Working from Home: How We Managed Our Team Remotely with Technology

Abstract

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College’s library and the office of institutional research & training (OIRT), along with all departments of our college, shifted to working from home (WFH) overnight. This column shares examples from the literature regarding experiences and lessons learned from both the corporate world and academic libraries’ experiences managing teams remotely with technology. Finally, we share how the College’s academic library and OIRT transitioned to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic with the variety of online tools we already used, but further enhanced during this experience, to communicate and collaborate effectively with our team members.     

COVID-19 impact on the Chinese top academic libraries: Libraries' response to space,collection and services

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was a major public health emergency on a global scale. The literature regarding the pandemic and its impact on academic libraries is still rising. This article examines the two-year process of developing a flexible service scenario and the broader picture by analyzing data on Chinese top university libraries' programmes and outreach initiatives prior to, during, and the normal COVID-19 pandemic (Sept. 2019–Sept. 2021). COVID-19 is found to have a significant impact on the physical space, collection development, and service of the library, demonstrating the characteristics of space access restricted by security measures, collection digitization, and online service. This research also examines the previous year's initiatives and programmes and discusses the next phase of “new normal” procedures. Hopefully, this study will give insight on how Chinese libraries responded to the recent pandemic, informing libraries' outreach and efforts to be better prepared to take imperative, swift, and decisive action in the post-COVID-19 era and beyond.     

College students' perceptions on sense of belonging and inclusion at the academic library during COVID-19

This paper demonstrates how university students experienced and perceived inclusion in a public research university library context during COVID-19. Both quantitative (n = 3379) and qualitative data (n = 575) from the 2021 student survey were examined to explore students' library experiences and their perceptions of inclusion. The quantitative data revealed that students using both the physical and online library had the greatest sense of belonging, whereas students who never used any library resources had the least sense of belonging. The qualitative data further revealed that when students used the in-person library space they felt a sense of belonging, as well as feeling accepted and valued; on the other hand, it was hard for them to judge inclusion when they had not been in the library due to COVID-19. This finding suggests how academic libraries need to prepare for the hybrid environment (in-person and online) so that students using online resources and services feel connected to the library.     

Redefining Successful Interpretation in Art Museums

Abstract This article aims to capture the spirit and content of a lively exchange among museum staff members at the Denver Art Museum. It began as a conference call and continued as an online dialogue about how definitions of success have evolved with advances in technology and changing expectations of visitors. Together we explored how DAM staff encourage more active participation in the museum and the creative tension that ensues between visitor co‐creation and institutional control. Woven throughout this conversation are examples that demonstrate the need to move fluidly between high tech and low tech interpretives, onsite and online experiences, and the impact of environments that break down museum stereotypes. It is our hope that this discussion will spark similar dialogues among colleagues in individual institutions and in the profession at large. Readers are encouraged to respond through the blog at Curator’s new website: http://www.curatorjournal.org .     

Remaking academic library services in Zimbabwe in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic

The outbreak of the global COVID -19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life, access to higher education has not been out of danger as evidenced by the enforcement of official closures, enforcement lockdown and social distancing rules by governments throughout the world. However, while the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the world with numerous socioeconomic challenges, it has also helped to spur creativity and information as evidenced by the responses of academic libraries that have seen a heighted use of digital platforms to support education, teaching and research. The study sought to establish how librarians in Zimbabwe responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the implications of the pandemic on library service delivery. A qualitative research was adopted for the study. Using snowballing, interviews were used to gather data beginning with the library association's branch leadership. The researchers ensured that the questions were aligned to the research objectives. The interview schedule included open and closed questions to enable participants to provide further details relating to the phenomenon under study. The participants were guaranteed their rights to consent, privacy and anonymity in the introduction of the interview schedule. An The study reveals that there has been an increase in the use online platforms for accessing information especially library's webpages, electronic books and journals. The use of library online resources from distance locations also rose following closure of campuses. Library patrons' perceptions towards electronic resources significantly improved as they realized that they were equally useful as the print. Findings from the study provide useful recommendation on how librarians can remodel their services to match new demands presented by the COVD-19 pandemic. The study provides a starting point upon which further research on the effect of COVID-19 or other similar pandemics have on library service delivery.     

Book Reviews

Scholarly Publishing Practice 3: Academic Journals Publishers' Policies and Practices in Online Publishing , 3rd edition John Cox, John Cox Associates Ltd. Laura Cox, Frontline Global Marketing Services Ltd. Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers, 2008, 108 pp. ISBN 978 0 907341 39 0, pbk, £60/$115/€80 (ALPSP members) ISBN 978 0 907341 40 6, e‐book, free to ALPSP members; print plus e‐book, £115/$225/€150 (non‐members)     

Plan S and purpose: The future direction for UK learned societies

• A group of UK-based learned societies were anonymously interviewed to understand how trends are affecting their missions, strategies, and operations.
• The societies' missions focus on supporting academics and disseminating knowledge, with publishing being a means to achieve those goals rather than an end in itself.
• The responses were concerned about addressing open access (OA) but, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, this was not necessarily their highest priority.
• The societies expressed reliance on larger corporate publishers on them to navigate the transition to OA publishing.
• The societies' focus is on evolving their missions to meet the changing needs of their academic communities, with issues around premises as a result of COVID-19 being more pressing than publishing industry changes.
• The societies face challenges in adapting to the shift to online and digital operations, particularly in regards to maintaining engagement with their members.

     

主题科学传播的选题与渠道分析 ——以COVID-19疫情情境下我国医学论文传播为例

主题科学传播在选题策略和传播渠道均存在其特点。选取我国新型冠状病毒肺炎学术成果交流平台2020年1月27日至7月19日网络载文作为典型案例,收集单篇论文的阅读量、题目、期刊、作者信息及网页访问量构成,定性分析论文学科属性与传播主题的关联,定量分析全球访问量的国别特征、构成及趋势。高阅读量论文的选题呈现以下3个特点:与中心事件强相关、与关键问题有结合点、研究对象较受关注,单篇阅读量较高的论文类型为论著、指南共识、述评专论。网络传播中以直接访问与外部链接引流为主要渠道,引流来源以自建网络平台、文献数据库、主流搜索产品(如百度学术)为主。随着疫情形势变化及观察时间窗延长,访问量增幅较大的渠道以微信公众平台及社交媒体为主,新增渠道包括不同出版平台资源中心外链及大众新闻媒介。除我国外,访问量较高的国家为美国、巴西、印度、日本、意大利。主题科学传播中传播迅速且较受关注的论文选题兼顾学科关联性及公众关切,传播渠道以网络为主。随着时间推移,即时通讯及社交媒体传播增速较高,更多境外网络访问、出版机构互链及国际学术组织数据库涉入,科学传播的受众角色更加丰富。中文论文的国际推广应注重传统平台及新兴渠道的均衡发力,凭借国际化资源中心及社交媒体平台主动传播。     

The impact of COVID-19 on reference services: a national survey of academic health sciences librarians

Objectives:The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the scope and adaptive nature of reference services provided by academic health sciences librarians over a one-year period (between March 2020 and March 2021) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:In March 2021, academic health sciences librarians in the United States were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey about their experiences providing reference services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey was developed, pretested, and distributed to various listservs.Results:A total of 205 academic health sciences librarians and other information professionals with health sciences liaison responsibilities in the US (N=205) responded to the online survey. The scope of reference services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic included email-based reference services (97%), virtual reference (89%), telephone (80%), text-based (33%), and in-person (31%). The most common types of COVID-related reference questions included COVID-19 treatments (53%), safety precautions (46%), vaccines (41%), and prevalence (38%). Additionally, the identification of challenging reference questions and examples of misinformation were provided by respondents.Conclusions:The results of the survey characterize the evolving nature and scope of academic health sciences reference work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians reported an increase in reference questions during the pandemic and are answering them in creative ways despite barriers (e.g., limited time and reduction in resources). There is an opportunity for librarians to continue to address COVID-related misinformation. Overall, these findings provide useful insight for library practitioners and administrators planning reference services during public health crises.     

Health sciences librarian research and instruction services in pandemic information environments

This study examined research and instruction services provided by academic health sciences librarians in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 205 respondents (N = 205) completed an anonymous online survey about academic health sciences librarian involvement in providing research and instruction services during the global pandemic. In-depth literature searching services (86%, n = 176), curated COVID-19 research through guides (66%, n = 135), and systematic review consultations (53%, n = 109) were reported as the top three research services in demand. Librarians supported online teaching and learning at their institutions by providing online instruction for a course (92%, n = 189), facilitating access to licensed resources (73%, n = 150), and identifying open access and open educational resources (62%, n = 127). Overall, this study contributes to understanding pandemic-responsive academic library services to meet the unique needs of health sciences education and research in evolving COVID-19 pandemic information environments.     

Guide to Reference: A Review

It has been a few years since the Guide to Reference was presented in its online format, and its move from a printed publication to a strictly online publication started with great plans and some publicity. This article reviews the background of this valuable resource and how it has evolved, including its migration to an online platform. In addition, this article discusses the Guide's current format and characteristics, as well as contemplating its future.     

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on gendered research productivity and its correlates

Female researchers may have experienced more difficulties than their male counterparts since the COVID-19 outbreak because of gendered housework and childcare. To test it, we constructed a unique dataset that connects 15,280,382 scholarly publications and their 11,828,866 authors retrieved from Microsoft Academic Graph data between 2016 and 2020 to various national characteristics from LinkedIn, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, and Covid-19 Community Mobility Reports from Google. Using the dataset, this study estimated how much the proportion of female authors in academic journals on a global scale changed in 2020 (net of recent yearly trends). We observed a decrease in research productivity for female researchers in 2020, mostly as first authors, followed by last author position. We also identified various factors that amplified the gender gap by dividing the authors’ backgrounds into individual, organizational and national characteristics. Female researchers were more vulnerable when they were in their mid-career, affiliated to the least influential organizations, and more importantly from less gender-equal countries with higher mortality and restricted mobility as a result of COVID-19. Our findings suggest that female researchers were not necessarily excluded from but were marginalized in research since the COVID-19 outbreak and we discuss its policy implications.     

在线教学平台应急管理及图书馆应对策略——以厦门大学SPOC平台为例

[目的/意义] 总结厦门大学图书馆在疫情期间参与管理在线教育平台的实践,探讨疫情之后高校图书馆推进学校教学创新的发展策略。[方法/过程] 统计在线教育平台每年度开设课程、教师和学生数,面向用户进行问卷调查,分析平台在选课管理、教学平台、教学资源、教学效果、教学模式、满意度等方面的优点和不足,监测并分析服务器日志,对平台性能进行持续改进。[结果/结论] 高校图书馆在疫情期间参与在线教育平台的管理与服务,推动图书馆员与教师、学生之间建立起有效的沟通渠道,拓展了图书馆的服务领域。疫情之下,危机之中亦存在机遇,高校图书馆应与学校相关单位通力合作,提升教学信息化运用能力、管理能力、服务能力,为推进高校教学创新提供新动能。     

Announcement Information Provided by United States’ Public Libraries during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

This study synthesizes timely information about the COVID-19 virus and examines how public libraries have responded to the pandemic in real-time through their online announcements to the public. A content analysis of library announcements relating to the COVID-19 pandemic posted during the period of March 14–April 12, 2020, was performed. Over 90 percent of libraries announced a closure due to the pandemic and 98 percent libraries indicated programs were suspended. Over half of libraries posted about COVID-19 and general hygiene practices. Many announcements changed in terms of content from March 14 to April 12, demonstrating the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic. This study suggests that libraries can and do play an important role in providing reliable information about pandemics like COVID-19 for patrons.     

Crisis Librarianship: An Examination of Online Librarianship Roles in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study surveyed the members of a professional library organization for their perceptions of their online librarianship role. In particular, the survey sought to examine any change in online librarianship roles after March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Participants were administered a survey comprised of both quantitative and qualitative response options. Findings present a nuanced professional environment post-lockdown in which individual job duties largely remained the same; however participants reported increased demands stemming from workplace issues, including attrition and lack of resources.     

THE ESPACES STUDY: DESIGNING,DEVELOPING AND MANAGING LEARNING SPACES FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING

This paper was given as a key note at the North West Academic Libraries conference ‘Designing Spaces for Learning: Flexible learning spaces, libraries and changing roles’ in September 2006 and was adapted from the eSpaces study so that it met the aims and objectives of the North West Academic Libraries conference. The eSpaces study is shorthand for the Joint Information Systems Committee's ‘Study on How Innovative Technologies are Influencing the Design of Physical Learning Spaces in the Post-16 Sector’. The need for this study came from a recognition that most, if not all, education institutions are now integrating learning technologies into the design of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing ones. Managed learning environments, mobile computing, wireless local area networks and broadband are just a few of the technologies that are influencing how we design, use and manage our learning spaces. They are also changing how we design our libraries. The key findings of this study are outlined and the implications for library space and staff roles discussed.     

积极融入新冠肺炎疫情防控大局,切实创新非常时期服务策略——全国高校图书馆疫情防控期间服务创新情况调研报告

基于29个省、自治区、直辖市高校图工委关于高校图书馆在新冠肺炎疫情防控期间开展服务情况的调研报告,以及11个高校图书馆在此期间开展的支撑在线教学服务情况的报告,总结了全国高校图书馆在疫情防控期间为保护读者和馆员健康、保障高校在线教学和科研顺利开展而推出的一系列应急措施和创新型服务。     

Breaking the chain: Governmental frugal innovation in Kerala to combat the COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic causes unprecedented disruptions in citizens' lives and work, prompting a wide range of responses from governments across the globe. The southern Indian state of Kerala, India's COVID-19 “ground zero”, stands out with a fatality rate at a fraction of other richer Indian states and countries. This has happened despite the state presenting strong vulnerabilities to COVID-19. Using the theoretical lens of frugal innovation, I analyse how the Kerala State Government (KSG) combated the spread of COVID-19. This research uncovers the mechanisms at play as KSG implemented and used frugal technologies as platforms that helped decision making and strategy to fight the pandemic. I find a rich interplay of frugal innovations promoted by the government, in partnership with research institutes and private sector actors, which are cheap and efficacious. The study defines and promotes the concept of government frugal innovation (GFI) and provides valuable insights and tools to help governments navigate and effectively respond to this crisis, encouraging the rest of the world to learn from Kerala's experience. My conceptual model characterizes GFI as involving collaborative aspects, and holds practical implications beyond the times of crises.     

A 10-year follow-up survey of US academic libraries highlights the COVID-19 experience and greater interest in health information outreach

Background

As follow-up to their previous survey on health information outreach (HIO) in 2010, the authors became interested in the evolving nature of HIO activities at academic libraries within the past decade.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to understand how HIO activities at academic libraries have evolved since 2010, especially considering the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An online survey, designed to collect quantitative data on general HIO activities and qualitative data specifically on COVID-19 information outreach, was distributed to over 1700 librarians at US general academic and academic health science libraries.

Results

Two hundred and fifty-five respondents completed the survey. Quantitative findings generally paralleled the 2010 results, except in a few areas. Most notably, a greater percentage of librarians in 2020 were participating in HIO (44%) than in 2010 (37%). Qualitative findings revealed that librarians are leveraging traditional information services and implementing innovative partnerships to promote reputable health information resources on COVID-19.

Discussion

Evidence suggests that further engagement and campus partnerships can enhance libraries' supportive roles as trustworthy purveyors of quality health information.

Conclusion

US academic librarians are increasingly engaging in HIO to support the health information needs of campus communities and should consider aligning outreach activities with national health goals.