tiptoeing towards normality

In my still under construction but otherwise mostly reopened library, we are very much in a state of inching (or tiptoeing) towards normal.

We no longer require masks, capacity limit is gone, our one in-person storytime from 2021 resumes next week (but will still require masks because it looks like wave 6 is in progress here, and I’m not risking me, the other staff, or the children while we sing together, which we’re going to), but the fact is that we still have almost no bathrooms (and really no accessible ones) and a temporary door which is poorly lit and slippery when icy or wet.

Staff are still working part-time from home, although less so than we were before, and we still aren’t open mornings before 11, or evenings at all, except two evenings a week for curbside pickup. Every time my poor manager clears a space for us to film virtual programs (which is what most staff do while at home), someone dumps a pile of furniture from a part that’s under renovation, and we’re back to having nowhere to film in-library, which makes coming back to work full-time hard, as we have a very full virtual program slate for April-June.

So still, in an odd way, we’re kind of grateful to COVID-19. I think if other libraries hadn’t also had to close and limit hours and admission, we would have been lost. We have no program space and no quiet study space (because how can you with construction all around). I think everyone would have dumped us if it weren’t for COVID-19. We’re now below the normal service level around here, but only slightly, and we would have been this way due to construction while everyone else kept on as normal without COVID-19. So don’t get me wrong, I am not at all grateful, but I think my workplace as a whole has some reason to be.

We did have the world’s most awesome outdoor program in March Break, in one of our parks. It was the most beautiful day, and we headed to the splash pad (because it wasn’t muddy) and set up our seed-planting, and games, and sidewalk chalk, and the whole town came out to join us, either knowing we were there or as a delightful surprise and supplement to the playground!

Here’s one of our favourite families decorating:

We also did some fun things for Reading Gives You Superpowers Week, which is a favourite of mine:

I added speech bubbles to everyone later saying how many of each character could be found around the children’s area to make it a game.

I also took a really old and faded bulletin board down and replaced it with this:

I have no art skills related to drawing, so it’s not beautiful, but it sure is bright and cheerful, and people have really appreciated that!

So it’s been a pretty good March. Certainly the best since 2019, which is as much as I can ask at this point!