Greetings! I am writing to you from an absolutely empty Guerrieri Academic Commons. Normally, during the last week of the semester, the library throbs with the intensity of students finishing papers, wrapping up projects, and frantically reviewing for finals. But COVID-19 has turned our library – and our university, state, nation and world – upside down.
Every academic department at SU has a librarian assigned to it as a liaison responsible for providing instruction on the use of library resources for the department’s students, ordering books and other materials to support teaching, and helping students and faculty with research questions. In addition, students can typically get help at the Research Desk, which is part of the Library Service Desk in the Guerrieri Academic Commons.
The Collection Management Department in the SU Libraries handles acquiring, processing and making accessible books, journals, databases, films and other materials. It is a “behind-the-scenes" department whose work undergirds much of what the Libraries do.
Our curator, Melinda McPeek, and our technology librarian, Chris Woodall, recently worked together to create online versions of three exhibits from the Guerrieri Academic Commons, two having to do with SU’s history and one with Eastern Shore baseball. We also have quite a few manuscript collections and books (including genealogical books) that we have put online lately at the Internet Archive.
While many of our materials are online, print materials continue to be used. Indeed, studies show that students prefer to study using print books rather than electronic, but that is a story for another day. For now, with campus buildings closed and students and faculty scattered all over, our Access Services staff – Amy Jones, Natasha Finnegan, Cassy Lewis and Susie Ruddy – have stepped up to help people get whatever print materials they need.
With the closing of campus and the SU Libraries’ physical locations, many of our student workers and part-time staff members could have been thrown out of work, since their jobs often entail working at our public service desks.
The last week of the semester and exam period typically are very tense times for students, as they scramble to finish papers and projects and study for final exams. Over the years, the Libraries have developed an array of programs to help students relax a bit and do their best – the Finals Fairy, coffee and treats, yoga, games, and similar activities.
While most of our attention is focused on serving our students, faculty and staff, we also, being history-minded, are looking to serve future researchers. To that end, the SU Libraries have established a COVID-19 archive as part of the SU University Archives in the Nabb Center.
This spring, the Guerrieri Academic Commons is hosting two wonderful exhibits relating to baseball created by SU Libraries staff in the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture.
Looking for some geeky fun? Thanks primarily to the efforts of local history archivist Ian Post, the Nabb Center is providing some entertainment.