Keywords
COVID-19 response; COVID-19 reference desk reopening; academic reference desk; tele-reference service; COVID-19 and academic libraries
Abstract
This poster was presented at the virtual Florida Association of College & Research Libraries Annual Conference on Friday, October 16, 2020. The conference poster session abstracts are listed below.
Conference Poster Session Long Abstract:
In response to administrative goals to provide remote support for constituents of the University of Central Florida and the need for connectivity of staff during the COVID-19 disruption, the UCF Libraries’ Research and Information Services (RIS) Department planned several ways to maintain high-quality services and provide professional skills training at a distance. This poster will illustrate the work of the RIS task force in the reopening of the Research and Information Desk and efforts by the department to stay connected while working remotely. Examples of how the task force solicited recommendations from RIS librarians and implemented a variety of innovative approaches to plan a technology supported virtual reference desk, virtual librarian office hours, Microsoft Teams subject librarian collaborations, and expanded Ask Us support will be shown. In addition, to further support connectivity, a RIS Environmental Scan was conducted to help process strategies for fulfilling the unit’s mission as many things transitioned to a fully virtual environment. Other examples such as, the first ever fully online RIS annual retreat with guest speakers will be described, along with our weekly virtual department meetings, and one-on-one telephone meetings between the RIS Department Head and each RIS Librarian will be noted. The audience will also learn about the internal UCF professional development skills opportunities that were made available to library staff for training that helped staff stay connected.
Conference Poster Session Short Abstract:
Our poster illustrates how the UCF Libraries’ Research & Information Services (RIS) Department maintained high-quality services during the COVID-19 campus wide closures the spring/summer of 2020. It will also highlight the reopening of our reference desk in the fall (August 2020) and shares examples of professional skills training provided to staff while working remotely.
Publication Date
10-16-2020
Document Type
Poster
Copyright Status
Author retained
Publication Version
Author's version
Rights
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
College
Information Technologies & Resources
Department
UCF Libraries
STARS Citation
Bishop, Corinne; Avila, Sandy; and Tierney, Barbara, "Sustaining Connectivity & Shifting to Remote Services During the COVID-19 Crisis: Stories from the UCF Libraries" (2020). Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 922.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ucfscholar/922