Library managers keeping occupied

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/04/2020 (2224 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like most public gathering places in the region, all five Western Manitoba Regional Library locations shut their doors in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While staff are hoping to reopen sometime in the spring, some of its higher-ranking members are still working behind the scenes to make sure that Westman book lovers — especially those living near its branches in Brandon, Carberry, Glenboro, Hartney and Neepawa — can still access their materials online.

WMRL executive director Danielle Hubbard told the Sun on March 21 that she and assistant librarian Louise Ferguson are still working at the main branch in Brandon five days a week to answer any questions patrons might have over the phone or by email.

Hubbard revealed that the vast majority of the inquiries they receive are about how to utilize the WMRL’s e-resources, which contain books, audio books, movies, music, magazines and even academic texts.

Because of this wealth of free entertainment and educational tools, the WMRL head said she has received plenty of calls from people looking to reactivate their accounts for the first time in several years.

“That is heartwarming to me,” she said. “It’s good to know that there are people who are like ‘Darn, the world’s closed. What can I do? I guess I’ll listen to an audio book.’”

However, Hubbard admits she is frustrated that she can’t completely fulfil the WMRL’s mandate to connect with members of the public right now.

“One of the toughest things that everyone is struggling with right now is community engagement,” she said. “If we’re closed during a pandemic, that kind of changes what that looks like, because people aren’t coming in for programs and we’re not going out for outreach events.”

While the regional library is trying to fill this gap through organizing events such as storybook readings on Facebook Live, the lack of accessible physical space in communities such as Brandon weighs heavily on Hubbard’s mind, especially for the more vulnerable members of society.

“For people who are more stable or have middle-class income, they are more likely to be able to at least avail themselves of online resources,” she said. “Whereas the people who used the library as a safe and warm place to read or study during the day, there’s not really anything we can do to solve that problem right now.”

Branch supervisor Carson Rogers is encountering similar limitations working in nearby Carberry and fears that it’s only a matter of time before he starts receiving requests for physical books that he can’t fulfil.

“Not all of our patrons have access to e-resources,” he said on March 24. “We service a lot of seniors here that don’t have those types of devices. So in a couple of weeks I think that part of that population is going to get a little antsy.”

Thankfully, Hubbard is also using this down period to be proactive and advance some ongoing projects that will increase WMRL’s presence in the Westman region.

While the grand opening of a new satellite location in Brandon’s Shoppers Mall probably won’t happen in May as originally planned, administrative staff are working behind the scenes to make sure that it debuts as soon as possible after this health crisis subsides.

“We’re still making floor plans, setting up the IT and ordering books for that space,” she said. “If the world continues to be on a lockdown for longer than May, then that space will just open up when things calm down.”

Plus, Hubbard said she has been meaning to redesign the Brandon Public Library’s layout for a while now, and is finally getting the opportunity to make some serious headway on that front without inconveniencing patrons.

But more than anything, Hubbard wanted to thank the Westman community for their patience throughout this whole process, since these library closures happened fast and without a lot of warning.

“It’s been very interesting and stressful times,” she said. “The good thing is that the library board is very supportive and the library staff I work with are very supportive. We’re just a very level-headed group of people.”

To view a full rundown of all the e-resources available through the Western Manitoba Regional Library, visit wmrl.ca/eresources/.

For all other inquiries contact Hubbard at 204-727-6648 or info@wmrl.ca.

 

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