National Library of Israel hits COVID-19 back with multi-lingual content

• Author: JERUSALEM POST STAFF
• Published date: 17 January 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The first was to create a series of instructional online videos teaching users how to access the roughly one million digital items it has, so scholars may continue with their work at home via the library staff, who can be communicated with online.

The second was to invest in a "pocket library," a series of audio books meant to help children and young adults have access to the imaginative works of fiction created by the country's finest writers.

For the periods between lockdowns, when people could visit the library to read and study, an online space reservation system was created to ensure each person could work in her or his own capsule, and funds were invested to disinfect surfaces and create safe work spaces.

With an eye out to help families who now spend a great deal of time at home, educational content was created and shared online in Hebrew, English, French and Arabic.

Virtual escape rooms with riddles and games (prizes included) were offered as part of an annual program for Arab speaking youth.

Formally, only 100 young people from the capital could be hosted, but seeing as digital programs are much more flexible, 2020 marked the first time the program was offered in a variety of locations and able to reach hundreds of kids.

A "Reading...