(DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
National Library Week, set for April 4 - 10, is a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “Welcome to your library,” which promotes the idea libraries are more than a building that houses books. The resources and services we provide can be accessed from anywhere online. Everyone in the DePaul community is welcome to make use of our resources, not just for education, but also for fun.To celebrate this year's National Library Week, the Library EDGE Team developed a virtual scavenger hunt. All are welcome to participate in the week-long event.
Below are some examples of how the DePaul University Library has adapted, connected, innovated and communicated our support to the university community over the last year.
Research and instruction
Research and instruction librarians partnered with faculty as classes moved online for the pandemic. Librarians taught students how to access and evaluate information resources live via Zoom. They also revised and produced new videos and learning objects in support of asynchronous learning. In addition, students learned
how to search for articles in research databases through a customized live Zoom
workshop.
Since July 1, librarians, peer research tutors and access services staff responded to 9,300
requests for assistance via the Ask a Librarian chat widget, a nearly 50%
increase compared to the same time period in the previous year.
Technical services
Many library staff spent
time figuring out the new library management and discovery systems,
including resolving issues following migration, learning new workflows and
setting up new functions for staff and patron use. The Technical Services team developed and configured a new import profile process for two major ebook vendors, which cut roughly two days off the average turnaround time. This new process allowed for more quick and effective access to needed ebooks for patrons at a time when they weren't able to visit the library in person.
Special Collections and
Archives
Over the past year Special Collections and Archives worked on several new projects and collaborations that focused on student learning and enhancing online access to collections. Department staff partnered with the HumanitiesX Collaborative on a new internship course, the DePaul Documentary Corps. Led by HumanitiesX Faculty Director Lisa Dush, the program teaches students oral history and gives them the opportunity to conduct, transcribe and edit remote interviews.
The SPCA team also worked to digitize and preserve legacy audio-visual materials. After digitization by a
vendor, SPCA student assistants worked on a remote project to assess and
describe the content of over 450 file. After a year of work, more than 300 hours of content can
now be viewed by researchers. Student assistants also are working on a large-scale remote project to input archives collection
information into ArchivesSpace,
a web-based information management system. This project will provide researchers
with online access to search across all archives collections in SPCA.
Collection Development
Department
For a department that spent much of its time maintaining our physical collection, the shift to remote work was full of unknowns. The small department started with its policies, removing barriers and focusing on access to online materials for faculty and students. The team coordinated with other departments to launch the largest trial and temporary access period the library has ever done, allowing patrons to access a multitude of resources in a remote environment.
The team saw a huge demand for streaming video. In response, the team took steps over the past year to improve the library's streaming video collection, promoting what DePaul already has and subscribing to resources patrons need.
Access Service Department
The majority of direct, face-to-face interactions in the library today are facilitated by the Access Services team. Borrowing library materials and equipment, requesting interlibrary loan and I-share materials, course reserves and access to library facilities is made possible by the work of these staff. Although services and access to library facilities may now be limited, the Access Services team has continued throughout this period to provide remote and onsite service to the DePaul community.
Digital Services
This team works
behind the scenes to support colleagues in the library, and this
past year was no exception. DS staff took on the increased number of digitization
requests for audio-visual materials, set up an online reservation system for
reserved study space in the John T. Richardson Library, and ensured all of online information was
updated as services models changed.