Meeting New Needs

Whether he’s helping community members impacted by wildfires or creating a storywalk and drive-thru storytime during quarantine, County Librarian Todd Deck takes his cues from Tehama County Library (TCL) patrons’ needs. “Connecting with the community is a foundational tool in being a catalyst for positive change,” says Deck.

His 2017–20 involvement in the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)/Association for Rural and Small Libraries’ (ARSL) Future Ready with the Library project, which provides support for middle schoolers in small, rural, and tribal libraries, encouraged him to search out unmet community needs. After the 2018 California wildfires displaced thousands, “What struck me when talking with people who had lost everything was the gratitude they expressed for being OK,” he says. “The only remorse expressed
by evacuees was a sadness over losing family memorabilia.”

With that in mind, Deck developed the Retro Tech Lab, funded by the California State Library. TCL purchased equipment for patrons to digitize their home movies, family photos, and more, and Deck trained in digital preservation at the Washington, DC–based Memory Lab Network. “They’re learning new skills but also feel empowered that they’re preserving their family history for future generations,” Deck says.

When the pandemic presented a new set of needs, Deck partnered with a local business and probation program to build frames for a storywalk for safe outdoor activities, as well as implementing a drive-thru storytime, a TCL radio station, and a drive-in Mario Kart Tournament. “The pandemic has made us all throw away the rule book. I am passionate about being part of a community of librarians who will be writing a new one,” Deck says.