While many people and businesses have been slowed down by the pandemic, the Quinte West Public Library continued to push through and even excel in some areas.
Library CEO Suzanne Humphreys gave an annual report to council on Monday night and says library staff were able to rise to the challenges faced by COVID-19 and they continue to offer plenty of options for people to keep their brains busy.
She says one of the most popular changes they made was a move to curbside book pick-up.
She says recently purchased subscriptions to online book, magazine and movie services have also been very popular and that changes from in-person to online programming have been well received, which at its peak, was serving close to 50 customers a day.
Humphreys also took some time to talk about some of the new and exciting initiatives being undertaken by library staff this year, including making the library “fine free”.
She says the move will make the library more accessible for some residents, who may have been staying away from from the library because they had outstanding balances.
“What happens with fines is it’s only the people who struggle to pay the fines, who are punished by having fines on their library card. So I think it’s a really benevolent gesture to a community that’s, you know, right now struggling through this pandemic.”
She added that one of the other big things coming to the library is a new mobile hot spot program, which can be a kind of “lifeline” for people who don’t have quality internet access at home.
“We’re promoting this to help students who are learning at home or remote learning. Anyone in the community who wants to take an online class, to use the library’s digital resources, just to use the internet and of course for job seekers, and training also.”
You can learn more about the Quinte West Library, its programs and services, by clicking here.
