Since the pandemic closed most businesses back in March, our local library has pivoted by offering a bunch of virtual events and a curbside pick up option, which might be my favorite thing to come out of COVID-19. Who doesn’t want to just drive up to the library’s front door and grab a paper bag filled with a bunch of books that you put a hold on via the library’s website?? It’s honestly the best thing to come out of staying at home.
One of their new virtual events is a “Take and Make Craft”, which means you sign up for the craft on their website, and on the day of the “event”, you pull up to the curb of the library, grab your paper bag with craft supplies and instructions, and they post the tutorial on their Facebook page later that night. And the whole darn thing is free! Who doesn’t love a free craft project??
Yesterday’s craft was an autumn themed book banner. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pretty excited to pick up my paper bag yesterday afternoon. (Don’t judge me, COVID-19 has taught me to find joy wherever I can and free craft projects just seem to do it for me lately!) I pulled up to the library’s front entrance, threw the car into park and went up to the table to grab the bag with my name on it. I’m trying to do this quickly since I’m supposed to be sitting in my home “office” working. But my bag isn’t there. And I had to touch all the other bags in the box to make sure mine just wasn’t out of alphabetical order, which probably goes against every pandemic policy the library has…
My bag wasn’t there, but I didn’t want to grab someone else’s bag, because then I’d just be that person who ruins free craft night for another excited patron… So I went home and e-mailed the librarian about my dilemma and hoped that they would have a least one leftover bag.
And they did! The librarian put a craft bag at the front desk for me to pick up this afternoon.
Now I haven’t been inside the library since maybe February. I love books — libraries and book stores are like glorious havens to me, especially libraries because you can take books out for free!! (I really like breweries and wineries too, oh and yoga studios, and pretty much any place that has a messy bacon cheeseburger, but this post is about libraries!!) So I was super excited to get back into the library! Like maybe a tad too excited…
And it was good to be back. You get checked in at the front door now — you have to fill out a COVID-19 survey about your health and the health of folks in your household. They only allow 20 people in the library at any time and you’re supposed to be there less than 30 minutes and wear a mask the entire time.
Honestly, I think I was the only patron in there. I browsed the shelves for a few minutes and picked up three books — not that I needed any more books to read, but since I was there!! I checked out at the front desk — got my three new books and my craft bag. One of the librarians even recognized me with my mask on — that totally surprised me! Guess I was a frequent customer back in “normal” times.
The whole trip took less than 15 minutes and it was so good to be back! I’d better get my act together — I now have 3 additional books to read and a craft project to make!
Notes from a Self Quarantine 