Community assets for response, recovery, and resilience
Libraries
COVID-19
and
Recovery
Response
Libraries assist with COVID relief efforts in their communities.
Producing personal protective equipment for health workers and first responders, , including face masks and shields
Providing meeting space for emergency operations and staging for food and other distribution efforts
Conducting community outreach and checking on seniors and other vulnerable populations
Libraries are integral
to community healing
—even moreso when
it becomes safe to
reopen their facilities.
Libraries are foundational to a
community’s social infrastructure,
open to all for free. Librarians remain
closely connected to their
communities and tailor resources,
programs, and services to meet
community needs.
For information on how community leaders can work with libraries to support local
response, recovery, and resilience, visit: ala.org/advocacy/state-local-resources
Libraries are vital sources of trusted information.
Providing one-stop access to local, state, and federal public health resources and community alerts
Partnering with local governments to alleviate stress on emergency services and respond to non-emergency inquiries
Libraries provide connectivity for communities of all sizes.
Lending WiFi hotspots, laptop computers, or other devices and extending WiFi access to parking lots or
other locations around their communities
Continuing to support technology training and digital literacy by phone and online
School and academic libraries help their institutions pivot to
remote learning.
Digitizing instructional materials and organizing online teaching tools
Delivering instruction, professional development, and research for students
and faculty
Libraries connect people to critical information and services.
Working with local governments to ensure a fair and complete count in
the 2020 Census
Providing access to government forms and services, from voter
registration and driver’s license renewal to tax forms and
unemployment benefits
Libraries help their communities get to work.
Assisting community members with job search, resume writing, and
small business development
Offering classes and one-on-one consulting for job seekers
Libraries provide more than just digital connections.
Bringing communities together with a diverse array of programming and
events for all ages.
Innovating to bridge the digital divide and reach all residents.
