Share Your Coronavirus Story With The Heights Libraries

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — When the Heights Libraries closed because of the new coronavirus outbreak, the community lost more than its resource for books and movies. Cleveland Heights and University Heights lost gathering spaces, areas where residents could feel a part of something.

While the Heights Libraries have expanded their online resources, Heights Libraries Director Nancy Levin felt residents needed a place for community amid the turmoil of COVID-19. To bring everyone together, the library system is launching "Coping at Home."

Coping at Home is an attempt to capture the experience of Cleveland Heights and University Heights residents during the COVID-19 crisis. Residents are asked to submit their snapshots for compilation. Submissions can be as simple as a stray observation or as complex as a full personal story.

“It’s not always easy to recognize when you’re in a moment in time that will be of historical significance; most of us are just trying to cope, to get through it,” said Levin. “But we are living through a moment that will be in history books, to be sure, and it’s important to capture what life is like for all of us right now.”

The library system has already received submissions about the peculiar nature of shopping in a mask, celebrating family at a distance and the power of music in isolation.

Heights residents can read and share their own stories by visiting the library system's website.