The year started off with such promise.
March Madness was just around the corner — University of Kentucky was going to win, of course — and I was already preparing how to watch every single sport of the Summer Olympics. My New Year’s resolution of eating every flavor of ice cream at Zaharakos was full of potential.
Then COVID-19 came along and ruined literally everything. The Kentucky Derby was postponed — and might still be canceled — and the library closed.
So how did I, and the Digital Underground (DU) — the library’s digital creative space — respond? Well, first there was the excitement of being at home.
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For those who don’t know, I’m only two or three steps from being a hermit. I was PUMPED about being home. Then there was the consumption of large quantities of root beer and long hours of video game playing.
Finally, in the midst of the madness, and before I could become one with my couch, I realized there were things I could do. My living room soon filled with DU equipment — 3D printers and filament, computer, audio interface, microphone, headphones, etc.
Library programming transitioned to virtual videos, so the DU changed to a video editing department. With Adobe’s Premiere Pro we were able to edit consistently, and maintain a schedule of programming for all ages.
When the concept of 3D printed ear guards came to our attention, we reached out to the community to see how we could be of service. For weeks, the DU’s two Prusa 3D printers worked almost non-stop to print ear guards for healthcare professionals. Even my non tech-savvy husband learned how to use the printers so he could help.
Between CRH and IUPUC, we donated close to 1,000 ear guards! And if you’ve ever worn a mask with tight bands, you understand how ear- saving they can be.
The library’s new podcast, Random Lines (mybcpl.libsyn.com), also came into fruition during quarantine. The concept is simple enough — Bartholomew County Public Library employees take turns reading random sections from public domain literature then attempt to convince, persuade, tempt, or threaten you into reading the books yourself.
Using public domain literature has multiple benefits. First, and most importantly, it consists of creative works that are no longer under copyright, so we do not get in trouble for broadcasting. Second, since the library was closed, we wanted to find a way to not only entertain you lovely patrons, but also provide digital access to what we were reading.
Everything read on Random Lines is available on the library’s Hoopla, which is accessible with your library card, and on Project Gutenberg’s website. Random Lines can be found on Google Music, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Stefanie Merrifield is the Queen of the Digital Underground at Bartholomew County Public Library and can be reached at smerrifield@mybcpl.org, or 812-379-1294.
