Prince George's County was hard-hit by COVID-19 in 2020, with the highest caseload of any county in Maryland. The library was faced with an extended closure of buildings and reliance on virtual content to continue to support customers and especially families faced with adjusting to online learning. Three major challenges the community faced that the library could address were internet access, virtual content for education and enrichment; and trusted resources regarding the concurrent economic, racial and health crises.

PGCMLS offered a wide array of virtual programs and outreach initiatives to sustain and grow customer engagement during the pandemic. Virtual programs included guided meditation and yoga for kids, Spanish language community conversations, ASL read-alouds, career programs for teens, author visits and civic engagement events. New partnerships with DC United and Washington Nationals promoted literacy and wellness to families (English and Spanish). Drive-up WiFi, mobile hotspot and COVID-19 relief resources were expanded.

The library emerged through COVID-19 as a stronger pillar of the community, as evidenced by program viewership, social reach and growing as a trusted partner for county agencies. PGCMLS has presented 700 self-produced virtual programs since closing on March 16, 2020, after previously having no live virtual programs. Over 302,000 viewers have watched PGCMLS programs live during the pandemic, with many more watching on demand. Social followership has grown by 84% and local agencies depend on PGCMLS for info sharing.