So we are a year into the pandemic and it looks like the library I work at is going for a soft opening over the summer.
Currently, we have limited in-person services, I mean really limited.
There are funds to get PPE, barriers, and hopefully some additional staffing. All of our student workers and hourly folks were let go sometime last year, so our entire permanent staff equals 5 people. So we can't be open for more than a couple of hours.
So many things to consider.
Capacity.
Cleaning Protocol.
How much can students do in the library? Browsing? Printing? Viewing films?
Plus, we need to be flexible. If there is a surge we will have to shut down. If we are allowed to really open up then we have to adjust on a dime.
I think that the isolation of working from your couch, bed, or kitchen table has taken a toll on people in so many different ways...
Media- I know that I look at news sites a lot more than I used to since the pandemic. The specu-news really gets to be a lot too. Then of course there are social media platforms and news reporting about social media and insurrection, hate crimes against black, brown, and Asian people. So. Much. Hate.
Distrust in everything. EVERYTHING.
The dialogue we have in our library has been constant. I think us being together has helped. We are out of house and psyche doing what we do. Helping students, faculty and staff.
In the summer we will work out some kinks, see what everyone is comfortable with and how much extra support we need outside the library. We are very small staff (our hourly folks are gone because of the pandemic) so the expectation can't be that we can handle everything. I think assessing at the end of the summer and tweaking plans will help.
The fall semester is going to be a wild ride, I think.
The library will be ready.
