The pandemic upended everyone’s lives at Trinity College, challenging us to rethink how we teach, learn, and work. Trinity staff and faculty put in long hours under stressful circumstances. This slideshow provides a few snapshots of the ways people in the Library & Information Technology Services division adapted to life and work during COVID-19.
The Beginning of a Pandemic
In mid-March 2020, staff left Trinity on a Friday, and could not return on Monday. The Trinity campus scrambled to provide all teaching, learning, and administration from homes. While staff hoped to return to normal soon, remote restrictions lasted longer than expected. Efforts to "flatten the curve" failed despite nationwide lockdowns.
The Beginning of a Pandemic
In mid-March 2020, staff left Trinity on a Friday, and could not return on Monday. The Trinity campus scrambled to provide all teaching, learning, and administration from homes. While staff hoped to return to normal soon, remote restrictions lasted longer than expected. Efforts to "flatten the curve" failed despite nationwide lockdowns.
Maintaining Crucial Services In Spring and Summer 2020, the Trinity community accessed library materials through self-checkout and self-pickup services. The Library & IT Desk never stopped answering the constant influx of phone calls, tickets, and emails, the ID Card office went virtual, and Interlibrary Loan expanded services to help other colleges. Both webcams and toilet paper were scarce!
Maintaining Crucial Services
In Spring and Summer 2020, the Trinity community accessed library materials through self-checkout and self-pickup services. The Library & IT Desk never stopped answering the constant influx of phone calls, tickets, and emails, the ID Card office went virtual, and Interlibrary Loan expanded services to help other colleges. Both webcams and toilet paper were scarce!
Digitizing Library Collections for Remote Access In Summer 2020, digitization began in earnest: a special workflow was developed to digitize book chapters and articles for coursepacks and reserves. Using this new workflow, 243 chapters and articles were digitized for Fall 2020 and 165 for Spring 2021. 780 films were digitized for courses between March 1, 2020 and May 20, 2021. Student staff were vital to this effort and to staffing the Library & IT Desk.
Digitizing Library Collections for Remote Access
In Summer 2020, digitization began in earnest: a special workflow was developed to digitize book chapters and articles for coursepacks and reserves. Using this new workflow, 243 chapters and articles were digitized for Fall 2020 and 165 for Spring 2021. 780 films were digitized for courses between March 1, 2020 and May 20, 2021. Student staff were vital to this effort and to staffing the Library & IT Desk.
Re-imagining Fall Teaching and Learning The Research, Instruction, Technology department, along with the Center for Teaching and Learning, sponsored a 4-week series called the July Design Studio where an outside consultant provided training and instruction to faculty on online learning. Over 100 faculty participated in this series, and RIT provided 20 in-depth workshops on such topics as Moodle, Zoom, and accessibility.
Re-imagining Fall Teaching and Learning
The Research, Instruction, Technology department, along with the Center for Teaching and Learning, sponsored a 4-week series called the July Design Studio where an outside consultant provided training and instruction to faculty on online learning. Over 100 faculty participated in this series, and RIT provided 20 in-depth workshops on such topics as Moodle, Zoom, and accessibility.
Reconfiguring Learning Spaces Learning spaces needed extensive modification to accommodate physical distancing and occupancy limits. John Dlugosz, Learning Space Manager, worked with others on campus to modify layouts to allow for 6-ft desk spacing, retrofit non-traditional classrooms to accommodate instruction, and install webcams, microphones, speakers, and camera switchers.
Reconfiguring Learning Spaces
Learning spaces needed extensive modification to accommodate physical distancing and occupancy limits. John Dlugosz, Learning Space Manager, worked with others on campus to modify layouts to allow for 6-ft desk spacing, retrofit non-traditional classrooms to accommodate instruction, and install webcams, microphones, speakers, and camera switchers.
Zoom Reseach, Instruction, Technology staff were instrumental in assisting faculty with the use of Zoom as new primary teaching environment. By September 2021, all classrooms were designed to facilitate teaching over Zoom, including spaces such as Cinestudio. Cheryl Cape (on screen) and John Dlugosz (at the podium) are shown in late-August preparations.
Zoom
Reseach, Instruction, Technology staff were instrumental in assisting faculty with the use of Zoom as new primary teaching environment. By September 2021, all classrooms were designed to facilitate teaching over Zoom, including spaces such as Cinestudio. Cheryl Cape (on screen) and John Dlugosz (at the podium) are shown in late-August preparations.
A New Approach to Teaching & Learning
Taking precautions, schools reopened for the first time in Fall 2020 with a hybrid of online and in-person learning, as COVID-19 became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in late August. Trinity College also opened, with the majority of students choosing to come to campus with social distancing restrictions and regular COVID-19 testing requirements.
A New Approach to Teaching & Learning
Taking precautions, schools reopened for the first time in Fall 2020 with a hybrid of online and in-person learning, as COVID-19 became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in late August. Trinity College also opened, with the majority of students choosing to come to campus with social distancing restrictions and regular COVID-19 testing requirements.
Librarians Ready to Help Between March 2020 and June 2021, librarians conducted 530 research appointments over Zoom to assist and support Trinity students studying around the world. Librarians, who all worked from home, guided students on researching remotely, finding articles for their papers, citing their sources, refining topics, and more - in all disciplines.
Librarians Ready to Help
Between March 2020 and June 2021, librarians conducted 530 research appointments over Zoom to assist and support Trinity students studying around the world. Librarians, who all worked from home, guided students on researching remotely, finding articles for their papers, citing their sources, refining topics, and more - in all disciplines.
Exhibits
Watkinson Library continued to mark important occasions in the life of the College community through a combination of physical and digitally-mediated exhibits, including Black History Month, Pride Month, and 50 Years of Co-education at Trinity College.
Exhibits
Watkinson Library continued to mark important occasions in the life of the College community through a combination of physical and digitally-mediated exhibits, including Black History Month, Pride Month, and 50 Years of Co-education at Trinity College.
Maintaining a Strong Leadership Tradition
In October 2020, CIO and VP Sue Aber retired six months later than originally planned in order to support the College as part of the COVID-19 Steering Committee. Sue joined Trinity College in 2010 and led the Library & IT departments into a newly-merged service model. When COVID-19 arrived, she quickly mobilized staff to transition to remote service so that key college operations could continue. After Sue’s retirement, Fred Kass took over as Interim CIO, adapting to daily unanticipated challenges to ensure uninterrupted teaching and learning.
Maintaining a Strong Leadership Tradition
In October 2020, CIO and VP Sue Aber retired six months later than originally planned in order to support the College as part of the COVID-19 Steering Committee. Sue joined Trinity College in 2010 and led the Library & IT departments into a newly-merged service model. When COVID-19 arrived, she quickly mobilized staff to transition to remote service so that key college operations could continue. After Sue’s retirement, Fred Kass took over as Interim CIO, adapting to daily unanticipated challenges to ensure uninterrupted teaching and learning.
Finally a Vaccine
In December 2020 the first vaccines received approval and began to be administered in the United States. It would take several more months to roll out the vaccine to the entire population, but relief was on the way.
December 20, 2020: Finally, a Vaccine
In December 2020 the first vaccines received approval and began to be administered in the United States. It would take several more months to roll out the vaccine to the entire population, but relief was on the way.
WITT: January 2021 Some yearly LITS events continued as usual, but in a virtual setting. The Research, Instruction, Technology group sponsored their annual Winter Institute on Technology and Teaching in January. The sessions covered “Equity in Hybrid Instruction” and “Best Practices in Remote Instruction.” Each event drew over 50 participants.
WITT: January 2021
Some yearly LITS events continued as usual, but in a virtual setting. The Research, Instruction, Technology group sponsored their annual Winter Institute on Technology and Teaching in January. The sessions covered “Equity in Hybrid Instruction” and “Best Practices in Remote Instruction.” Each event drew over 50 participants.
Living During the PandemicDespite the circumstances, many LITS staff found moments of joy with family and in everyday life. Pictured: Yoli Bergstrom-Lynch (Research, Instruction, and Outreach Librarian) ensured her daughters Zora and Maia kept up with their home schooling; Mary Mahoney (Digital Scholarship Coordinator) married Anna Newman in a small ceremony in June 2020; Christina Bleyer (Director of Special Collections and Archives, Watkinson Library Special Collections) welcomed Dominic Charles in January 2021!
Living During the Pandemic
Despite the circumstances, many LITS staff found moments of joy with family and in everyday life. Pictured: Yoli Bergstrom-Lynch (Research, Instruction, and Outreach Librarian) ensured her daughters Zora and Maia kept up with their home schooling; Mary Mahoney (Digital Scholarship Coordinator) married Anna Newman in a small ceremony in June 2020; Christina Bleyer (Director of Special Collections and Archives, Watkinson Library Special Collections) welcomed Dominic Charles in January 2021!
Increased Information Security Multi-factor authentication (MFA) was rolled out to all Trinity staff between July 15-Jan 31. 840 Trinity employees completed Security awareness training during March and April 2021. Two Trinity students completed their IT Leadership & Security internships between February and May 6 2021.
Increased Information Security
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) was rolled out to all Trinity staff between July 15-Jan 31. 840 Trinity employees completed Security awareness training during March and April 2021. Two Trinity students completed their IT Leadership & Security internships between February and May 6 2021.
Information Systems OverhaulsMany Trinity operating procedures changed during the pandemic, requiring corresponding programming changes: allowing students to take classes pass/fail for Spring 2020 with an option to omit spring 2020 in GPA; combining terms, such as Fall 2020 and January 2021; accommodating alternative learning spaces and reduced room capacities; providing all employees with additional sick time; processing refunds for housing and meal plans; CARES fund distribution; staff furlough processing; implementing CoVerified testing platform; and many others.
Information Systems Overhauls
Many Trinity operating procedures changed during the pandemic, requiring corresponding programming changes: allowing students to take classes pass/fail for Spring 2020 with an option to omit spring 2020 in GPA; combining terms, such as Fall 2020 and January 2021; accommodating alternative learning spaces and reduced room capacities; providing all employees with additional sick time; processing refunds for housing and meal plans; CARES fund distribution; staff furlough processing; implementing CoVerified testing platform; and many others.
Subscribing to more digital content
The library devoted an unprecedented amount of its budget to digital content to accommodate distance learning. We purchased millions of ebooks through HathiTrust, ProjectMuse, and Oxford Handbook collections, and licensed more than 30,000 streaming videos through Kanopy film services.
Subscribing to More Digital Content
The library devoted an unprecedented amount of its budget to digital content to accommodate distance learning. We purchased millions of ebooks through HathiTrust, ProjectMuse, and Oxford Handbook collections and licensed more than 30,000 streaming videos through Kanopy film services.
Building Watkinson's Collections
Throughout the pandemic, Watkinson Library continued to build distinctive collections that would serve both the Trinity College community and the larger public, adding close to 1000 new rare books to its print holdings and more than 500 manuscripts to its archives.
Building Watkinson's Collections
Throughout the pandemic, Watkinson Library continued to build distinctive collections that would serve both the Trinity College community and the larger public, adding close to 1000 new rare books to its print holdings and more than 500 manuscripts to its archives.
Better Than Normal During Commencement, Hartford HealthCare President and CEO Jeffrey A. Flaks said: “The pandemic has taught us that we can’t go back to the way things were, nor should we want to.” During the Summer of 2021, Trinity welcomed Kristen Eshleman, a new VP for Library and Information Technology Services, while staff, faculty and students prepared for a return to an in-person Fall semester to continue innovating for a new, better normal.
Better Than Normal
During Commencement, Hartford HealthCare President and CEO Jeffrey A. Flaks said: “The pandemic has taught us that we can’t go back to the way things were, nor should we want to.” During the Summer of 2021, Trinity welcomed Kristen Eshleman, a new VP for Library and Information Technology Services, while staff, faculty and students prepared for a return to an in-person Fall semester to continue innovating for a new, better normal.
