Delaware Public Libraries in Times of COVID-19. How branch libraries in Sussex County adapted their programming to support their communities.
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Cornelia Posch
University of Delaware, Disaster Research Center United States of America
posch@udel.edu
Author(s):
Building on classic disaster research and current data, this project investigates how public libraries contribute to successful response and recovery from a disaster, offering unique services and leveraging the direct access they have to the communities they serve. Based on programming records by the Delaware Division of Libraries, this research highlights ways in which public libraries in Delaware have supported their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public libraries are among the most ubiquitous civic networks in both urban and rural areas of the United States, making them an ideal web of resource-sharing. Resources are here defined as information/communication, as well as material resources and workforce. Libraries, and especially public libraries, play an important role in community resilience. They provide access to information, internet access, educational and inspirational material, and offer a space where the community can come together. After a disaster, public libraries often become vital hubs for both citizens and responders, where information, material resources, and assistance can be offered, requested, and coordinated. For this paper, an analysis of 22 months of library programming and services in public libraries in Delaware is presented. This time span gives insight into pre-pandemic operations, as well as programming from the start of the pandemic, showing the impact libraries had on the well-being of their communities.
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