Keeping On: Maintaining Clear and Consistent Communication with Staff during a COVID-19 Work From Home Situation
Presented by
- Rob O'Brien Withers (Miami University)
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic led many academic libraries to close for several months in Spring and Summer 2020. This case study will share the experiences of one institution in maintaining contact with staff on Work from Home status as they worked independently to complete work assignments; in some cases, when employees’ primary work involved public service, the work assignments were not a part of their daily routine prior to the Work-from-Home status.
This session will share experiences in monitoring workflow, answering questions, maintaining morale and a sense of community among employees working in isolation, and sharing information about the resumption of in-person library services, including curbside pickup and eventual reopening of library facilities. NOTE: In Fall 2019, this institution plans to separate staff into two separate schedules, each of which will work alternating work-from-home and in-person shifts, in order to minimize physical contact and the risk of COVID-19.
About
Withers is Coordinator of Access Services at Miami University. He has presented at conferences including the Access Services Conference
