In response to COVID-19 guidance on social distancing, all of the state library system’s 51 locations are closed for the remainder of the month. Also, bookmobile services are suspended. Meanwhile, librarians are working toward ways to help preserve access. That’s particularly heartening for avid readers enrolled in public schools — and their parents — as another week has just been added to the already extended K-12 spring break.

One bright spot: librarieshawaii.org, which is open around the clock, offers various resources including a collection of eBooks and eaudiobooks that features hundreds of titles for kids and teens — and adults, too.

Do your Christmas shopping now

How about a little holiday shopping in March? Yes, that holiday.

For those who are dyed-in-the-wool procrastinators, this home-bound period might be a good time to get your Christmas shopping done, or at least get a start on it. Habitual online shoppers already know, but many local retailers do have some e-commerce going.

Even small businesses who lack a web store probably have gift certificates ready for a quick purchase. Some cash in the till now would help local merchants weathering this coronavirus storm.