Bridging the Social Distance
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, N.C.
Innovation Synopsis
A new virtual library program for adults titled "Bridging the Social Distance: A Community Conversation" was launched in order to provide a weekly time for adults to connect with a library staff member and each other. This program addressed social isolation in a safe and supportive environment.
Challenge/Opportunity
As businesses began to close, workplaces were moving to work from home models and adults were isolated from family members, social isolation became a serious concern. Older adults in particular were isolated from existing social connections and life changed overnight. The Bridging the Social Distance program provided a weekly option for connection and conversation with a group of adults around a selected topic, facilitated by a library staff member.
Key Elements of Innovation
Tonya Lewis, Adult Services Librarian at our Sugar Creek Branch Library, was concerned about adults without support networks in place during COVID-19 and wanted to provide a way for adults to connect in a low-stress environment. She developed the program to be a series and helped connect many adults in Mecklenburg County.
Achieved Outcomes
This program ran for 12 weeks over Zoom and served 27 adults. Several attendees expressed the impact the program had on them during a very difficult time — one attendee went so far as to say the program "felt like home."