Book a librarian in your lounge
A new service has been launched for those lamenting the loss of their local library — called Librarian in your Lounge.
The 30-minute phone sessions are being offered by the Christchurch City Council after it was forced to close its 19 libraries when alert level four commenced.
There are 316 frontline staff in the city’s libraries and the free service means librarians are available to offer guidance on a range of matters.
The sessions are offered in English, te reo Ma¯ ori and Mandarin and the initiative has proven so successful it could be offered once the lockdown measures are relaxed.
Head of libraries and information Carolyn Robertson said the council is delighted with the initial response to the service.
‘‘We’re mindful that residents will wish to access services remotely so at this stage we plan on carrying this service through to level two.’’
Shanelle Temaru-Ilalio, team leader at the Libraries Fingertip Unit, said staff have already helped students with school work, people researching local history, and those learning languages.
‘‘With the lockdown happening and the libraries closing, it gave us an opportunity to think about how we deliver our services and there was a real desire to stay connected with the community,’’ she said.
‘‘Libraries are so much more than just books. There are people who go into their local library everyday so it has had a huge impact.’’
She said people can book a session online and will then be contacted by phone by a librarian with the specific expertise needed.
‘‘We get lots of inquiries around e-resources, but we have also helped people with their CVs or with tech-support,’’ Temaru-Ilalio said.
‘‘It was just a matter of collating all of our librarians together to continue working with the community in the comfort of their own lounge. It’s definitely a service that we would like to sustain.’’
Among the service users is Liz Fletcher, 65, who received a software tutorial, so she can create designs for the laser cutter at Tu¯ ranga in central Christchurch.
She said she used the machine before the lockdown came into effect and was keen to continue.
‘‘I started to experiment with using the laser cutter; I made my sister a pair of earrings,’’ she said.
‘‘The staff were really helpful and explained all the programmes you could use, so I could set things up at home and make a few more things.’’