By Nancy Weiner
“We’re Here for You!” quickly became the message we conveyed to students and faculty once classes moved online and it was determined that the library building would be closed. Based on the video Instructional Design Librarian Tony Joachim created, a similar message was prominently placed on the library homepage that linked to information about our available services, such as 24/7 chat reference, virtual research requests, online instruction, course research guides, databases and tutorials. We also included information about borrowing materials and outstanding loans, along with information about Interlibrary Loan services. We also included various email addresses for students and faculty to contact us if they had any questions.
Another key element highlighted is the libguide, “Free and Enhanced Access to E-Resources During the Coronavirus Restrictions” that Electronic Resources Librarian Richard Kearney created. With many vendors and publishers providing free access to various types of online resources, the guide has become a valuable resource and has been viewed nearly 400 times in a three-week period and we continue to add resources. Helping faculty and students locate electronic versions of textbooks on reserve in the library is just one of the ways that we have been helping to make things easier for students and faculty during this challenging time.
Early on, Provost Josh Powers sent out an email blast to all students and faculty that highlighted available library services. We have continued to convey the message, “We are here for you!” through campus wide email announcements and through direct outreach to faculty. The latter has been done by creating newsletters using the Smore.com website and sent out to departments by their librarian liaisons. This has allowed us to contact faculty directly to highlight available services. Co-Coordinator of User Education, Cara Berg, also contacted faculty with library instruction sessions scheduled to let them know the sessions could be held online. We are pleased to report that most faculty took advantage of the online option. Outreach Librarian Gary Marks is coordinating minute long videos by library faculty and staff for the library’s social media channels that highlight services relevant to our students and faculty.
We're Here for You! @ The Cheng Library can be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9NBP7ZhXvYY
It goes without saying that this has been a coordinated effort by all of us at Cheng Library. While much of the focus is on the public services side, we would not be able to provide these services without the support of Library Information Systems and Acquisitions and Cataloging. Many of us are in regular contact with each other and while email is often the mode, we found Microsoft Teams as the preferred tool for meetings because of the video and chat functions. It is also a nice way to “see” your colleagues, especially when you are used to seeing them daily.
Nancy Weiner is the Assistant Director, Access and Information Services at David and Lorraine Cheng Library at William Paterson University. She can be reached at weinerN@wpunj.edu.