While Working Remotely, Einstein's Library Staff Are Virtually Present
An Einstein SHOUTout goes to the staff of the D. Samuel Gottesman Library for their amazing display of can-do during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though librarians and support staff members are working remotely, the library’s virtual doors are wide open!
![The library staff, virtually: (top row, from left) Aurelia Minuti, Nancy Glassman, and Karen Sorensen; (second row, from left) Florence Schreibstein, David Jones, Patti LaPadula, and Maggie Doyle; (third row, from left) Winifred King, Rachel Schwartz, and Umeka Dandridge; and (bottom row, from left)
Latrina Keith and Racheline Habousha. Not pictured: Nakia Beazer, Lydia Boyce, Nicholas Lorenz, Jo Ann McLaughlin, and Lillian Vergara.]()
The library staff, virtually: (top row, from left) Aurelia Minuti, Nancy Glassman, and Karen Sorensen; (second row, from left) Florence Schreibstein, David Jones, Patti LaPadula, and Maggie Doyle; (third row, from left) Winifred King, Rachel Schwartz, and Umeka Dandridge; and (bottom row, from left) Latrina Keith and Racheline Habousha. Not pictured: Nakia Beazer, Lydia Boyce, Nicholas Lorenz, Jo Ann McLaughlin, and Lillian Vergara.
With so many library resources already digital, you may think it was easy to move the whole library online. But that wasn’t so. “To keep our services running remotely, we had to make sure all 15 of our staff members had laptops or iPads they could use to work from home,” said Nancy Glassman, assistant director of the library. “Many staff members needed loaners. Thankfully, we had some we could take out of our training room.”
Making Important Connections
The next obstacle was making sure each staff member could access the College of Medicine’s network from home. “I spent the better part of a day working with Montefiore IT on getting everyone connected,” said Racheline Habousha, library director. “Thanks to their efforts, our team members can each provide services remotely.”
Whenever problems arose, the library staff formed their own mutual support network. Staff members worked with Einstein IT to diagnose problems they couldn’t solve on their own. “IT was helpful and made sure it got done,” said Racheline.
Finally, to assure seamless service, the library staff created an on-duty schedule for its remote employees to assure that both circulation and reference services were accessible during the typical time frames usually available when the library is open. To connect with a library staff member who can help you find what you seek, simply text, email, or chat, and they’ll be there for you. (To initiate a chat, look for the widget that appears on the library website’s landing page or on most subject guides.)
Librarians can also provide consultations and training via Zoom. And, remember, for those on campus, the Beren Study Center is still accessible 24/7, with physical distancing recommended at all times.
Access to Critical COVID-19 Resources
In support of the COVID-19 patient care being offered by members of the Einstein community and research projects underway, the College of Medicine librarians have curated a collection of COVID-19 resources. New items are added as librarians become aware of them and are organized by categories including point of care, research, data, evidence-based medicine/systematic reviews, telehealth guidance, and psychology, for ease in finding information you may be seeking.
Posted on: Friday, May 01, 2020