Hillsborough librarian Diane Herbert shows kids a science exhibit. (Photo courtesy of Somerset County Library System)
The Somerset County Library System of New Jersey (SCLSNJ) encourages Somerset County residents to share their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic with the community through SCLSNJ’s digital community memories archive, Our Lives Today.
With support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), SCLSNJ has created a historical and community memories archive that preserves and showcases Somerset County residents’ lives and memories. These collections include items that residents contributed at the library’s digitization events, art projects from the Somerset County 4-H fair, and more.
“Our Lives Today is meant to represent the lives of our community members in Somerset County, as they are currently,” Rebecca Sandoval, technical services manager, said in a prepared statement. “Many of us have had huge shifts in our lives as we shelter at home, teach our children, and discover the pros and cons of working from home.”
Somerset County residents and library staff have begun sharing images of their workstations at home, photographs of community members moving through daily life while adhering to social distancing standards, and other events capturing today’s new normal.
“The picture I shared for Our Lives Today is representative of the biggest change in my life: homeschooling my 6-year-old son while working remotely,” Sandoval said in the statement. “Our kitchen table is now a workspace for work and school. I have found some peace in doing puzzles to pass the time. I miss seeing the people in my community, but I am learning to enjoy the changes, to be home with my children, and to connect with video calls. I hope others will share their experiences, so we can look back on what this time in our collective lives meant to us individually and as a community.”
Share memories at sclsnj.librariesshare.com/sclsnjmemories.¸
