Each month I find us inching towards a new normal. Our Curbside Pick Up Service has been running for a while now, and with some adjustments to our hours, we’re starting to see more patrons participating. Curbside services are becoming a part of our day-to-day lives, and while it gets some jobs done, it’s no substitute for the real thing.
This summer, we introduced a Pop Up Library just outside of our doors. Our resourceful and creative staff assembled displays with new and popular books to provide a bit more of a browsing experience. But libraries are more than just a building where you can browse for books and entertainment. I feel strongly that once we are in a position to open our building, that we’re doing so in an effort to offer meaningful services. Just because someone is not coming by to check out books doesn’t mean they don’t need the library. We’re not reaching a swath of our community who rely on the library for computer and internet usage, to have documents notarized, to get tax forms, to get a list of lawyers to advise on legal matters, to get help with filing for unemployment and fill out new job applications.
For many of us who have the privilege to be home and still work, sitting down in front of a computer is something we not only take for granted, it’s possible we may even resent a it bit more than we did back in March. While I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with an entirely virtual Summer Reading Program this year, that only reached the folks who can actually access our programs because they have computers, tablets or smartphones.
This can’t be the new normal. This can’t be the new normal because that means we’re not serving everyone. In the words of Harry S Truman: “A society will be judged by how it treats its weakest members.” What good is the library if we can’t help those who need it the most? Who are we losing because they don’t have the same access?
Until we reopen our building, please continue to reach out to us by phone: 860-668-3896, email – ref@suffield-library.org, and through social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. For up to date information, please visit our website at suffield-library.org.