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How a Virginia library is helping working-from-home moms

Libraries provide space for mothers who work from home


Virginia libraries provide space for mothers who work from home

01:36

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new era of remote work, and while the shift has been a blessing for millions of people, it brings its own unique set of challenges. For example, working mothers often find themselves juggling the double responsibilities of their jobs and child care.

The Fairfield Area Public Library near Richmond, Virginia, offers a special place for parents of young children.

“It’s impossible at home,” kindergarten teacher T’keiah Woodson told CBS News. “Here, I can turn my head for a second, finish papers, answer emails and run errands without worrying about her creeping up.”

Woodson said the library’s designated area for working parents makes things “much, much easier. And they’re close enough that I can get there, but I can still do what I need to do on the computer.”

The space is called Work and Play Station – the brainchild of two working mothers.

“I would see moms and dads and caregivers struggle when they needed to do an adult task on an adult computer and they had a small task,” said Barbara Weidman, director of the Henrico County Public Libraries, along with Fairfield Area Libraries.

When the library opened four years ago, the photos quickly went viral.

“It touches me. It really does,” Widman said. “And I think the reason it resonates so deeply is because it visually shows people that we already care.”

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Jan Crawford

Jan Crawford

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