CONWAY — The Field Memorial Library received a $3,000 grant from the American Library Association, which will be used to help residents develop perspectives on the pandemic.
The grant, which was given to 300 libraries across the country, will be used by the Field Memorial Library to extend its “Perspective on the Pandemic” project, host a community conversation on Tuesday and sponsor a concert by local musicians in October.
Library Director David Whittier said the grant is a chance for residents to get involved with the library as everyone grapples with the still-unfolding pandemic.
“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” Whittier said. “This grant will allow our library to get to know our residents better and help ease the stress and heartache they have felt because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The American Library Association grant comes from its “Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries” program, which provides funding for libraries to “tackle issues ranging from media literacy to COVID-19 safety to unemployment.” According to the association’s website, the program is a commitment to “preparing library workers for the expanding role of libraries” in the 21st century.
Library staff will host a Zoom conversation Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss community pandemic experiences. Those interested in attending the conversation should email Whittier at director@fieldmemorialibrary.org or visit fieldmemoriallibrary.org.
Whittier said the conversation will be a chance for people to talk about the ways their lives were disrupted by the pandemic and how they managed to cope with the new-found stresses of lockdown and fear of a spreading virus.
“I tried to frame the conversation to bring out examples of what people have experienced with disruption, loss and heartache, and to gain perspective on that,” Whittier said, “by also bringing out what people have experienced in terms of coping, in terms of silver linings and in terms of gratitude.”
Topics expected to be discussed during the conversation include the disruption of people’s routines, dealing with increased screen time while being at home, and the loss so many people have experienced.
“The hardest place to go is the sickness and death part,” Whittier said. “We’ll see how that plays out. I don’t want to spend a lot of time there.”
Although difficult conversations may arise, Whittier said talking about these matters can help people cope with their emotions.
“Sharing can gain perspective,” he said, “and sharing can also have some possibility of reducing the tension and the stress that people have felt during the pandemic.”
The “Perspective on the Pandemic” project was the library’s spring community read of “Station Eleven,” a 2014 novel written by Emily St. John Mandel about a fictional pandemic that devastated the world’s population. The reading program, along with the conversation and concerts, is designed to “foster this perspective through sharing our experiences and to better understand ourselves and the times in which we live,” according the library’s website.
Whittier said he hopes the collection of books he’s put together can help people gain perspective on the pandemic and create a sense of “gratitude” for the services and technology available, especially when compared to the pandemics of history.
“You realize how many advantages we have today that people would have given anything to have in those times,” he said. “I’ve been trying to cultivate that (realization).”
As for the concert, Whittier said the concert and conversation is being put together for community engagement, but he is “still on the fence” when it comes to hosting it in person or virtually. The current plan is to host a live performance that will be broadcast virtually for those who cannot attend. Vaccinations and masks will be required.
“This is definitely a service-oriented activity,” Whittier said. “I’m feeling a little encouraged we’ll be able to follow the plan on Oct. 2.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.