As the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Public Library has to adapt to a different world. The library is participating in the City of Los Angeles’ Disaster Service Worker program, where staff can volunteer to assist in local initiatives to help vulnerable populations during this devastating crisis.
I volunteered to take two shifts at a COVID-19 testing site in Westwood. The site was operated by CORE Response, a humanitarian organization that partners with local governments and private organizations to provide testing in virus hotspots. During my time at the site, I helped distribute COVID-19 tests and participated in the check-in process.
I quickly came to realize how important it was to think on your feet. The daily schedule was drawn up on a dry-erase board because shifts were constantly being reconfigured. The site’s operations were incredibly efficient and professional, but that meant the workers had to be willing to go wherever and whenever they were needed. To succeed, you had to adapt.
Luckily for me, adaptability is central to the modern library. At the Will & Ariel Durant Branch Library, we pride ourselves on being able to change to serve the public. When I took my job as a Messenger Clerk, I never imagined I’d be filming a Halloween parade, distributing sandwiches, or helping kids put the finishing touches on a LEGO house. But at the library, our mission is to say yes.
Adaptability requires a willingness to reimagine resources-UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium parking lots were repurposed to work as our testing site. But in the same fashion, adaptability requires a willingness to reimagine ourselves. How can we make ourselves useful right now? What skills can we lend to our team? How has our past prepared us for such an uncertain future?
The next phase of library operations is an open question. The only safe bet is that normal is very far away. However, I firmly believe that the library is in a good position: we have many resources, we have excellent staff, and we’re working in the most dynamic and exciting city in the world. Our patrons have always been here for us, and we aim to return the favor. The library will always adapt.