virtually by using their library cards.
The library also worked hard to get library cards for ninth, 10th, and 11th graders at the Paso Robles Unified School District, Fortin said.
The partnership was made possible by Melissa Bailey, the Paso City children’s librarian; school district librarian Stephanie Lowe; and educational technology TOSA Ronalee Andersen, who collaborated to safely and efficiently provide the students with a card, said Jennifer Gaviola, deputy superintendent of Paso Unified.
Even pre-pandemic, the partnership had been in the works for several months. The team, Gaviola said, determined how the district could securely provide the city library with student district ID numbers, which would then be students’ city library number.
Bailey and the city library staff printed library cards for all students who did not already have one and placed the new cards, along with a flyer detailing how to access digital resources, in envelopes, distributing them to more than 1,800 students.
Another successful program the library facilitated, similar to the Santa Maria library, was access to internet hotspots.
“There are people in our community that still don’t have access to the internet at home,” Fortin said. “At the end of April we extended our Wi-Fi network not only here at the library, but at our study center.”
Since March, the city library has had 4,475 connections to its Wi-Fi network.
Library volunteer Tammy Bourne, who has lent her time to the facility for six years, pulls book holds for the curbside and pickup service. She said it’s been amazing to see the library staff work hard to evolve and respond to new safety requirements to keep serving the Paso Robles community.
“The saddest thing about this new environment is not seeing people really enjoy the library,” Bourne said. “But I know the public is using the library because I get the list of books that people have put on hold and they want us to pull for them.”
The perception of libraries is changing, Fortin said. In the past, people viewed the library as “shushing environments.”
“We do have a lot of rules, I get that, but a lot of that is just organization and making sure that we have the resources people need,” she said. “It really comes from wanting to provide access.”
Staff Writer Malea Martin can be reached at mmartin@santamariasun.com. Staff Writer Karen Garcia can be reached at kgarcia@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Dec 24-31, 2020.