The U of M Libraries' COVID-19 response

Libraries staff have been managing through many changes in the last six months, the most recent being the re-opening of our four main University of Minnesota Libraries — Wilson, Walter, Health Sciences, and Magrath. Now, some staff no longer work from home, yet others continue to do so — while providing critical online services for students and faculty.

Annie's been busy this week in socially distanced dance rehearsals, swapping books, making cheese, and volunteering at the YWCA in Minneapolis.

A few weeks ago, I tried out the Suggest a Purchase feature on the University Libraries website. This week, I received an email informing me that the book I suggested was now available to read online through the library catalog. I am excited to start Ryan La Sala’s Reverie, a young adult fantasy novel about gay teenagers and dreams becoming real.

The Libraries and the SMART Learning Commons offer a wide variety of student services — including support for podcasting, video production, research papers, and tutoring services. Most services this fall will be online, although some media services will be available by appointment at Walter Library.

I am about to start a podcast from the New York Times called Nice White Parents, which was recommended to me by a friend. We are both future educators, and the podcast examines how race and specifically whiteness operate in public education. I look forward to expanding explorations that began in courses I have taken as part of the DirecTrack to Teaching program.

This week I am grateful for warm weather and safe, fulfilling ways to interact with family, friends, and the university community.

Libraries Student Journalist Annie Hoffman is looking forward to senior year, brainstorming topics for her Honors thesis while "getting more and more excited to learn, to challenge myself, and to work for positive change on campus and beyond."

Annie is a member of Equity, Accountability, Redistribution — a group of white, Minnesota-based writers committed to using our collective privilege and capital to resource and support writers of color and indigenous writers in our community.

During our buildings closure, the Libraries’ patrons cannot come in. Yet, the Libraries “are a very social place; they are the heart of the campus,” says Kate McCready, Interim Associate University Librarian for Content & Collections. “So to not have our users here? The next best thing is getting us out to them.”

For University of Minnesota Libraries’ staff, stresses resulting from working from home were compounded by witnessing the tragic death of George Floyd and the protests that followed. Sensing distress, member of the Resilience Champions network in the Libraries are reaching out to help.

After our buildings closed in mid-March, faculty and students benefited from the Libraries’ wealth of electronic resources, including those opened up by emergency access to Hathi Trust. Yet, as time went on, it became clear that many people needed print materials. On June 15, digital and mail access to print re-opened.

As we mourn George Floyd’s death and try to honor his life through opposing violent policing and systemic racism, it is essential that white people like me make meaningful commitments to antiracist work. If you are white and unsure of where to begin, these books are all a good place to start.

In the style of a jazz trio, Cecily Marcus, Maura Coonan, and Jessica Abbazio created an Archives Q & A conversation video for the MUS 5611 research methods class. From describing what an archive is, to offering tips and outlining search strategies, the trio welcomes students into a world with a different tempo and perhaps surprising expectations.

Post-Spring Semester, Annie Hoffman — the Libraries Student Journalist — has spent time drawing, watching episodes of "The West Wing," and reading "S," a book by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst.

Even though our buildings have been closed since March 18, 2020, in response to the health threat of COVID-19, we have remained open. Our librarians and staff, working from home, have been supporting the students, faculty, and staff of  the U community, as well as the public, with electronic resources, online reference, and more.

Hello! Annie Hoffman here, Student Journalist for the Libraries. As spring turns into summer, I am enjoying both the cozy rainy days and the...