The pandemic closure meant an abrupt disruption to in-person programming, including the library’s very successful Ready, Set, School! program, which had been offered at multiple branches. Pivoting quickly, we launched Ready, Set, School! on Facebook Live within one month of closure. Virtual storytimes were aplenty in our community, but we recognized the importance of providing more in-depth learning opportunities so kids wouldn’t fall behind during such unprecedented times.

The online platform gives participants the opportunity to interact with a commenter in real-time. Offering the program in English and Spanish allows the library to reach a more diverse community and provide equitable access to essential programming. We also provide a caregiver packet featuring resources, activity suggestions, six free books and a free mask. This outreach step reinforces the adult’s engagement with the library, but also helps build their confidence in teaching and playing with their children at home.

We are in the third session of Ready, Set, School! on Facebook Live. We have 24 episodes of English videos and 18 episodes of Spanish videos. The first English session conducted on Facebook Live currently has more than 17,000 accumulated views and the Spanish session has more than 24,000! Comments, too, are high: on average, 92 on English videos and 41 on Spanish. Anecdotally, we’ve heard that children request to rewatch episodes and that parents revisit lessons, which demonstrates the need for this type of programming.