This post was written by Kimberley R. Barker.

Over the course of the last year, most people and institutions have had to rethink how they move through the world; from grocery shopping to transportation, as well as processing the pressures of social distancing and quarantining, the past year has been a logistical and emotional challenge. The Health Sciences Library, on both an organizational and individual level, faced those same challenges. Thanks to technology and the desire to maintain our high level of service, we're happy to know that we met (and in some cases, exceeded) our own standards. Our staff has taught classes, assisted with research projects, processed Interlibrary Loan requests, answered questions, ensured access to our collections, conducted systematic reviews, and completed the many other tasks that make up our contributions to UVA Health- and we did all of this while Grounds was closed. 

The Library was closed, and yet the Library was open.

The shift in our thinking began there, but that's not where it ended.

This isn't meant to be a braggy post about our work over the last year; instead, it's meant to provide insight into our reflection about what it means to be "open" and what it means to be "closed" and how that will affect our communications. In Pre-COVID/Quarantine Times, when we announced that the Library would be "closed", it meant both that staff would not be present and that most of the Library would be inaccessible to the UVA Health community. Now, in the Middle(?)-Pandemic Times, we realize that instead of thinking in terms of "closed" and "open", it makes more sense (given the changes in how we serve you), to think in terms of whether library services and library spaces are "available" or "unavailable".  Fittingly, it was the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, a time meant for solemn reflection and remembrance, which brought this idea to the forefront of our minds once again.

The limitations that the pandemic placed on the Library ultimately led to greater openness; for instance, "the 24-Hour area" used to indicate a small section of the Library which hosts UVA Health computers and few other amenities; now, though, in an effort to better serve our community, "the 24-Hour area" has expanded to include ALL of the Library, excepting the Cabell Room and the Library's staff areas. Every other space is available to those who have a UVA Health identification badge, meaning that you can study in the booths in the lobby if you like, or claim a table in the quiet study area overlooking JPA. Do you prefer to stick to the original 24-Hour space so that you can have access to the HIT computers? You got it. You can even choose to set up in the MILL, the open concept area downstairs with its brightly-colored walls and furniture on wheels.

The Library staff who work at the Service Desk are now there from 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday (and the librarians follow basically the same schedule), which is a change from Pre-Pandemic Times. The coverage change also reflected public health policy in terms of social distancing, and its continuance is based on years' worth of gate counts and patron interaction data. 

Given all of this, and in our never-ending search for precision (we ARE a LIBRARY, after all!), you'll notice a change in how we communicate the Library's status to you:

If Library services are available, it means that staff will be physically present.

If Library services are NOT available, it means that staff will not be at work either onsite or remotely.

In either case, because most of the Library space has been designated 24-Hour access, it WILL be available to those with UVA Health identification cards.

So, on Monday, May 31st, when Memorial Day will be observed, Library services will not be available but the physical space will (with your UVA Health badge).

We hope that this information helps. If you have questions, please contact Dan Wilson, Associate Director for Collections & Library Services / School of Nursing Librarian: dtw2t@virginia.edu
 

On Thursday, May 20th, the 24-hour section of the Library that has hosted saliva testing will close and undergo a deep cleaning; it will reopen for regular Library use on Monday, May 24th. 

The Library has hosted saliva testing for the last four months, serving as a convenient location for those who needed testing. Now, saliva testing is moving to the Student Activities Building (SAB) off Alderman Road near Scott Stadium. Parking is available onsite. Please visit the Be SAFE website for information about current testing locations, dates, and times.

Beginning on Tuesday, May 25th, tests will be conducted at the Student Activities Building (SAB) off of Alderman Road near Scott Stadium. PLEASE NOTE: this will serve as the sole testing site for saliva testing. Parking is available on site. For information about current testing locations, dates, and times, please visit the Be SAFE website. To schedule an appointment for an asymptomatic COVID test, click this link: https://time2test.sites.virginia.edu/ 

If you have questions about this information, please contact Dan Wilson, Associate Director for Collections & Library Services: dtw2t@virginia.edu

Catherine Nguyen, Marketing and Communications Strategist Intern,
Health Sciences Library, 2020-2021

This post was written by Catherine Nguyen and edited by Kimberley Barker.

My role as the Marketing and Communications Strategist Intern for the Health Sciences Library (through the Internship Placement Program) has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences I have had as a student at the University of Virginia. The fact that my first-ever internship was remote and during a pandemic truly makes it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Before being an intern, I was a Global Environmental & Sustainability Studies and Youth & Social Innovation double-major and I had trouble narrowing what I wanted to do career-wise because of my many interests. My supportive and talented supervisor, Kimberley Barker, Librarian for Digital Life, helped me find my path: public health, specifically healthcare communications. 

Kimberley taught me the importance of audience segmentation, tailoring content depending on the different media platforms, and communicating the intended message via methods beyond text, pictures, graphics, or infographics. I practiced these skills by searching public health news sites to grab the most informative and evidenced-based articles on COVID-19 and healthcare inequities to include on the Library's social media accounts. When I wasn't collecting resources, I was exploring Canva in order to create bold, colorful posts about the Library's many resources. 

Effective communication is vital at the best of times; with the pandemic, it became even more so. Two of the biggest questions the Library faced were whether patrons were aware of its extensive available resources, and if the diverse group of patrons received that message through the Library's different social media platforms. I responded to them by determining on which platforms patrons were and delivering the message to them, through specifically chosen newsletter list-serves, and reaching out to various UVA medical and nursing student social media accounts to spread the message. From here, we wanted to dive deeper and determine whether the Library effectively used different social media platforms to reach the Library's audience. To do this, Kimberley developed a month-long research project in which I monitored and analyzed the social media presences of 14 member libraries belonging to the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL). 

From this experience, I was able to observe social media communication strategies and content types, the subject of most being information about library-provided resources such as classes, services, and databases. This was not a surprise but what DID strike me (given the huge impact of the pandemic on BIPOC) was the other libraries' lack of resources for patrons on the topics of healthcare equity/disparities, disability justice, and contemporary health issues that include the effects of climate change and environmental racism on the most marginalized communities in public health. Because our Health Sciences Library DOES provide resources on the topics and posts about them regularly on social media, I had assumed that others would, too. Seeing this lack in other libraries made me realize that accessing the material )and even being aware of these crucial topics) is a huge issue. Having personally experienced some of these critical public health topics in how they have impacted my family and my own health experiences, I realize how critical it is that practitioners and healthcare workers understand these issues and their vital implications-  which is why I want to pursue a career in healthcare communications. 

Through my internship experience, I developed my voice, niche interests, and a new sense of confidence that I never knew I had and will continue to carry for the rest of my life.

Biography

Catherine Nguyen is a rising third-year student at the University of Virginia pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with a concentration in Environment & Sustainability and a Bachelor of Science in Education: Youth & Social Innovation. She is also minoring in Urban and Environmental Planning. Catherine is a first-generation college student from Dalton, GA, and is a Questbridge Scholar. When she isn’t working or studying, she loves to play with her dogs and cats, discover new music, explore different restaurants, read, and dedicate her time to social justice-related causes.