Chapter 6: Equipping Librarians for Programming During and Post-Pandemic: A Turning Point for The Free Library of Philadelphia

This descriptive case study offers an overview of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s (Pennsylvania, USA) response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its challenges. The study details how staff at the Free Library pivoted to create and deliver virtual programs during the pandemic. The timing of that pivot invoked successes and challenges to determine how the Free Library could remain flexible and relevant post-pandemic. The chapter briefly examines how library administrators attempted to address the needs of their racially diverse staff in an equitable and inclusive way in light of increased racial tensions that arose in Philadelphia during the pandemic. The chapter also notes a few of the Free Library’s best efforts to equip front-line librarians to be aspirational, creative, and, at times, grassroots in how they served the public during and beyond the pandemic. Finally, this descriptive case study will share some of the Free Library’s lessons learned and best practices developed during the pandemic.