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It’s been just under three months since we closed the library and self-service locations. As the town and province cautiously re-open, the library is too. We’re now accepting returns, although only at 10 Anderson Lane and not yet at our self-service locations. Curbside pickup starts June 9 and you can place holds and book your pickup time now. You’ll find details about the service here; https://notlpubliclibrary.org/curbside
Later in June, we’re planning a delivery service for our most vulnerable members and those unable to access our e-collections. Since you’re reading this via email, you have access to the internet and likely use our e-books and other virtual resources. Others in our community aren’t as lucky, either because they don’t have internet or, have a slow connection that limits what they can access. What we have here is a digital divide, something public libraries have been working to bridge for a number of years and the pandemic has made this work even more urgent.
Ironically, those with no internet are often the ones most in need of it and the most isolated. Pre-pandemic, those without the internet could use our public computers and wifi or borrow wifi hotspots. Public computers will not be an option for a while, even after we re-open, due to health concerns. Wifi reaches beyond our building but doesn’t help those who must stay home. We hope to purchase more wifi hotspots but data plans are costly.
The good news is the federal government is considering making internet access a public utility to increase access, especially in rural areas. As many of you know, rural internet is usually slow. Laura Tribe, Open Media Executive Director, explained it well in a recent CBC Radio article about the federal plan to get all Canadians connected to broadband by 2030:
"For those living in rural Canada, 10 years from now feels like a long time to wait to be able to check in on your Grandma, and have a Zoom call, or finish your education.” Tribe said recent data show urban areas enjoyed speeds up to 12 times faster than rural counterparts. "If you picture driving along the highway at 120 kilometres an hour versus 10 kilometres an hour, that's a really big difference. It's the difference in the internet landscape of being able to actually join a video conference, being able to watch a movie, being able to do your homework."
It’s likely coronavirus infections will return in waves over the next few years requiring us to close the physical library periodically. For those with slow or no internet, they will again be cut off from resources needed to stay connected as well as physically and mentally healthy during these periods of isolation. For this reason, we’ll continue to come up with innovative ways to ensure those most in need get the library resources they need. Read on for more details about what’s coming this month both virtually and “in real life” and stay healthy!
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