With all due apologies to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, this just seemed like an appropriate title for a library newsletter.

Things have moved both fast and slow lately. Obviously things seem to be slow at the library, but behind the scenes it has been anything but.

Early on, before the library closed for good, the staff was still offering front-door pick-up service, but returns became untenable because of the need to wipe down and sequester books and limited space to hold them, and it became too risky.

The decision to close for good was reluctantly accepted by the staff, but with the governor’s executive order for “Stay Home, Stay Safe” and the clarification that library materials are not considered essential (as hard as that is to believe!), the decision was taken out of Starr LaTronica’s hands.

Everyone is still working from home on projects and preparing as best they can for reopening. Staff have had their library extensions forwarded to their homes so they can still answer calls.

The Children’s Librarians are assisting with resources for homeschooling. They are also getting ready for the Summer Reading Program and preparing pieces for online components in case they are needed.

Jeanne Walsh is still fielding reference questions and working on a database of agencies and organizations that can help connect individuals with resources they may need to access.

Courtney Carey has helped to set up a site for people to get library cards online and is posting lots of links and websites on the library and the Friends Facebook pages as well as the library website. She and Jeanne are also ordering new downloadable audio books.

Matt Wojcik was instrumental in helping all the Town departments set up their systems to work from home. He is also working with Starr, Jeanne and Chloe Liotta-Jones on the new library website.

Some of the library clerks have been using this time to work on projects, learn new languages and study databases to better help patrons when the library reopens. Professional development is such a wonderful opportunity and paramount to all these activities.

Starr also shifted a large chunk of the budget toward ebooks, downloadable audio and Kanopy, knowing that online media would be heavily accessed during this time. This addition to the Friends allocation for Kanopy allowed for extra viewings per month.

The library also sent laptops to Groundworks and Turning Point.

If you need to access wi-fi and are having difficulty at home, you can park in front of the library and connect to the library website.

If you haven’t done so already, please check out the library website for current news and information.

The Friends are still holding monthly meetings, albeit with voice conferencing, but we are trying to plan for the future.

Obviously, our spring fundraisers, both the Dessert Night and the Book Sale, had to be cancelled. We are looking to the future for possible rescheduling.

When the library reopens, we will be volunteering with the staff in any way we can to help get things up and running smoothly.

If you have been enjoying both Kanopy and Acorn during this time, services which the Friends primarily fund, and have not yet become a Friend, please consider joining if you are able. Like everyone else, our budget is likely to take a hit this year, and funding of some of the programs we support now may have to be curtailed. It has become so apparent during this time that digital media is not simply a luxury but a lifeline for any number of reasons.

Both the library staff and the Friends are looking forward to the day when we can once again meet at the library, but until then, stay safe.