Saying they may need to reduce hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Canaan Library officials are spotlighting their expanding and increasingly sought-after digital offerings.
New Canaan Library has installed plastic barriers at public-facing stations throughout the building. Contributed
Though she’s hopeful the library won’t have to cut back its hours, Executive Director Lisa Oldham said fewer patrons have been coming into the physical building since the virus began surging again last month.
“As cases and hospitalizations go up, we know more people are being more cautious and staying at home,” Oldham said.
Those people still can access a wide range of materials, she said, as they have been doing in increasingly high numbers since the onset of coronavirus disease earlier this year. Borrowing of e-books has increased 100% year-over-year since March, and children’s and teens digital circulation has risen 250%, Oldham said.
“What is most new is how much there is for families,” she said.
Library patrons observe social distancing rules and required to wear masks inside the building. Contributed
“We now have a really great collection of children books, graphic novels and comic books—all digitally. They’re new and different and very popular, for kids to read on their own and also family reads. We also have a lot of streaming media including documentaries. E-audio books and e-magazines are huge. Other things that have been super popular, especially during lockdown, are ‘Creativebug,’ a database that is basically DIY videos for anything you can do at home, especially handcrafts and projects. And then Ancestry, which is popular under normal circumstances, and we’ve been able to make it accessible to people at home, as well.”
The library closed its building to the public mid-March and pivoted to meet increased demand for digital materials. After serving as a hub for residents seeking WiFi and phone access when a tropical storm knocked out power for several days in August, the library reopened with limited services and public health restrictions. Currently, it’s open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Oldham noted that Darien’s highest elected official on Thursday advised community members 65 and older to remain at home and that got library officials thinking something similar could be imminent in New Canaan.
“Regardless, we are seeing fewer people come through our doors, so clearly there are enough people who are worried with the increasing numbers that whether it’s mandated or not, they’re starting to not go anywhere,” she said.
In a Friday outcall, New Canaan’s first selectman reported that New Canaan had 57 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the prior seven days.
“We strongly encourage seniors and vulnerable persons with health conditions to shelter in place and limit unnecessary trips outside of the home,” First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said in the outcall.