The following interview was included in an April 2020 edition of Durham County Government’s News You Can Use (NYCU) weekly newsletter and features Patrick Holt, Adult Services Librarian at Southwest Regional Library.

NYCU: Durham County is managing COVID-19 and remnants of the cyber malware attack. Has one impacted your position more than the other?

Patrick: The malware attack felt catastrophic at first, but between finding some workarounds and the literal catastrophe that COVID turned out to be, the effects of the malware attack ended up serving as a kind of dry run for how we’d be trying to operate a week later.

NYCU: What has your role been with navigating COVID-19 or the cyber malware attack?

Patrick: Since March 23, I’ve been one of a handful of library employees assisting Public Health with screening clients and staff before entering the Human Services building. Our team makes sure anyone who goes inside isn’t putting anyone else at risk, as much as we can determine that through guidelines from the CDC and other organizations.

I’ve also been helping Library Webmaster Sarah Dooley revise our online presence to reflect the state of the world, finding new ways to support the cartoonists of the Triangle Comics Creator Network, and working on a few digital programming ideas.

NYCU: What should your fellow employees know about the role you are playing?

Patrick: First, that we’re safe — that’s everyone’s first question (including mine, when we started), and Public Health is keeping us masked and gloved and goggled to the nines — and second, that in many ways, being a librarian prepared me perfectly for this new assignment because of the similarities to working at the reference and circulation desks. Boiled down, they’re both about figuring out what someone needs, understanding if we’re in a position to help, and finding an alternative if not, all while being as empathetic as possible about the reason for the need and what it means to them that we can or can’t help. At first, I was honestly scared and confused to go against the expert advice to stay isolated, but it didn’t take long to feel safe and secure, and now I’m glad that I can contribute to this new, necessary effort.

NYCU: What have you learned about your employer or yourself through this process?

Patrick: I already knew, if superficially, how good I have it in our society — a middle-class white man with a strong support system, education, good health, and economic opportunities — but seeing how quickly everything can fall apart for so many people puts it in sharp relief just how fortunate I am. My employer is a big part of that: the fact that I’m still employed (and with generous benefits) when so many other jobs have suddenly disappeared makes me very grateful and demonstrates just how important all our county services are.

NYCU: How do you destress/keep yourself positive through all of these changes?

Patrick: We have to acknowledge how much we’re all hurting in our different ways, and I can’t pretend I’m any different. I’m making more art and having fun watching old TV shows, and that’s good, but the most important thing I’m doing is communicating with my loved ones about how I feel and how they feel and how much we care about each other.

NYCU: What is the first thing you plan to do after making it through COVID-19 or the cyber malware attack, and why?

Patrick: I’m very eager to get rid of these masks so that strangers know I’m smiling at them!

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