December, 2020
Share a success story from your library’s shift online in response to the pandemic in the spring. How did your library change when campuses went online in the spring of 2020?
- As part of the VCCS, we trained all our staff in using LibAnswers, the SpringShare chat. This gave our students a single point on contact and we could assist them with library/research questions or direct them to the correct office on campus if they had a question that was outside of the library. This was especially helpful in getting students laptops that they needed to complete their classwork online. Students who asked about them were given the information on what to do and their request was put in the system. They were then contacted to come pick up the laptop.
What are you most proud of in your library’s response to the rapid shift to online services?
- Our laptop lending program. We were able to work with our IT to get all available laptops ready to check out to students. We became laptop central for our students.
What is a creative solution your library staff came up with to meet users’ needs in this environment?
- Our Lead Instruction Librarian was able to work closely with the faculty and worked out a way to record synchronous library instruction sessions via Zoom. Students in the classes could then access those recordings to view the lessons if they were not able to attend the session. They could also review the classes if they forgot something that was taught. Faculty were happy with the results and this is something we feel can continue when the pandemic ends.
How did VIVA, either through resources or its collaborative network, support your community during the emergency switch to online learning?
- The VIVA databases were important for our students. The availability of those online resources made it easier for our students to access the content they needed for their classes.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your library’s experience supporting and/or collaborating with your campus community in the spring?
- Flexibility is the key! We worked with the students and their schedules and were able to come up with solutions that helped our students be successful.
