Arlington’s library director used a Juneteenth event to thank patrons for sticking with the county libraries through the COVID shutdown and the subsequent resumption of service.
“The pandemic years were not kind – frustrating and disappointing and very sad,” Diane Kresh said at the June 23 event, held at Central Library. “People really like to be in conversation about books in the community, and do it in person.”
The library system in March 2020 locked down operations and was, compared to many systems regionally and nationally, slow to come back. Health conditions were first blamed, followed by budget shortages and staffing issues.
Kresh acknowledged during the county government’s budget process of earlier this year that a large chunk of library patrons had not returned, and the system remains in rebuilding mode.
Her goal, she said June 23, was to again “be the kind of community resource we were” before the pandemic struck.
