The Opioid Crisis and Canadian Public Libraries: Before and During COVID-19

Abstract

This pilot study examines the impact of COVID-19 and the opioid crisis on Canadian public libraries. Views on these issues were gathered using a mixed methods process including a survey of Canadian library workers and interviews with library management. Survey data was tabulated, interviews were manually transcribed, and open-ended survey questions and interview responses were manually coded to identify general themes related to topics such as naloxone, training, programming, staff resiliency and the impact of COVID-19. This research brings attention to the impact of external forces such as government and insurance providers in responding to a health crisis. Communication between frontline staff and management, relationship building between library staff and vulnerable library users, and changes in training and hiring practices may enable libraries to better serve community members. Further research will need to be done to draw direct correlations between the responses of frontline staff and management about this topic.