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This dissertation explores improvisation and adaptation in public libraries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world shut down in mid-March of 2020 to slow the spread of the virus, library workers adapted to continue providing programs and services to their patrons. Public libraries have increasingly taken on growing support roles for people in chronic crises and challenging circumstances, making their work particularly important as these patrons were likely to feel the pandemic restrictions more harshly.
This work uses semi-structured interviews with 31 library workers and administrators from the public library system in Delaware to investigate how staff at different locations, with different experiences, and with distinct responsibilities decided on and implemented changes to their routines. It builds on existing literature on social infrastructure and improvisation in disasters and applies Wachtendorf’s improvisation framework (2004) to understand library staff’s decisions and actions in the pandemic process. Additionally, analysis of libraries’ social media communications, governmental documents, and media accounts allows for a comprehensive picture of library work during COVID-19.
Findings show that library workers displayed a range of improvisational behaviors and different degrees of flexibility and originality. Features like communication, experienced staff working alongside new hires (knowledge), open and non-hierarchical exchange of ideas (communication), and an equilibrium between oversight and trust in the local expertise (balance) contributed to a successful pandemic response at the local and state levels. The community aspect of the public library emerged as another crucial feature, as they provide space for human connection and practical support, and are trusted entities that offer stability in a highly chaotic and unsettling time. Analyzing library work through Wachtendorf’s improvisation framework places this study in the tradition of disaster research and demonstrates the applicability of the framework to organizations outside of emergency management. From this research, it is possible to provide specific recommendations for library practice, library studies, disaster research, and emergency management. By understanding the structures that furthered or hindered a successful response to the pandemic, avenues for improved collaboration and thus increased preparedness become clear.