Here to Help

At the Library, we have dozens of customer service experts who make it easy for students, faculty and researchers to access Library materials on a daily basis. With little notice, they had to pivot from supporting in-person needs to providing remote services for thousands of Tritons when the pandemic closed the Library in March 2020. Meet two individuals who were some of many at the forefront of these shifts and who helped make it possible for patrons to seamlessly access information resources while learning, teaching and researching remotely.

Rachel Conry

Rachel Conry: Service Operations Strategist

Describe your role at the Library.

My job is to think about how to provide exceptional services and seamless experiences to our users, and how to assess and improve as needs and circumstances change. I work with a large team of extremely dedicated people who provide frontline services and behind-the-scenes operational support for borrowing activities, course reserves, study spaces, de-stress activities and so much more.

Why was Curbside Pickup established and what were some of the challenges/ successes of the program?

Campus Curbside Pickup was born from the pandemic in response to our building closures, but it has provided a level of convenience we have long wished to offer. The early days were logistically tricky because Geisel Library doesn’t exactly have a convenient “curbside” near its front entrance. The greatest success has been partnering with Transportation Services to use their contactless Campus Curbside located at the Osler Parking Structure. We were quite thrilled to once again facilitate access to our print collections and have received overwhelmingly positive responses about the service.

What was required behind the scenes in order to make Curbside Pickup possible?

Creative thinking, collaboration, a bit of programming magic and the fearlessness to try and to fail. My team values continuous improvement and gathers feedback constantly, both from users and our own staff. Having the courage to challenge our own preconceptions, and the resilience to pivot accordingly, is what makes the Library’s Spaces, Lending and Access Program such a dynamic force.

How do you think the pandemic will affect the future of libraries?

I think user expectations for virtual spaces have changed in meaningful ways over the last year, and libraries will have to focus on harmonizing virtual services and engagement with the activities that take place in the physical environment. We also heard loud and clear that library spaces are a highly valued component of student success, so I think we will continue to put a lot of effort into enhancing our spaces to increase opportunities for community, collaborative learning, exploration and discovery.

What is one thing about your role that might surprise Library users?

Real human beings read Library billing appeals! We have heard every story imaginable, from ultra-descriptive intestinal trouble (TMI, folks!) to “the dog ate my textbook.” There is really no need to make up a wild story, so don’t be afraid to ask us for help.

What is a surprising fact about you?

I do not get fussy about movies “ruining” my favorite books. I love to watch film adaptations of my favorite stories, and sometimes I’ll even read something just because I know it will be made into a film. I actually derive smug enjoyment from understanding the depth behind the story that the casual viewer may not recognize.

Contact Rachel: rconry@ucsd.edu

Joel Scott

Joel Scott: Customer Experience Specialist

Describe your role at the Library.

I’m a member of the new Customer Experience Unit in the Library’s Spaces, Lending and Access Program. I do my best to answer all questions that we get in person and online, and I connect people with librarians when necessary to meet their research needs.

What’s different about the new Ask Us portal and how can it better address student needs?

Before the new Ask Us portal, (lib.ucsd.edu/ask-us) we didn’t have an easily navigable space or central repository of frequently asked questions. The new portal brings together our help content in one place and is constantly evolving to meet the needs of users.

What is one of the most frequently asked questions you’ve received from students throughout the pandemic?

“How can I check out books if the Library is closed?” While students cannot visit the Library to browse our collections in person, Library materials can be requested remotely through our website and retrieved from the contactless Campus Curbside at the Osler Parking Structure. Furthermore, access to hundreds of thousands of copyrighted materials belonging to UC San Diego’s physical collections, in addition to millions of digitized public domain volumes, have been made temporarily available via HathiTrust due to the pandemic.

How do you think the pandemic will affect the future of libraries?

I think we have learned a lot about how helpful online services can be, but we have also heard from many people who truly miss visiting the Library and seeing actual books in person. Libraries will likely continue the trend toward more online services to meet the needs of users, but I don’t see physical collections or library study spaces completely disappearing.

What is one thing about your role that might surprise Library users?

Working from home is not always as easy as it might seem. Once I was in a chat session with a student and my cat jumped in my lap and demanded my attention. It takes amazing multitasking skills to pacify kitties and answer chat questions at the same time.

What is a surprising fact about you?

I have become more than a little bit addicted to chess during the pandemic. I had not played much since college, but when my supervisor showed me an Eric Rosen YouTube chess video, it reminded me how much fun it can be.