THe end of public libraries?

By J N.

When was the last time you went to the library?

You might have stopped by the library just yesterday. Perhaps you went when they reopened to return your books and haven’t been back since. Or, maybe it’s been years since you last stepped foot in a library.

Regardless of how often you visit the library, the current pandemic brought up many concerns about the library’s future. Will this digital age bring the end of physical libraries? Have people stopped visiting regularly? Are they going to disappear?

The answer to all of these questions seems to be a resounding “No.”

In the words of City Librarian of San Jose, Jill Bourne, “Libraries [will] continue to evolve and meet the needs of community members for education and learning support, digital access, recreational reading, and community engagement in programs, as just a few examples.” Bourne oversees the 25 facilities located in San Jose and about 600 staff. She is ultimately responsible for “the performance and outcomes that the Library achieves for the City and [its] residents.”

Nowadays, the library is a lot more than just a place where you can get books. Libraries don’t discriminate against anyone and are a safe place for you to relax, study, be alone, do homework, etc. Librarians also organize regular classes and activities for language learners, people struggling with technology, job seekers, and young children. They welcome everyone with open arms. Libraries are one of the only truly public places left in America, says Jennifer Howard from HUMANITIES magazine.

To go into more detail about the programs the library offers, Paul Wilson, the librarian at the Edenvale Library, explains, “Children’s programming is our most popular programming at most of the branches… ages zero to 10, 11, or so… We will get over 100 kids come in for our Santa program over the holidays. We consistently get, I’d say, 40 to 60 for storytime. We did a couple of storytimes every week.”

The frequent crafts activities and storytimes were helpful resources to busy or tired parents that needed a break. Additionally, the children brought a lot of brightness and laughter to the otherwise quiet place. Wilson cites these storytimes as some of his favorite experiences of being a librarian.

Aside from the events and activities for young children, the library also holds classes for the older crowd. “We offer English language learning classes mostly for adults and senior citizens. But teens are welcome, too… we also offer citizenship and immigration assistance classes… We had computer assistance. We would have volunteers who would sit in our computer area… And if somebody had a question… they could talk to volunteers,” Wilson answered. Learning new things can be intimidating, but the librarians put a lot of effort into making it a welcoming and judgment-free experience. After all, a well-educated public makes for a better society.

Source: J Nguyen

Also, if you weren’t aware, all of these resources are completely free.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis forced all the libraries in San Jose to close on March 17th, 2020. Although the locations were physically closed during the lockdown, they still allowed people to place book orders online and pick them up in person. The San José Spotlight also reported that the libraries also ran youth programs, senior food distribution, COVID testing, and blood drives. San Jose libraries partially reopened on June 7th, 2021, with limited visitor hours and locations. They are slowly continuing to lower restrictions and returning to normalcy. As of October 4th and 5th, they have lengthened their operating hours.

Wilson elaborated that his library moved a lot of their regular activities online. Storytimes, ESL, citizenship classes, etc., were all held virtually over Zoom. The libraries also received a grant from At&T that gave them around 5000 hotspots to lend out. “They've been very popular. We don't keep them in store very long once we get them in.” Edenvale Library will continue to provide online classes and activities even after all COVID restrictions are lifted.

“I like working for people… you work with various groups of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures… I find enjoyment out of helping people looking for their books, items they need, or sometimes questions unrelated to books,” said Cassidy Pham, a librarian at Tully Library.

Librarians do their best to serve the community. They never disclose your private information to anyone, not companies, not your family, nobody. What you do in the library is your business. Furthermore, all the librarians I interviewed for this article were very cooperative and willing to help me with my research. They are adults you can trust outside of school or home.

Of course, the librarians struggled with the lack of human connection during the pandemic just as much as anyone else. Their job typically entails interacting with at least 30-40 patrons every day, but the pandemic made that a distant memory. Pham remarked, “It was a different experience coming to work with nobody here… it was strange not having anyone to interact with. I [was] happy when we started offering the express pickup so at least we got a little interaction with people and we got to see materials go in and out of the library.”

At first glance, it might look like society does not need physical books anymore because everything is much more digital. However, people do not want digital materials all the time—a lot of people like having a physical book in their hands. The weight of the binding, the scent of the paper, the effort to flip each page, it’s a unique experience. Libraries adapted and became a good mix of virtual offerings because of the pandemic, but they will keep the same physical materials they’ve always had.

Source: J Nguyen

A quote from Bourne encapsulates the essence of the library, “People visit or utilize public libraries for a wide variety of reasons… libraries provide access and tools for the member to pursue whatever interest or idea they have.”

The doors are open, why don’t you stop by for a bit?