Library Services: Adapting to COVID19

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This survey has concluded and the results are available in the document library. 

The world has changed immensely over the past few months and Fremantle Library, like so many other places, has adapted its services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We saw an increase in members using e-resources, new members joined, and we expanded our home delivery of books, DVDs and audiobooks to homes across the Fremantle and East Fremantle Local Government areas. While we were unable to see members in person while the library was closed, we loved connecting with you online, over the phone and at the doorstep!

Many people rely on our library services for education, entertainment and connection to their local community. As we restart our services and programs, we’d like to understand whether COVID-19 has changed your needs and expectations. This will help us continue offering innovative ways to deliver library services as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

We'd like to hear from both library members and non-members. Please tell us more below by Sunday 16 August 2020. You can also complete a survey at the Fremantle Library (Fremantle Oval) if you prefer.


The world has changed immensely over the past few months and Fremantle Library, like so many other places, has adapted its services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We saw an increase in members using e-resources, new members joined, and we expanded our home delivery of books, DVDs and audiobooks to homes across the Fremantle and East Fremantle Local Government areas. While we were unable to see members in person while the library was closed, we loved connecting with you online, over the phone and at the doorstep!

Many people rely on our library services for education, entertainment and connection to their local community. As we restart our services and programs, we’d like to understand whether COVID-19 has changed your needs and expectations. This will help us continue offering innovative ways to deliver library services as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

We'd like to hear from both library members and non-members. Please tell us more below by Sunday 16 August 2020. You can also complete a survey at the Fremantle Library (Fremantle Oval) if you prefer.


This survey has concluded and the results are available in the document library. 

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  • Survey compiled

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    Thank you to everyone who contributed to our COVID-19 library services survey. We received 88 responses.

    Key findings

    A few of the key findings were:

    • During lockdown people most missed the general experience of visiting the library spaces and the community connection this provided, the ability to browse casually, and the expertise of library staff.

    • What users want from the library has not changed, or only changed temporarily, as a result of the pandemic.

    • Nearly 40% have never used the library’s digital or outbound services.

    • Almost all respondents who used in-person services / experiences before the pandemic have returned to this since the library reopened.

    • Most respondents (86%) don’t have pandemic health related concerns about accessing services or programs in person.

    You can find the full details in the survey report which is now available in the document library or by clicking here.

    Next steps

    It has been valuable to hear from the community that while their needs were and will be different while COVID-19 remains a part of our reality, the effect on library usage is largely considered temporary. For library operations this means that our high-quality customer service and programming should continue to meet the needs of the community into the future.

    However, COVID-19 has made it clear that the library is able to do more. While we provide people with internet access and computers, many people in the community need much more support in order to learn to use these successfully, so a key focus for us will be to address the digital divide more broadly. We can also increase access to the library and Fremantle History Centre collections through programs, exhibitions and online, ensuring that information and knowledge can be discovered and used by the public.

    Read more.