Lessons Learned about Working from Home During a Pandemic

Abstract

A survey of 23 questions was sent out to various library related listservs during the fall of 2020 to investigate the unique impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, library technical services departments conducted most, if not all, work in the office. This was mainly because all the necessary equipment, supplies and access to records would prove cumbersome and costly to establish at home. The investigators thus felt as if technical services would experience numerous challenges transitioning to working from home during the pandemic. The results of the survey were mixed. Many but not all elements of technical services tasks were successfully completed at home. Aspects, such as lack of necessary equipment, administrative support and even Wi-Fi made it difficult to completely conduct tasks. In short, investigators found that short-term technical services operations can occur from home. Long term, however, is questionable and dependent upon individual institution’s abilities to financially support technical services. This article hopes to illuminate systematic flaws that create obstacles for technical services employees to work from home. Hopefully, it will also expose critical issues that can be researched in the future.