Now that SLP is winding down, many of us are continuing on the COVID-19 roller coaster of uncertainty as we navigate our service and program plans for fall. Will our local schools be starting in person classes or online - or some combination of both? Will parents be considering homeschooling their children? And what does any of this mean in terms of our programming as we look ahead to autumn.
For libraries who have been able to offer outside challenges or do programs outside, how do cooler weather and earlier darkness play into planning? We know many families feel overwhelmed by virtual options and these types of programs offered a welcome respite. But WI is WI and we know what is coming.
Will our school partners be overwhelmed or is it possible that there is some cooperative plans we can make with our school colleagues? Can we create mutually beneficial grab-and-go activities to distribute at the schools to help take some of the burden off our teaching peers and still connect to kids?
And how much bandwidth do you have going forward knowing that we are in for a long haul of upheaval yet in this pandemic? How do we continue to take care of ourselves when we may feel isolated and, frankly, burned out.
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This post clearly doesn't have answers to alot of these questions. But we do have resources to help you start thinking about which way you might want to go while also taking care of you. School decisions are local, but the DPI's Education Forward: Reopening WI Schools is helpful to understand what schools may be looking at. Refreshing yourself with the constantly updated DPI WI Public Libraries Reopening Guide can help you with your programming planning.
DPI also has a webpage of resources to help families doing homeschooling and this is a resource that can be helpful to library staff as well. Abby the Librarian recently posted an excellent list of recommended homeschooling books and resources for libraries. These resources can help you navigate questions from families new to homeschooling.
Finally, in these tumultuous time, when making these decisions not just in our work life but within our own homes sometimes gets overwhelming, DPI and WI library system staff have pulled together some incredible resources to help you cope with stress and mental health issues. This is a much needed list.
Re-Opening Issues YSS blog COVID-19 series:
WI
Library Reopening Guide Addendum 4/6/21
The Mask Ask –
Strategies for Cooperation 11/15/20
You Are not Alone
– Coping with Your New Library Life 9/19/20
Decisions,
Decisions – Thinking About Fall, School and Your Library 8/5/20
Back to School
Considerations and Tips for Libraries 8/15/20
We’re Re-opening –
You’ve Got This! 7/15/20
We’re Re-opening –
Should We Do In-Person Programming This Fall? 7/9/20
We’re Re-opening –
Wisconsin Public Libraries Reopening Guide 6/4/20
We’re Re-opening –
Coping with Reluctant Patrons and Programming 6/3/20
We’re Re-Opening – Cleaning and Disinfecting Youth Areas 5/13/20
COVID-19 and Libraries: Your Questions Answered with Dr. Dipesh Navsaria (webinar) 5/19/20
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