Chapter 8: Blount County Public Library's Response to COVID-19: A Library Director's Pandemic Story

This chapter presents a COVID-19 case study from the perspective of a library director’s workplace dynamics during the COVID-19 response implemented by the Blount County Public Library (BCPL) in Maryville, Tennessee, US. Prior to COVID-19, the BCPL had a robust program offering extensive use of the library’s resources and spaces. When the library shutdown in mid-March 2020 in response to the global COVID lockdown, staff continued to provide services to the public via online resources and curbside delivery of library materials. The library reopened to the public in July 2020 with extreme spatial protocols addressing staff and visitor safety. This case study looks at the COVID-driven changes and their impacts on the library staff, the library board, and the community at large, as well as evaluates the resulting permanent changes occurring due to deficits in funding, staffing levels, and the restructuring of library board procedures for handling library staff and working with the library director. This work reflects on the mental and behavioral responses to these issues and their impact on the operation of a public library during the pandemic.