This week has been an incredible experience for our young company. If you recall, Hiveclass was established in May 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team is spread out across the country from the East to West coast, and we’ve been working remotely, diligently, for the past two years.
On March 23rd of 2022, we attended our first national conference with the Public Library Association – the first time meeting many of our fellow team members in person. Falling into a natural rhythm with ease, we conquered Portland by introducing Hiveclass to hundreds of librarians and libraries from all over.
Libraries are an important part of every community – they exist to serve. And just like the rest of the world, libraries had to pivot during the pandemic in order to continue serving their patrons. Librarians had to get creative and were tasked with new responsibilities like putting together craft bags and setting up virtual art programs for kids, all the while keeping the community safe by providing resources and information on COVID-19 protocols and testing, organizing drive-up book pick-ups and drop-offs, etc. The list goes on, reminding all of us once again that libraries and library professionals are the very pillars of community in its truest meaning. Throughout history, they’ve designated and cultivated a safe place where people can go to connect and learn. It’s exactly this kind of space that makes Hiveclass a natural fit for these institutions. Why? Because we aim to provide access to quality youth sports training for kids and their families at no cost. Because we are jointly aligned in providing opportunities for the community to connect and learn.
Producing and executing programming that is engaging for children is no easy feat, a challenge faced by many librarians across the country. With limited space and resources, these individuals are consistently tapping into their creative minds to create and deliver programs for families to access for free. This is a struggle that’s well understood by our team, which is why we created a free Library Programming Guide for libraries to utilize. As a company, we are partnering with librarians to provide solutions and support. To the librarians of the nation: we see and hear you.
To sum up our entire PLA experience, we’re grateful for the opportunity to present at our booth and introduce Hiveclass to this community of hardworking and dedicated individuals. We met some incredible people, connected with other brands and companies, and had meaningful conversations about our joint missions. Thank you to everyone who welcomed us with open arms, and we look forward to continuing to nurture and grow the relationships we built.