2022 NACo Award nomination Online Community Service Hubs

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL) was forced to close like most other organizations around the country. LCPL staff knew it was essential to assist customers by providing information and services that would help them cope with both isolation and the transition to remote schooling and telework. So LCPL staff applied their expertise of library resources and reached out to schools, local businesses and nonprofits to create two sites: The Online Learning Hub and the Quarantine Survival Kit. The Online Learning Hub catered to the needs of students and educators and with featured sections for elementary school, middle and high school, teachers and educators, and parents and caregivers. The Quarantine Survival Kit focused on overall well-being, with age-appropriate resources for children, teens, and adults. Focus areas included COVID-19 information, physical fitness and stress relief, live virtual assistance for education and career building, and leisure activities. Both sites featured interactive elements that allowed customers to chat with librarians, tutors, and career coaches. Over 20,000 unique customers made use of these focused, high-quality information hubs. The customer feedback for these projects was overwhelmingly positive. And local organizations benefitted from LCPL’s ability to reach a wide audience.