NMRT November Online Discussion: Adapting to a Changing Work Environment

Posted on December 17, 2020 by nmrtsecretary

By Kim Cull

The November discussion focused on a topic that we all face regardless of our profession – changing work environments. Our work environments are often changing and in some type of fluctuation. Generally, we face change because of a change in leadership, a new coworker coming onboard, a change in our own employment status, a change in job responsibilities, or in the case of 2020, a pandemic changing how we offer services and where we do our work. This month, our discussion was focused on ways our jobs may have changed and advice that we would give others on how to adapt and cope with changes at work.

Panta Rhei

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus often argued that life can be summed up as panta rhei, or life is flux. Change is essential to life because nothing is permanent. With that understanding, we need to be prepared for change in all aspects of our lives. Yes, change is difficult and often unexpected, but instead of fighting change, we should embrace it. We cannot stop change from happening, but we can decide how we accept and adapt to that change.

Coping with Change

How can we cope with change and the stress that comes from change? First, it is necessary to identify how we each deal with change on an individual basis. Do you practice avoidance coping which “is a maladaptive form of coping in which a person changes their behavior to avoid thinking about, feeling, or doing difficult things,” or active coping where you address the problem head on? Avoidance coping can be a natural response to any situation, but avoiding the change or problem can just lead to even more stress. So, if you naturally lean towards avoidance coping, try to change your thinking, and come up with ways to address the changes head on.

Good news is there are many ways to deal with change and stress. Are you now working remotely because of the pandemic and feeling unsupported and alone? Maintaining relationships with coworkers and friends is so important during stressful changes. Find new ways to communicate with others outside of traditional in-person meetings. If you are feeling negative in any way, your colleagues may also be feeling the exact same way you are. You can help and support each other. Do not be silent about your needs; ask for help, and then listen to others as they communicate their needs to you.

One of the most important things you can do during any stressful change is to continue or start taking time for yourself. Remember that it is important do something that makes you happy; plus, whatever you are doing has the added benefit of distracting you from whatever is stressing you. Take mental health days if you are feeling mentally or physically unwell. Go for a walk outside and give yourself a needed break from technology. Sometimes, taking five minutes to take in the beauty of nature can really uplift your mood. Speaking of nature, buy yourself another house plant. Who says 10 house plants is too many house plants? Call your local shelter and adopt a furry familiar (best decision I ever made). Bake three dozen cookies or a new pie each week; people love sweets and will gladly eat them with you. Continue with your exercise routine. Take up a new hobby. Just DO something that brings you joy and happiness. You cannot be a productive, happy, and healthy worker if you do not take care of yourself.

Finally, do not forget the reason why you became a librarian or decided to work in your specific field to begin with. Remembering your ‘why’ can help you navigate so many changes because you are reminded of your goals and what is ultimately important to you at the end of the day. Did you become a librarian to help people? Find a new way to hold reference meetings or get materials to patrons. Did you become a librarian because you love working and teaching with primary source materials? Think about how you can teach classes online and bring the materials to people in new ways. The ‘how’ you accomplish your goals may change, but your goals do not have to.

Change is a constant in all our lives, but it does not have to be stressful.

References:

Joshua J. Mark, “Heraclitus of Ephesus,” Ancient History Encyclopedia (Ancient History Encyclopedia, December 1, 2020), https://www.ancient.eu/Heraclitus_of_Ephesos/.

MS Elizabeth Scott, “Why Avoidance Coping Creates Additional Stress,” Verywell Mind, September 17, 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/avoidance-coping-and-stress-4137836.

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Update on Student Loan Payments

Posted on December 14, 2020 by nmrtsecretary

Payments on Federal Student Loans, which have been suspended from March 13, 2020, will resume after January 31st, 2021.  The CARES Act originally provided for payments to be suspended through September 30th, 2020.  All provisions of the act were later extended through December 31st, 2020 by Executive Action, and were extended through January 31st, 2021 by the Secretary of Education. 

If you are in Income Driven Repayment and your family has grown, or your income has gone down since you last made a payment, you can recertify your new income at studentaid.gov and lower your payment before it is due in February.  If your family has not grown and your income has not changed significantly, you need not recertify your income until your IDR plan anniversary in 2021.

If you are not in an IDR plan yet, you may find that applying for one lowers your monthly payment, and can make you eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness on eligible loans for eligible employees of eligible employers.

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NMRT – November Bulletin

Posted on December 11, 2020 by nmrtsecretary
NMRT-Issue-18

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NMRT Looking for Student Voices!

Posted on November 23, 2020 by nmrtsecretary

The NMRT Communication Committee is looking, and our committee sincerely hopes to get more student voices involved and hear about all the things you are working on!

Is a student member presenting? Any fun chapter activities going on, or would you like to highlight any member accomplishments? What are your research interests? Any cool outreach activities you have recently planned or implemented in your practicum or on-site at your job? The Communications Committee would love to hear from you! If your student chapter has anything to share or would like to write a piece to be featured on the NMRT blog.

Please reach out to the Communications Committee member, Josh Rimmer (J. Rimmer84 @ gmail), for more information. The Communications Committee appreciates your consideration, and we hope to be in touch with your student chapter soon! Be well, and stay safe!

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NMRT October Online Discussion: Patrons and the Pandemic

Posted on November 23, 2020 by nmrtsecretary

How we are serving, connecting, and communicating with library patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic

By Lauren Puzier

AuthorBioPhoto
Lauren Puzier is the User Experience Librarian at the UAlbany Libraries. Her research interests include the incorporation of new and emerging technologies in higher education, user-centered and service design, and reference services. Previously, she was the Acting Head Librarian for the New York Library at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

(5-minute read)

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many libraries in the United States to focus on providing remote services and reimagine on-ground services. At the same time, many of our patrons are not or cannot visit us and may not be easy to reach. We are communicating new service methods, protocols for health and safety, new and changing hours, policies, and more. The NMRT November discussion asked the question of how libraries are serving, connecting, and communicating with library patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special Website Content

Members shared that their libraries are reaching out to patrons in a variety of ways, from using social media channels, email communications, website alerts and banners and new signage in the buildings. Alert bars have become a staple on library homepages since March 2020. One member noted that “there’s a link at the top of our website linking to information about using the Libraries during the COVID-19 crisis” (Birkenhauer, 2020). Alert bars may include text or icons and links to dedicated pages about new policies or important changes to library services, events and hours (Pomer, 2020). Alerts bars can be quickly updated as local situations change. They have been commonly applied to websites of all types of institutions and businesses with COVID-19 content. This widespread usage of alert bars helps users visiting the webpage; they can quickly scan the homepage for the alert at the top, where they expect to see it, and quickly locate the important information.

Pages dedicated to COVID-19 specific information are also used by many member libraries. Some libraries are using standalone pages to outline updates and changes or creating sets of static Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help users find answers quickly. These self-service webpages not only help users find important information quickly, but also decrease email volume and phone calls, freeing up staff time for managing other areas of change. (McKendrick, 2013, p. 17).

Social Media

All respondents noted that their libraries were using social media to connect with patrons during the pandemic. Popular platforms include YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. One member’s library used Instagram posts to help make patrons aware of new policies the library had set prior to reopening to the public. 

The sudden move to online learning was a challenge many academic libraries faced over the spring at institutions across the country. While administrations and teaching faculty grappled with mode and digital delivery of courses, library staff had to adjust or create services for newly remote patrons (Gallagher & Palmer, 2020). Educating those new to remote learning about what services a library offers to distance students and how students can access them is a big task. One member noted that their academic library designed “a library crash course on blackboard to show students about our services” (VanDyne, 2020).

Email

Mailing lists are an excellent way to send out communications to library users. Most participants’ libraries used email to communicate to patrons over the spring and summer. A participant shared that their library had their Personal Librarians “email all first year and transfer students weekly and a lot of this year’s content has focused on new services, protocols, etc. during the pandemic” (Birkenhauer, 2020). Personal Librarian Programs help “students to view the librarian as a person that was approachable with whom they can connect on campus” (Henry et al., 2012, p. 399). A consistent email from a personal librarian can be a great way to share important library updates and changes related to the pandemic while helping remote students connect with someone at the library. 

How much email is too much? 

I have noticed open rates on our Personal Librarian emails are not as high as years past. I’m wondering if our students are overwhelmed by email (since almost everything in their lives has gone virtual!) and our messages are just not a priority at this time. (Birkenhauer, 2020) 

With so many people facing the realities of Zoom fatigue, a newly coined phenomenon which Wiederhold (2020) describes as any “tiredness, anxiety, or worry resulting from overusing virtual video conferencing platforms” (p. 437), it is not unreasonable to assume many library patrons are also facing email overload. Email overload is defined as “the feeling of being overwhelmed by the constant flow of messages appearing in the inbox and the inability to manage the high volume of messages effectively” (McMurtry, 2014, p. 31). 

Signage

Libraries that reopened or changed physical layouts and spaces relied on signage to help patrons navigate the buildings. A participant shared that their academic library designated a team to determine what types of signs would be needed, where signs would be placed and how many had to be printed. “Before reopening, we had a Signage team that developed signs on topics such as mask-wearing, hand washing, closed stacks, and food policy changes.” (Puzier, 2020). 

Library Signs: Example of messaging for library patrons. Lowe, A. M. (2020). Masks are required [digital image]. UAlbany Libraries.

Advice

Most participants found that social media was the best way to get messages out to patrons over the spring and summer of 2020. One noted that academic faculty were most receptive to email communications. Students tended to open emails from the library less often than prior to the pandemic (Birkenhauer, 2020). Another library saw an increase in mask compliance by making regularly scheduled announcements over the loudspeaker reminding patrons of new policies in the library. Finally, a participant suggested “I would say try to think outside the box. My ideas are to be more entertaining than educational but it’s the connection that’s most important.” (VanDyne, 2020). 
While we struggle with Zoom fatigue, email overload and the COVID-19 pandemic, a little entertainment can go a long way. Proof of that may be the 900,000+ people who hit play and now know the steps and rules of Duke University Libraries’ new “Library Takeout” service, designed to help patrons access library collections safely (Schramm, 2020). The entertaining music video and song already has 808,000 views on YouTube and 127,000 plays on Spotify.

References

Birkenhauer, L. (2020, October 12). Re: [NMRT-L] October Discussion: Patrons and the Pandemic [Electronic mailing list]. https://lists.ala.org/sympa/arc/nmrt-l/2020-10/msg00010.html

Gallagher, S., & Palmer, J. (2020, September 29). The Pandemic Pushed Universities Online. The Change Was Long Overdue. Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2020/09/the-pandemic-pushed-universities-online-the-change-was-long-overdue https://perma.cc/2PQU-G5CP

Henry, C. L., Vardeman, K. K., & Syma, C. K. (2012, August 10). Reaching out: connecting students to their personal librarian. Reference Services Review, 40(3), 396-407. https://doi.org/10.1108/00907321211254661

McKendrick, J. (2013, July). Beyond FAQs: the tangible benefits of online self-service. CRM Magazine, 17(7), 17-18. 

McMurtry, K. (2014). Managing Email Overload in the Workplace. Performance Improvement, 53(7), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.21424

Pomer, A. (2020, March 23). Updating Your Website During the COVID-19 Pandemic. New Media Campaigns. https://www.newmediacampaigns.com/blog/updating-your-website-during-the-covid-19-pandemic https://perma.cc/B4KN-C5UQ

Puzier, L. (2020, October 16). Re: [NMRT-L] October Discussion: Patrons and the Pandemic [Electronic mailing list]. https://lists.ala.org/sympa/arc/nmrt-l/2020-10/msg00016.html

VanDyne, H. (2020, October 12). Re: [NMRT-L] October Discussion: Patrons and the Pandemic [Electronic mailing list]. https://lists.ala.org/sympa/arc/nmrt-l/2020-10/msg00011.html

Schramm, S. (2020, September 30). The Story Behind the Library Takeout Video. Duke Today. https://today.duke.edu/2020/09/story-behind-library-takeout-videohttps://perma.cc/ZHR7-TPG4

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Submit to Endnotes, NMRT’s journal!

Posted on October 30, 2020 by nmrtsecretary
2020-21-CFP-Infographic-Endnotes-Journal

Endnotes is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal that welcomes and encourages submissions from LIS students, early career professionals and researchers and first time writers. Endnotes encourages LIS students to consider their research papers and projects and convert them into journal articles. Part of Endnotes’ mission is to give first time contributors experience with the peer-review process. 

Guidelines for Submission

Articles should range from 2,000 to 6,000 words and be written by LIS students or early-career library professionals. Endnotes welcomes research papers, technical papers, conceptual papers, case studies, and literature reviews. More information on these types of articles is available in our complete submission guidelines.

Those interested in discussing an article idea are encouraged to contact the editors at nmrtendnotesjournal@gmail.com to determine if the proposal fits the publication scope. Topics that might be appropriate for Endnotes include, but are not limited to: 

  • Graduate students research and projects
  • Early career research and projects
  • Training and mentoring
  • Job searching or hiring
  • Developing leadership and management skills
  • Library instruction and assessment
  • Developing new collections or services
  • Working with specific community groups
  • Committee work and development – at your library or university, regionally or nationally
  • Reviews of new books or other educational materials such as websites

How to Submit

Please submit: 

  • An idea
  • An abstract
  • A completed manuscript

Using the following form: Submit to Endnotes: The Journal of the New Members Round Table. 

Submissions are accepted and published on a rolling basis. 

For more information about Endnotes, including complete submission guidelines & previous issues, please visit https://journals.ala.org/index.php/endnotes/about. Please feel free to contact the Endnotes editors with any questions.

Expectations Once Submitted

If you submit an abstract, idea or manuscript to us, you will hear an initial response back from us within 1 month. If we like your abstract or idea, we typically give 3 months to complete the manuscript and submit the manuscript for peer review. We typically give 2-4 weeks to revise your manuscript between each peer-review evaluation for revision. 

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NMRT – October Bulletin (17)

Posted on October 29, 2020 by nmrtsecretary
NMRT-Issue-17

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What We’ve Been Reading

Posted on October 23, 2020 by nmrtsecretary
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Greetings from the NMRT Communications Committee!
Since many of us are working through our TBR piles during the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought it would be timely to share what we have been reading lately, in case you need suggestions for yourself or another reader.

Maggie:

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Over the summer, I put in a hold request for this novel when I saw a lot of praise for it on social media, including the way in which Moreno-Garcia makes the racist, eugenicist views of main character Noemi Taboada’s antagonists explicit in the text, instead of using subtextual clues. The lengthy waitlist (37 weeks when I was added!) meant that I didn’t get to read it until September, when I devoured it over four days.

While I’m not a big romance or thriller reader, I read a lot of Mary Stewart’s books because my mom is a fan. Mexican Gothic started like a romantic thriller, ramped up into a gothic romance with Rebecca vibes, and then escalated to Shirley Jackson and weird horror heights. This isn’t a book for the faint of heart, but I thoroughly recommend it!

Absolutely On Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa, Haruki Murakami and Seiji Ozawa

I grew up playing two instruments and have gotten into choir as an adult; I’m also a big fan of Murakami’s work, and music–Jazz, classical, opera, the Beatles–is woven throughout his novels. It was very interesting to see the different ways Ozawa (a true Maestro) and Murakami (a non-musician enthusiast) discussed composer’s oeuvres, conducting, and specific recordings.

While you don’t have to be a musician to appreciate the book and the way these two friends play off of one another’s train of thought, I think it does help to know a bit about creating and interpreting music. Currently, this is on a list of potential holiday gift ideas for one of my family members.

Sarah: 

Your Throne, SAM

I’ll admit that over the past month I’ve been spending less time reading books in conventional formats and have become more interested in the new ways artists and writers from around the world are adapting their trade to webcomics specifically designed to be read on a smartphone. The Korean webcomic series Your Throne may be one of the perfect gateway series for this format, with detailed art matching the quality of most libraries’ graphic novel sections and a plot of fantasy intrigue that had me scrolling down on my phone faster than I had anticipated. What at first seems to only be a tale of spite and revenge by a spurned noble turns into a story of sympathetic perspectives from two women who share surprising common ground when it comes to experiencing pain at the hands of an overbearing imperial structure. Your Throne is readable for free online and on the WebToon app – a good recommendation to give to YA and manga fans who may not be in your library as much during the pandemic!

To Love Your Enemy, written by Jungyoon and art by Taegeon

For those looking for a webcomic with fewer speculative elements, To Love Your Enemy is a contemporary romance with a lot to like for readers of young adult or new adult fiction. Yeonhee Bae is a mid-twenties woman who wants to turn over a new leaf as a college student and abandon her previous scamming career. However, a fellow student happens to be aware of her past – and she feels like she has to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t spill the beans with her new social group. Confusion, jealousy, and maybe even a slow-burn romance ensue? This was another series where I got invested quickly and was surprised at how much I liked the realistically flawed protagonist. The characters skew a little older than many mainstream comic series but still reflect the kinds of social situations common to many walks of college and young adult life. To Love Your Enemy is also free to read online and on the WebToon app.

Matt:

Aubrey/Maturin novels, Patrick O’Brian

Always a joy to reread these. [The first book is Master and Commander]

Earthsea Cycle, Ursula LeGuin

These make me cry every time.  I may read the latter ones this time through.

Big Dirty Money, Jennifer Taub

Looking forward to digging into this history of White-Collar Crime.

The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt

Grim and topical, especially in its treatment of statelessness and the loss of human rights of refugees and the dispossessed.

Josh:

Rusty Brown, Vol. 1 by Chris Ware

A unique graphic novel that is inventive and creative in its use of page space as it transitions between character events, thoughts, and dreams. My expectation going into the novel was the traditional block by block breakup of action and events. While there are elements of this “comic style,” Chris Ware is playfully imaginative in making story segments stand out. By doing this, I believe it allows Ware to create content that speaks to the event’s individual significance within the novel and the uniqueness of that particular conscious experience for the character. For example, a character’s childhood experiences expressed in a pixelated format or reading a detailed graphic novel within a graphic novel. Not something I expected, nor anticipated, and I enjoyed it.  

Author Chris Ware provides a highly existential experience for the reader as it explores hopes/dreams, reality, the regret of characters. An immersion in the experience of humanity. While the novel doesn’t heavily focus on the life of Rusty Brown at this point. Woody Brown and Joanna Cole were two stories that resonated with me and left an impression. If you are a fan of graphic novels or looking to dabble in the genre. I highly recommend taking a look at Rusty Brown.

Clyde Fans by Seth

A thoughtful graphic novel that explores the interplay of family life in a family business against the progression of technology and modernity. A once vibrant and successful fan business that struggles to meet with the times and gradually loses ground to the upcoming and booming A/C unit. The stresses this places on the two brothers within the story, how they deal with an aging mother with mental illness, and eventually closing the family business. 

Seth put a great deal of thought into this story, as it weaves back and forth in the timeline and how various events shape the story. A detailed exploration of the lives of both brothers, their interpersonal relationship would resonate with many readers. I didn’t expect a story about a family business to be compelling, but Seth packs a powerful, detailed storyline. Clyde Fans was an interesting read!

Jessica:

The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Healing, and US Social Transformation by Fania E. Davis is an excellent choice for educators and school leaders who are looking for a quick introduction to the topic before diving deeper. 

Other Words for Home,  by Jasmine Warga, a 2020 Newbery Honor book, tells the story of Jude who moves from Syria to the United States with her mother. It is a beautiful story and perfectly matches my sentimental fall mood.

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Confessions of an Offsite Storage Librarian

Posted on October 14, 2020 by nmrtsecretary

When I was in grad school I imagined myself working in special collections/archives or as a reference and instruction librarian in higher ed, maybe as an adult reference librarian at a public library.  I never pictured myself fifteen feet in the air, searching for a single millimeter-thick congressional committee pamphlet among eighty of its friends.

Everyone who works in a library knows that space is always limited, whether for materials storage or patron use, particularly at academic libraries.  I supervise the library offsite storage annex of a flagship state research university, which is one way of addressing item storage problems without simply reducing the number of items in a collection.  In our case, offsite storage allows the seven libraries (main plus six branches) in the university system to keep a large quantity of older and lower-use material in environmental conditions that are better for long-term item preservation while reducing the footprint of the on-campus collections.

What I’m really saying is that I run a climate-controlled book warehouse. My parents like to tell people that I work in something like the ending shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it’s a bit more like the eponymous Warehouse 13 crossed with the Kamar-Taj library in Dr. Strange.  The first thing many people mention when they walk in is the “book smell” but sadly I’ve gone nose-blind to it.

Row of high-density library shelving

The annex is a retrofitted warehouse building with high-density library shelving installed.  We use Harvard-style storage, which means that instead of being sorted by call number or any type of content criteria material is sorted by size into ten different sizes of cardboard tray (picture half of a shoebox and you get the idea) and fourteen to eighteen trays placed on a shelf. Each tray has its own barcode and location within the building, and individual items (be they books, scrolls, VHS, LaserDisc, or the skinny little congressional pamphlets I mentioned earlier) have their barcodes in the catalog matched to the tray location.  Inventory control is very important since we currently have 1.7 million items housed at the annex and are spec’d to hold nearly 5 million: if anything gets lost, there is very little chance of it being found!

As you might imagine, it’s also impossible to browse.  Occasionally patrons want to come look for something, and I explain that it doesn’t work that way.  We do have reading rooms if a patron wants to look at many items at once for research purposes, but for safety reasons the building is a locked facility and prior arrangement must be made in order to visit.  Honestly, we’re in a warehouse park at the far edge of town so I’m impressed when people manage to find us. (Nearest landmarks: a grocery store and a gas station.)

To shelve trays above what can safely and reasonably be reached from the ground we use a specialized forklift with a shelved metal cart on the back.  Both the shelf and the operator go up in the air while the battery compartment stays behind to act as a counterbalance.  Wire guides in the floor help us lock in to a straight path when we go down the rows of stacks.  I was tentative when I first learned to operate it, but now I cruise around with ease (and my backing and turning in my car has improved a lot, too!)

Raymond 5600 Order Picker

Despite the fact that the material out here is technically low-circulating, we do keep busy with a variety of tasks.  This facility has only been open for almost four years after a long period of ad-hoc rented storage sites, and most of that time has been spent working to process and ingest material on to the shelves.  Until the end of January, in addition to myself and one other full-time professional staff member we had a rotating team of temporary workers helping to clean, sort, and scan the material.

There are quite a few article scans for both interlibrary loan and document delivery every day; sometimes rush requests come through from the health sciences library for urgently needed medical articles. I’m not too squeamish but don’t really like looking at retractions of the eyelid, so my colleague and I have agreed to swap as they don’t enjoy the full-color dental texts.  We also usually send out a bin or two of physical material going out to campus locations or ILL every day.  For example, during one two-week period I’ve scanned materials including Watson and Crick’s paper on DNA, Mendeleev’s paper on atomic weights, and a lot of articles about dental implants.  Previously, volume one of Nature from 1869 went out for class use in Special Collections!  (It cost 4 pence per issue and had some great ads on the front page.)

Aside from ingestion and fulfillment activities, I also work on fixing and updating item location and policy information in the catalog, evaluate preservation needs, monitor pests (every month I send a selection of bugs caught in sticky traps to our conservators: usually huge spiders, a few crickets and a pill bug or two), and work on identifying items that may be good candidates for digitization.  Theses and dissertations are a big part of this: there are copies at University Archives, but we house circulating copies.  Once a thesis circulates, I attempt to contact the author for permission to include it in our institutional repository.

There have been some steep learning curves as I settled into the job, including ongoing issues with the cool storage area intended to house film and other more delicate material.  Whenever it seems that the HVAC system has managed to stabilize the internal environment (50 F and 25% relative humidity, as opposed to the 65 F and 50% humidity main stacks), something goes wrong again.  I know much more about both non-mechanized and mechanized climate control than when I began.

I’ve also really honed my communication skills.  The annex is located five miles from campus, or about fifteen minutes’ drive, and we usually get materials and mail delivered once a day.  Figuring out who to talk to about what, and how to go about it have been very important, as well as making sure that I am as clear and straightforward as possible with my outgoing communication. I can’t just pop over to talk to someone if a problem comes up, but I also don’t want to send a deluge of messages and clog up anyone’s inbox.  We aren’t even on the same phone network as the rest of campus, so instant messages or internal calls aren’t an option either! (I’d like to get voicemail set up out here, someday…)

Currently, my library system is trying to have everyone work from home as much as possible due to COVID-19, so my colleague and I are working opposite half-day shifts at the annex, minimizing the areas we spend time in, and limiting building access beyond the normal limitations. We sanitize the high-touch surfaces of the lift when we’re done using it, and wear masks as much as possible inside the building.

Honestly, I think my job and facility are interesting.  I get to wear a lot of hats and work with people from many different departments both within the libraries and within the university, but ultimately everything comes down to ensuring the ongoing accessibility of resources.  If I’m doing my job well, most patrons will never need to know that the offsite annex exists.

Does your library have offsite storage? Have you ever thought about where something retrieved from remote storage came from, and how it got to you?

Author Bio: Maggie Halterman-Dess (she/her/hers) is the Library Annex Coordinator for the University of Iowa Libraries and a member of the NMRT Communications Committee, as well as Endnotes. She tweets @maggie_pie_ and posts pictures of her corgi, baking endeavors, and weird stuff in storage on Instagram @maggie.pye

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NMRT – Bulletin 16

Posted on October 4, 2020 by nmrtsecretary
NMRT-Issue-16

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