x Introduction Both academic and public libraries struggled to connect with their com- munities, and most took this as an opportunity to develop virtual program- ming options to promote various services and resources. In the chapter “Data: How Do You Drink from a Waterfall?,” we get a global perspective in which the authors discuss open educational resources (OER) and data from Latin American repositories as a potential solution for integrating and democratizing access to health knowledge for professionals. “Finding New Ways to Support Social Connections for Older Adults: Rural Public Librar- ies Innovate during the Pandemic” provides information to public librarians and anyone working with older adults about the innovations rural librari- ans pioneered as they sought to support social connectedness for the elderly, as well as the implications of these experiments for public library services going forward. The chapter “Maintaining Comics and Gaming Program- ming during Institutional Change” delineates how the university library explored creative alternative solutions to gaming services and pop culture events in response to COVID-19 with the closure of the library. This chapter also shows how the experience provided insights into establishing a sustain- able game library collection while maintaining relationships remotely with various stakeholders. The recent pandemic changed all of society and induced a definite shift in the collective mindset. Libraries are vital services that help with a diverse set of information literacy needs, and they encountered many different chal- lenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But ultimately, librarians are adaptable and flexible, and this book was created to showcase the resiliency of educators and librarians during the global crisis. The editors wanted to show a wide range of perspectives on how online learning has changed and grown over the last couple years, with a focus on what services and resources are here to stay for libraries across the globe. We hope that readers can con- nect the many lessons learned in these chapters to some part of their job or life, no matter what library they come from or are heading to, and find their own sustainable path forward in this brave new world.
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