EDITORIAL: LIBRARY CONTINUES EXCELLENCE
The novel coronavirus has done plenty to disrupt lives around the world, from the relatively small inconvenience of not being able to gather in large social settings to the worst of it all — death from COVID-19, which as of Tuesday morning had claimed more than 171,000 lives worldwide, more than 43,000 in the United States and eight in South Dakota.
To say our lives have been interrupted is an understatement.
But there are some things coronavirus can’t stop, and one of those is the strong presence of the Freeman Public Library, even in these challenging times. With it being National Library Week, it’s prudent to take a look at what Freeman Public Library has done for our community, and is continuing to do for our community, in these anxious times living with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remarkably, the public library has had a presence in the Freeman community for more than 80 years, beginning as a community book drive in the late 1930s and opening in 1939 in a small, disheveled building south of what is today Freeman Chiropractic Solutions. Shortly after it opened, the group of citizens behind the effort turned the operation over to the city of Freeman, where it has remained ever since.
The library moved into the east side of City Hall when that building was constructed in 1971 and then returned to Main Street following construction of a brand-new building in 2007.
Throughout its lifespan, the library has grown, adapted and responded to changing times. That, of course, included the expansion of its card catalogue, but also the addition of programming and other community services. When the computer age took off in the 1990s, the library was right there to provide terminals for public use, and when it became apparent that the space in City Hall was much too crowded for the library to effectively serve the public, steps were taken by city officials — and a successful public fundraising effort — that resulted in the construction of the current building.
The move into a new, spacious and beautiful building in 2007 — and, significantly, the hiring of LeAnn Kaufman as the librarian the December before — proved to be a springboard for unprecedented growth and success. A regularly updated website, a free hotspot for wi-fi, an always-expanding platform of online services, a wide variety of programming inside the library and a popular Summer Reading Program are all ways the library has proven its impact goes well beyond the offering of books, periodicals and computers. These services all account for the Freeman Public Library being named one of America’s Star Libraries every year since 2013.
COVID-19 ERA
Even in these challenging times of coronavirus, Freeman Public Library is finding ways to be both relevant and effective. Even though the main building is closed to the public, people can still check out materials online and pick them up in the front breezeway; it’s open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
And while it has rightly suspended all regular programming, it’s finding ways to be creative online. A “Just Like Julia” contest invites patrons to record their best impression of famous chef Julia Child and send it to the library for a public vote on its website, freemanlibrary.org. In conjunction with National Library Week, it’s offering several givaways through its Facebook page. And a one-click link at the bottom of the library website homepage takes the user directly to the state’s Overdrive database, where thousands of titles are available.
And library officials are already talking about what the 2020 Summer Reading Program could look like should health concerns surrounding coronavirus continue.
Freeman Public Library, its librarian, support staff and volunteers who make up the Friends of the Freeman Public Library deserve high praise for the good work that has been done, and is continuing to be done, even in difficult times. If you are unaware of all that the library has to offer, please check out its website, freemanlibrary.org.
Jeremy Waltner, Editor & Publisher
