Reflections of a Library Mom

By Kathy Brazil, Chico, California, U.S.

When the COVID-19  pandemic first happened, the libraries closed. As a library staff member, I came to work, I was at my desk, and I thought, “I’m going to walk around the library, to move around and see all the books.” It didn’t help. Every nook and cranny that usually has a patron in it, the children’s room … they were all empty. It was a shock. I thought, “This is real.”

Now, I’m trying to come up with a way that when we do reopen, we can record the stories of our community, about what it has been like to be in lockdown. I recorded my 90-year-old mother. She was telling me stories of when she was a young child, at a time when families had illnesses like polio, or smallpox. She said they would have a big red sign on their houses. That was an eye opener, to think of how things have changed.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have two teenagers. Their school year was abruptly cut short. Luckily, we come from a homeschooling background, so we know how to home school, it’s not unfamiliar to us. But emotionally, I see their state of mind is really different. One is super creative, wants to start a business, make jewelry, bake bread, etc. the other just wants to lay in her blankets with her laptop and two cats.

As adults, we need to realize, “Let’s give the kids a break.” We’re asking them to participate in Zoom meetings. It’s not the childhood we had. If they need to catch up academically  when we get back to the regular school world, it’s going to be OK. If you take the time to read to them, listen to audio books, or watch movies, do something together where you’re connecting with stories, that is educational. When we come out of this, all of us will have been through “How to survive a pandemic 101.”

Now the library is starting to offer curbside pickup. People are very excited to get their books. Even though libraries are not considered an essential service like a grocery store, they are so important. Libraries offer food for the mind.