I think many of us will agree on the value of libraries. We’ll have memories of summer reading clubs facilitated by our local library, or the (rare) feeling of freedom you had as a child: a place where you were encouraged to roam free. As Rita Dove says, “libraries are where it all begins.”
So, when I saw
this tweet about librarians doing contact tracing, Covid-19 testing and distributing lunches for kids – I wasn’t
surprised, I was reminded. Libraries bring resources: from books, computers and librarians, to a free space to sit for an hour or two. In most cases, they’re accessible and trusted. Let’s consider how libraries may shape our co-design approaches.