Adapting during the Covid-19 pandemic: How the Information Services Desk was (and still is!) managed remotely

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic affected the services at Dahlgren Memorial Library (DML), especially the Information Services Desk, where our student assistants perform circulation desk duties in person. Once the pandemic began in March 2020, the Information Services Desk was closed until the summer of 2021. The majority of the library staff were allowed to work remotely full-time until starting a hybrid schedule in the Fall of 2021. However, the student assistants were allowed to return to work at the Information Services Desk during the summer of 2021. This article explores how the Information Services Desk student assistants were managed by their supervisor remotely and the challenges that were faced.

Keywords:

• Circulation desk
• management
• remote management
• remote work
• telework

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge and thank the DML senior leadership [Jett McCann, Senior Associate Dean & Director; Linda Van Keuren and Douglas Varner, Assistant Deans] who fought to keep student staff employed and engaged during the pandemic, and for access to services and resources was available without a break. Also, to thank the wonderful DML student assistants.