Presenter: Franciszek Skalski, Junior Librarian (University of Warsaw Library, Poland)
Abstract:
I will show how work of the University of Warsaw Library (UWL) has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the first lockdown in March 2020 until the reopening of the library in May 2021.
During the first lockdown, the UWL had to face a total change of the work – home office, new policies on documents delivery and loan services, new regulations of digital lending, dealing with health restrictions, and several decisions on how to prepare the library to reopen.
I will present the whole flow of information between the UWL and our patrons through website, and social media channels, as well as the establishment and work of the temporary circulation desk from May to October 2020. Circulation services required special conditions and regulations in that period, including the quarantine of returned books.
The situation was very unstable. During the pandemic in Poland, we witnessed three lockdowns. The UWL was reopening and closing, which forced the staff to react dynamically.
A work rotating system between home office and the library building, introduction of the “self-service” hours for our patrons, or modification of library regulations have been just a few of a big number of modifications and improvements introduced by the UWL authorities.
In my presentation, I will take the audience on an adventurous journey through three lockdowns that affected the library, but did not affect our users.
I will also describe the work during a second lockdown in November 2020, the characteristic of the work in the home office/stationary work rotating system in the period between December 2020 and beginning of April 2021. How the work and regulations changed after the second lockdown, the comparison of the work in a temporary circulation desk between December 2020 and April 2021: which ideas and regulations remained, and which were abandoned or changed.
Furthermore, I will show the specification of the loan service in April 2021, when the third lockdown was announced, and the UWL introduced “self-service” hours.
We will end the journey at the final reopening of the library in May 2021, that brought decisions to regular changes in our work in a new reality, after the sanitary crisis of COVID-19.
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