Libraries Are Dealing With New Demand For Books And Services During The Pandemic
Across the country, libraries have seen demand for e-books skyrocket as people try to entertain themselves during lockdown. But they're also dealing with complicated questions around reopening.
If you find yourself scrambling for a good novel to escape the novel coronavirus, you're not alone. Across the country, libraries have seen demand skyrocket for their electronic offerings, but librarians say they continue to worry about the digital divide and equality in access â not to mention the complicated questions that must be answered before they can reopen for physical lending.
"Since the library closed on March 16, we've had about seven thousand people register for library cards," says Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Executive Director for the District of Columbia Public Libraries. "We've had over 300,000 books borrowed since mid-March, which is astounding considering that our collections are limited."
By the library's accounting, that's
