Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Life during Covid times forces some of us to evaluate our jobs and forced us to be prepared for lockdowns and working from home. In a face to face job this is somewhat challenging. How can one provide a service when parents, students and staff are not allowed within the library building? How can library workers future proof their jobs and remain relevant to our stakeholders? What process and policies needed to change and evolve? How can this be done whilst protecting everyone from the prospect of Covid?
Living in Sydney it became obvious during March 2020 that we would need to significantly change our circulation procedures to ensure that we were still able to service our 900 odd student cohort and our staff members. Being in lockdown we realized that the library was an integral way in with students and teachers connected with each other, and now this vital resource has been restricted. Feeling a connection is a core human need, studies demonstrate that social connection can regulate our emotions, lower anxiety and depression, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and in turn improve our immune systems. By neglecting our need to connect, we could put our health at risk.
And how were we going to manage circulation of our tangible books? Whilst we have had an e-library (both audio and print), it was still vital that we cater for different learning styles, abilities and provided effective teaching methods that involves providing all students within their diverse classroom (or home) community a range of different avenues for understanding new concepts.
The library also provided a space where various groups meet, as this wasn’t possible we needed to think laterally about how these “spaces” could be best provided.
Lastly, the strains which were placed upon us not only professionally but personally? Job losses, or the future uncertainly for family members. Personally, it was a huge life shift for me as I’d just returned from maternity leave, and my 5 month old baby girl needed settling into child care, where I wasn’t even allowed to enter, much like the parents in to the school library.
To meet these changes in environment, libraries have had to rethink how we provide services to ensure we remain relevant and meet the educational and wellbeing outcomes for our student cohort.
Life during Covid times forces some of us to evaluate our jobs and forced us to be prepared for lockdowns and working from home. In a face to face job this is somewhat challenging. How can one provide a service when parents, students and staff are not allowed within the library building? How can library workers future proof their jobs and remain relevant to our stakeholders? What process and policies needed to change and evolve? How can this be done whilst protecting everyone from the prospect of Covid?
Living in Sydney it became obvious during March 2020 that we would need to significantly change our circulation procedures to ensure that we were still able to service our 900 odd student cohort and our staff members. Being in lockdown we realized that the library was an integral way in with students and teachers connected with each other, and now this vital resource has been restricted. Feeling a connection is a core human need, studies demonstrate that social connection can regulate our emotions, lower anxiety and depression, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and in turn improve our immune systems. By neglecting our need to connect, we could put our health at risk.
And how were we going to manage circulation of our tangible books? Whilst we have had an e-library (both audio and print), it was still vital that we cater for different learning styles, abilities and provided effective teaching methods that involves providing all students within their diverse classroom (or home) community a range of different avenues for understanding new concepts.
The library also provided a space where various groups meet, as this wasn’t possible we needed to think laterally about how these “spaces” could be best provided.
Lastly, the strains which were placed upon us not only professionally but personally? Job losses, or the future uncertainly for family members. Personally, it was a huge life shift for me as I’d just returned from maternity leave, and my 5 month old baby girl needed settling into child care, where I wasn’t even allowed to enter, much like the parents in to the school library.
To meet these changes in environment, libraries have had to rethink how we provide services to ensure we remain relevant and meet the educational and wellbeing outcomes for our student cohort.
