LIBRARIANS
MEMBER STORIES
Despite the pandemic roller-coaster, at the Library the show must go on It’s the third week of March. I am on my way to work in the library at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Prahran campus. The tram is empty, the city is empty, the train is empty. There are almost no teachers or students to be seen. TAFEs are an essential service and will remain open, including the campus libraries, in line with the latest advice from Australia’s Chief Medical Officer and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer. During the day we take away half the chairs and put up health department posters about COVID-19 as well as our own, more urgent ones. A week or two later I am working at Fairfield, one of the three campus libraries that now remain open, for students who are homeless, or have no computer, or no internet, to continue with their studies; and for students whose courses cannot be taught remotely. I ask to work from home: it is approved. My last act on campus is to go around with a black texta and cross out the sentence ‘Shaking hands is optional’ on all the posters that were only put up a week ago.
Peter Kenneally Librarian Melbourne Polytechnic
I work from home for eight weeks or so, and then I am back on campus. There is plenty of hand sanitiser and many gloves. Physical distancing is in place. Everyone who comes on to campus has to affirm that they haven’t got any symptoms, don’t think they have been in contact with anyone who does, haven’t returned from overseas within the last 14 days, and promise to
To tell your COVID-19 story to the NTEU member community, please contact Helena Spyrou
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AUGUST 2020
