When the State of Florida unemployment benefit website became nearly inaccessible during the pandemic, MDPLS stepped in to assist residents by setting up drive-thru operations at our libraries to distribute and collect printed copies of unemployment benefits and food assistance applications and expedited them to the appropriate agencies. Libraries provided this service while fulfilling a critical need for residents, many of whom had recently become unemployed and were already stressed and in despair.

Working together with the DEO and the Florida Department of Children and Families, initially 26 MDPLS branches were repurposed as drive-thru distribution and collection points for applications. Each evening completed reemployment applications, including applications returned in branch book drops, were transported to CareerSource South Florida Centers where they were then overnighted to the DOE. When all MDPLS branches reopened to the public on June 8, the forms were made available at all 50 MDPLS library locations.

Miami-Dade Public Library System continues to provide reemployment and various additional economic assistance applications. As of September 10, 2020, MDPLS has distributed almost 119,000 reemployment applications. Additionally, over 23,000 SNAP applications have been distributed. This initiative has been successful in meeting the needs of residents throughout Miami-Dade County, and forms distribution and collection might possibly become a standard service offering in public libraries throughout the pandemic and beyond.