Despite the pandemic roller-coaster, at the Library the show must go on

Peter Kenneally Librarian Melbourne Polytechnic

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.

They stand too close together, and one of them thinks it will be funny to say 'Yeah I’ve got it, I’m gunna sneeze on ya!’

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 observe social distancing. Then they get a wristband to affirm that they have affirmed.

We spend a lot of time discussing things like: how many screens do you need to feel protected at the service desk? Three is the answer. We field many enquiries about how to use Moodle, how to use Zoom, whether we are open. Do we have this or that book as an eBook?

A constant stream of people want to use our library because their public or university library is closed. They wouldn’t be able to borrow, or use the wifi, or the computers. They just want to be somewhere that isn’t their house. Sadly, the answer always has to be no.

A music lecturer returns a huge pile of books and we chat about online teaching. ‘They are often more present than they were in person: but it’s like being at the top of a mountain and shouting down at the students in the valley below,’ he says. It’s a delightful interchange.

A group of apprentices come in, full of unconcern. They stand too close together, and one of them thinks it will be funny to say 'Yeah I’ve got it, I’m gunna sneeze on ya!’ This is less delightful.

On Thursday 16 July, the approach to masks on campus follows the Victorian Chief Health Officer’s direction: if physical distancing can be maintained, masks are not required.

But on Sunday 19 July, everything changes. Again. For the next few weeks I’ll be wearing a mask for eight hours. I am a librarian. •

Image: Jessica Ruscello/Unsplash