The need for developing virtual programming was almost immediate.

• We needed a mechanism to stay in contact with patrons and let them know we were still here serving the community even though branches were closed to the public.
• We needed to provide children whose schools were suddenly closed with a sense of normalcy through virtual storytimes and learning activities.
• We needed to provide a unifying event during a challenging time, hence our totally virtual SRC that featured our first-ever community read challenge.

We took to our website and social media to promote and present diverse programs for all ages.

• In order to replicate the hands-on experience of in-person craft and art programs, we created craft kits with supplies which could be picked up from the library curbside prior to the event so patrons could follow along with the virtual program.
• The virtual SRC challenged our community to read for 500,000 minutes. Patrons were able to checkout materials using curbside pickup and keep track through the Beanstack platform.

Staff created high quality virtual programs, both pre-recorded and VIA livestream. We offered a total of 183 programs with a viewing audience totaling 16,026, and saw a 69% increase in program attendance. A total of 769 citizens signed up for SRC and logged 525,828 minutes of reading — no small feat considering the short turnaround time staff had to plan and execute the annual reading event.