“Documenting Today for Tomorrow: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Three Libraries and Their Covid-19 Collecting”

• Free
• History

As New Yorkers grapple with the current global pandemic, this program looks at how organizations like Brooklyn Historical Society, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library/Queens College Library are working to document a historic moment in real time. All three institutions are actively soliciting materials that describe the lived experiences of New Yorkers during Covid-19, from oral history interviews, to photographs, journals, lesson plans and grocery lists. The program will have four parts: a discussion facilitated by BHS President and CEO Deborah Schwartz on the essential obligation of institutions like BHS, BPL, and QPL/QCL to preserve and document history; a presentation sharing highlights of materials BHS, BPL, and QPL/QCL have already added to their Covid-19 collections including audio, video, poems, and photographs; a brief discussion that guides the audience on how to think about what to contribute and shares specifics on how to do so for each institution; and a final Q&A where participants can ask presenters specific questions.