Oral history interview with Sharon Ellingwood-​White

Oral history interview with Sharon Ellingwood-​White

Former library director Sharon Ellingwood-​White discusses policy changes made at the Alice M. Ward Memorial Library in Canann, Vermont, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes how the library's offerings were adjusted to incorporate curbside pick-up, outdoor programming, an online book club, and free Wi-Fi, fax, and copying services. In particular, she highlights the library's eventual role as a hub for helping people use the ArriveCAN app to cross the border into Canada. She also talks about her advocacy surrounding vaccines during the rollout and explains some of the challenges for a community that is very rural and close to multiple borders, both in terms of medical care and everyday activities like shopping or visiting relatives. She briefly touches on Canaan's stance on masks in schools and her family's experiences during the pandemic.

Sharon Ellingwood-​White of Lemington, Vermont, was library director at the Alice M. Ward Memorial Library in Canaan, Vermont, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She grew up up in Essex County, Vermont, and completed her bachelor's degree at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. At the date of this interview in 2024, she was employed as a grant specialist for the State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources in the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-251676-OMS-22.

2024-03-20

Collecting COVID-19: A Vermont Story Project

AudioFileCOVID-023

MP3

WAV

Audio file

Permission to publish material from the Collecting COVID-19: A Vermont Story Project may be obtained from the Vermont Historical Society.

Wingerson, Amber

Ellingwood-​White, Sharon

47 min., 52 sec.

Vermont Historical Society Library, 60 Washington Street, Barre, VT 05641-4215