Public librarians are the latest pandemic 'frontline workers,' dispensing masks and coronavirus tests

"As public libraries across the nation begin handing out Covid-19 testing kits and N95 masks, librarians have become the latest frontline workers,"Andrew Claudio reports for Route Fifty.

Libraries enjoy a unique position of public trust, Public Library Association Melanie Huggins told Claudio: "Libraries are one of the most-trusted entities and organizations in communities since we're accessible, friendly, welcoming and all the things that you would want people to be during this crisis. ... I think that it is a positive thing, and people are noticing how critical libraries are to responding to crises."

Public libraries have long been a major resource in rural communities, and during the pandemic many have stepped up to facilitate telehealth in areas where many don't have broadband access. So perhaps it was only natural that many have begun handing out coronavirus testing kits and masks.

"Although passing out at-home tests in libraries has caused some librarians to be overwhelmed with the added workload, Huggins said libraries are willing-and-able partners to combat crises in communities, and they are doing the best they can under the circumstances," Claudio reports.