Reflection on readings/podcast or reflection on your experience with online learning/ remote work so far.
In a nutshell, the readings and the podcast touched base on how libraries are working in the midst of the pandemic. A lot of the people are mentioning that no one has ever documented how to operate a library during a pandemic or a similar situation. It seems hard to keep libraries going especially under circumstances that no one ever imagined going through. They all seem to be taking it one step at a time, which I imagine is the case for most libraries around the country. One of the articles discussed some of the measures that libraries are taking to disinfecting the books that patrons turn in. It advised in leaving the books/media alone for fourteen days before coming into contact with them instead of wiping them down with chemicals because it can potentially damage the items. This I found very interesting since I did wonder how some libraries were going about with the items that are getting returned to the library.
These times are very odd in every aspect. I never imagined myself doing online school, especially not being forced into it. I began the pandemic on campus but I soon grew restless about not being able to be with my family, so I went back home to Houston. It was a weird experience to get on a plane where there were no more than thirteen-ish passengers while there were close to ninety-ish seats. Now that I am home, I’ve had to transition from being on break to doing school work, video calling people, and taking classes all remotely. I’d say it has not been such a smooth transition for me at least because somehow on campus since we are in a small town, there does not seem to be that many distractions. However, now that I am home it feels like I’ve had to isolate myself twice more since I am working on my schoolwork while in the background there is so much commotion going on. I think at the end of every day I am learning to figure out how to manage my school work and remote internship. Again, this is such an odd and unexpected situation that I did not know how to react to but I am glad to be spending this time close to my family. I am missing everyone on campus and the campus itself.
Hi Valerie-
Thank you for your thoughts! I too agree that oftentimes working or studying from home is not the most ideal depending on what is going on with our families. I first started out working from my dining room table and that soon became unbearable. I had to go and carve out a place for myself as best I could. There are many things I am able to do well and some other things not so well while working remotely.
I hope that all libraries document how they are managing their services during this pandemic because it will provide a wealth of information for the future. This pandemic is also part of our human history and people will talk about it for years to come. I am glad you are doing some readings about what some other Loan Services departments are doing to continue to provide services during this time.
Best,
Claudia