On January 21, 2020 the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Washington State. In late February we were starting to wash our hands more and learn how to elbow bump. On Friday, March 13, 2020 the Southeastern staff all took our laptops home with the idea that we'd be closed for a few weeks. On April 3, 2020 we pivoted SENYCon into an online event. Now, a year later we look back at how much has changed and what we have learned. SENYCon 2021 will also be a virtual event, in two parts.
On this day, we present half of the presentations that members submitted, the ones that feature work related to the pivot. The event will be a celebration of the tenacity, creativity, and hard work that went into shifting services in the past 12 months. Both academic and public libraries are represented, and the event is open to all. The day will be hosted on one continuous Zoom call so that you can attend as much or as little as you would like to. All presenters will be live and available for Q&A.
Presenters: Sean Antonucci (Valley Cottage Library) and Anya Berg (Valley Cottage Library)
Title of Program: Creative Program Pivot
Program Description: Creative and artistic programs can be some of the most engaging events your library has to offer, but transitioning them to a virtual space can be quite the challenge! With internet connection issues, video delays inviting more interruptions, and your patrons' varying levels of computer expertise, the potential roadblocks might make you say: "We'll travel there another day!" Join Anya and Sean (two adult services librarians from the Valley Cottage Library) for a presentation of what worked for two of their programs--a workshop series based on the creative recovery course The Artist's Way and a creative writing group--so that you can make similar considerations for your own virtual creative programs (and so you can learn from our mistakes!).
Presenter: Robert Wagner, MLS, Unification Theological Seminary
Title of Program: Quarantine Librarianship: Providing Services in the Age of Covid.
Program Description: This presentation will be geared principally to academic librarians and detail how to provide both virtual and in-person services to their patrons. This includes interacting with colleagues and collaborating with larger library facilities, setting up online services, website redesign and materials accessibility to patrons. There will also be a segment on how to provide electronic resources and an evaluation of both free and proprietary databases. Lastly, there will be a brief discussion on establishing in person retrieval of materials which follow mandated COVID protocols.
Presenters: Lauren Dodd and Heather Seminelli, United States Military Academy
Title of Program: COVID-19 and the Shift to Interactive, Asynchronous Info Lit Modules
Program Description: Traditionally, the U.S. Military Academy Library at West Point focused on interactive, in-person information literacy instruction and orientations to introduce first-year students to the services and support that librarians can provide. COVID-19 caused us to pivot and develop multiple asynchronous online modules (using new-to-us virtual tools like BreakoutEDU, Credo Instruct, and LibWizard) to introduce the library to students in an engaging, "almost fun" (cadet quote!) way. We will share our modules, favorite new tools, and lessons learned.
Presenter: Sara Scoggan - Newburgh Free Library
Title of Program: Growing Collaborators & Innovators from 2020
Program Description: The Newburgh Free Library was one of the countless libraries who made the jump to virtual programming on the fly when it became clear the pandemic was here for the long haul. This presentation will give an overview of how going virtual--and outdoors--led the library to make connections with other organizations that we would most likely not have made had the pandemic never happened. One instance is the forming of new partnerships (and the deepening of existing ones) in a community garden adjacent to the library. In addition to past collaborations, plans are now underway to add an outdoor story circle to the garden. The presentation will also explore some of the innovations in the library that grew out of necessity in virtual programming.
Presenter: Barbara Whitney Petruzzelli, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
Title of Program: A Sense of Normalcy: Preserving Students’ In-Person Experience While Expanding Virtual Support & Services
Program Description: As the pandemic revealed itself to be a long-term impact on all aspects of our lives, the faculty and staff of Kaplan Family Library at Mount Saint Mary College set a course for delivering the most essential elements of library service within a world of uncertainty. We made a commitment to providing MSMC students and faculty with easy, seamless access to resources, services, and assistance in all modalities. As the time for re-opening our campus drew nearer, we also realized the important role the library could play in preserving a sense of normalcy amidst that uncertainty.