The Future In My Virtual Hand Shelagh Straughan
W
hile in the past, distance has necessitated the need for some online programming, changes in schools due to COVID-19 protocols during the last two years opened up a virtual world not only of necessity but also of possibility. There are few professions as well prepared and suited to this transition as ours – we are adept at rolling with change. Those of my vintage will remember the cries of “libraries are dead!” with the advent of computers, then Internet, followed by ebooks. Little did people realize that teaching librarians are not only up to the challenge of transitioning, but our work is not dependent upon certain formats or technology. The programs and services we provide remain impactful even as the method of delivery morphs into something new. Teaching librarians have shown remarkable creativity since the abrupt shift in the spring of 2020 and during the long slog of the 2020-21 school year. For those fortunate to retain library programs during the past year, a significant shift has been required of us, resulting in a re-definition of what we knew “virtual” to be. Here’s a bit about what that looked like for us at Trinity College in Port Hope.
32 Ontario School Library Association
Virtual Services Nothing can replace a warm smile greeting students coming into the library, but we tried our best to virtually replicate it by staffing a Google Meet during the academic day. We posted this message prominently on our library website, and it also was included in our school-wide “Where to get help” document. The link was well used by our regulars and students following up on a class visit. It also worked really well for busy teachers who didn’t have time to come to the library, as well as distanced students who were connecting virtually when the rest of us were fortunate to be on campus. I can see this link (or perhaps a live chat feature, similar to academic libraries) being part of our new normal. Library users should have an immediate online option to bookend our in-person presence. Most class visits for research instruction became virtual, with me connecting to a classroom via Google Meet even when we were on campus. Sometimes this was necessary due to capacity issues, sometimes it simplified presentation for a hybrid class. I found that breakout rooms and the chat feature really enhanced my work. Popping into a breakout room allowed for a focused one to one during a busy class, and sharing resource links via chat was very efficient. For example, after guiding Grade 9 Science students through the SIFT source evaluation method, they had time to find and evaluate a web resource. A brave volunteer would share a link through the chat so that as a class, we could SIFT it out together – they are always more
