{"id":5165,"date":"2020-08-03T12:52:02","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T17:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/preservation\/?p=5165"},"modified":"2023-08-07T09:02:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T14:02:53","slug":"the-preservation-student-staff-remote-work-experience-spring-summer-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/2020\/08\/03\/the-preservation-student-staff-remote-work-experience-spring-summer-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"The Preservation Student Staff Remote Work Experience Spring\/Summer 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Zoom<\/a>
Photo caption: Screenshot of one of our recent weekly Zoom group meetings (clockwise from top right: Anna Maga\u00f1<\/span><\/span>a, Candida Pagan, Quentin Kinzy, Sunny Bock, Vanessa Perez)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As <\/span>part time <\/span>interim Preservation Processing Coordinator in the UI Libraries Preservation Department, one of my main duties is to supervise the student staff who <\/span>do the day to day marking <\/span>work<\/span> for new acquisitions and items that need to be reprocessed for one reason or another. From January to early <\/span>spring of this year, we became accustomed to working with one another and revised workflows to adjust to the needs of the department. <\/span>Mid-semester I felt we had reached a smooth operational flow<\/span>;<\/span> tending to marking, rem<\/span>oving outdated information for <\/span>remarking, shrink wrapping, preparing items for long term storage as needed, <\/span>coordinating with circulating book repair to ensure unmarked spines had new titles,<\/span> unpacking and routing rece<\/span>nt returns from the bindery,<\/span> processing items to get them into or back into circulation in a streamlined manner<\/span> \u2013 it all seemed to be moving in stride. <\/span>C<\/span>ue the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just<\/span> before and during the <\/span>week of Spring Break, several students had intended to take time off and did so. <\/span>Others intended to work more than usual<\/span> \u2013 and were introduced to a new set of remote tasks. <\/span>Department staff had quickly compiled several remote work options that could be <\/span>performed online<\/span>.<\/span> With very short notice, the students were informed that they would not be returning to campus after break for classes, or for work. The COVID-19 pandemic<\/span> response <\/span>suddenly<\/span> and necessarily <\/span>disrupted campus life for the entire UI Community. <\/span> Preservation student staff included. Like their peers, the students completed their semester online, and those who were able, continued their work for the department in a radically different wa<\/span>y, entirely new to them. Four students who have continued to work through the summer share their <\/span>experiences<\/span> here. Thank you<\/span> and cheers to you<\/span>, Preservation & Conservation student staff for your flexibility, adaptability, and resilience. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Open<\/a>
Photo Caption: My setup at home is a lot simpler than at the library; here\u2019s my \u2018workstation\u2019 while I look through the ACRL video series. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

 <\/span>March of this year started in the way most months start, at least in Iowa City, so I still remember how odd it was to receive an email the Sunday before spring break letting me know not to come in the next day. I\u2019ve been a student employee at the main library for two years now, and the experience has taught me about processes ranging from marking new materials to shrink wrapping old ones. These tasks, while often done alone, can feel collaborative when around my peers who are working on similar things. I also value the quiet but physical nature of doing things like marking books or re-shelving them; it is a nice way to focus my energy on my hands when so much of my schoolwork takes place on a computer. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, transitioning to remote work has been an adjustment. With the guidance of my supervisors, I\u2019ve worked on projects like cleaning up digital storage and transcribing archival materials. Admittedly, these tasks have taken some getting used to and it\u2019s been a learning curve; this is to be expected. While I am learning new things, the things I\u2019ve been assigned have been fairly comprehensive. The real adjustment for me comes with training myself to focus on a digital task for an extended period of time while the world feels so off-kilter and non-linear. I think a lot of people have felt the loss of structure that they would normally find in different environments. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

W<\/span>hile things are odd, I am grateful for the fact that I still <\/span>have the opportunity to<\/span> work at a time when so many people do <\/span>not or<\/span> cannot do so from the comfort of their homes. <\/span>I do<\/span> like to work with my hands, but there are other ways I can do that <\/span>from home<\/span> with other activities.<\/span> The new tasks I\u2019ve been given have also expanded my knowledge of library workings and have given me more appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes.<\/span> In truth,<\/span> remote work is a big change, but<\/span> it is nice to have something to rely on right now<\/span> and I am interested to see the what kind of remote projects will supplement our physical work in the fall.  <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunny<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"DIY<\/a>
Photo caption: Screenshot of transcription page<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

If I were visited while working at the Main Library (let’s say, back in January), you would have<\/span> had<\/span> no problem locating me at a computer, clicking or scanning and surrounded by carts full of books. <\/span>If I were visited while working remotely now (let’s say, if it were safe), you would still see me sitting at a computer but in a less comfortable chair, without a barcode scanner and its continuous beeping, without a label printer or a barcode duplicator, without a printing station, without an assortment of paper cutting tools, and most <\/span>noticeably<\/span>, without any books.<\/span> A<\/span>s a Student Marking Specialist, my main tasks used to involve working with physical materials and technology, but the transition into entirely remote work on my personal laptop has drastically reimagined my usual <\/span>workflow<\/span> and tasks. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the library, I often encountered old and\/or historical materials and books, but I usually didn\u2019t engage with the content within these resources. <\/span>Early in the transition to remote work, I spent many hours <\/span>actually reading<\/span> archival materials<\/span>, transcribing the information,<\/span> then later proofreading these tr<\/span>anscriptions. <\/span>I <\/span>spe<\/span>n<\/span>t most of my time<\/span> transcribing a Mid<\/span>western woman’s diary that she kept throughout the early 1910s through the 1940s<\/span>, <\/span>and I was struck with the<\/span> overlooked<\/span> value <\/span>of<\/span> local and historical artifac<\/span>t<\/span>s<\/span> as I read her entries<\/span>. I started seeing names of towns in Iowa that I had never heard of,<\/span> some of which are ghost towns now that you can still<\/span> visit and<\/span> see remnants of in some cases. <\/span>I<\/span> also<\/span> began to comprehend the complex yet mundane nature of housewife <\/span>life in these decades, and the complete restructuring of daily <\/span>chores<\/span> due to <\/span>new<\/span> technolog<\/span>ies<\/span>.<\/span> In this way, I felt like I was learning<\/span> new information<\/span> while working, which is a very special experience.<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite parts of working at the library is seeing a wide array of books and their unique covers,<\/span> but I have rarely followed-up with materials that looked interesting to me. My experience with remote <\/span>w<\/span>ork<\/span> has <\/span>reminded me of the value of libraries and how I should utilize my access to<\/span> this<\/span> incredible resource more often once back on campus. <\/span>There are surprising things to learn in unexpected places<\/span>, and I\u2019m excited to return to the library with a renewed <\/span>curiosity of<\/span> the content of the materials that I process<\/span> at the library<\/span>. For now, I\u2019m also extremely grateful to be able to work remotely.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/a>
Photo caption: Bones wanted to read A Textbook of Stationery Binding<\/em> with me <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Like many, the shift from the original format of work, classes, and life to our current digital routines has been strange<\/span> for me<\/span>. A handful of months ago I would have been stamping, taping, and marking away on books or happily creeping my way through the stacks with a cart full of periodicals to put away. The innate peacefulness of the library <\/span>is <\/span>appealing to me and I have always been the kind of person who values being able to work with my hands. <\/span>Nowadays I spend most of my work time <\/span>on my laptop.<\/span> Though the physicality of working in the Main Library was often a big part of why I enjoyed it, the n<\/span>ew mode of working is no less <\/span>inter<\/span>e<\/span>sting<\/span>. Whereas before I found satisfaction in the straightforward, hands-on tasks, now I <\/span>engage more with the information that the library contains rather than the books that hold it. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this<\/span> is not to say that this change has gone perfectly smooth for me. As I have mentioned, I am a very hands-on person<\/span>– it felt like second nature for me to turn off my brain and tune in to good music or a podcast and after blinking I would ha<\/span>ve a stack of books marked and ready for the next step in the process. <\/span>The lack of physical evidence of my work along with <\/span>operating <\/span>in my own home at my own <\/span>pace <\/span>can make it difficult to focus. <\/span>The blurring of home and work means I often work at my kitchen table or <\/span>occasionally<\/span> sitting in my bedroom<\/span> with my cat trying his hardest to <\/span>join in on weekly video calls with coworkers<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, my experience in this new way of working has been good. I\u2019ve learned a lot about myself and what I value in my job, as well as a lot about the digital side to the library and all the historical records we have. While I certainly miss the old functions of my job, <\/span>I’m glad to have been able to keep connecte<\/span>d to my coworkers and <\/span>look forward to seeing what work looks like as we move toward the fall semester. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quinn<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the environment, the hands-on tasks, the coworkers I have come to know, and the library collection I interact with, my job has really come to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had at the university. Generally, I would walk into work, clock-in, say a quick hello to my coworkers, and grab a stack of books to start on. As a <\/span>book-lover<\/span> myself, it felt therapeutic to be both surrounded by books and constantly working with them. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the shutdowns began, I had the privilege of still being employed by the libraries for the remainder of the spring semester and the summer, but the environment, coworkers, and collections I interacted with throughout the week<\/span>, as you may expect,<\/span> drastically changed. Instead of my pre-pandemic routine, I now usually grab a glass of lemonade before sitting down at the laptop in my childhood home to work on checking the archived university websites. I manually compare the archived versions with the live version of the site to check for any glaring differences, as well as click on all the links to make sure that the entire website and its content was correctly preserved. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although I know the importance of maintaining our digital archives and find them very informative, I cannot tell you how much I miss working directly with books. There\u2019s a certain kind of satisfaction to marking an entire row of books, knowing they could be in the hands of a reader so shortly. Online, most people won\u2019t check the archives of a website from this year until major changes have occurred where someone would want to see the past versions. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will say that I appreciate the opportunities that these changes have brought.<\/span> For example,<\/span> I wasn\u2019t <\/span>at all <\/span>aware of the university<\/span> digital<\/span> web<\/span> archive<\/span> before I started working with <\/span>it<\/span>, and <\/span>through this project, I<\/span> have stumbled across <\/span>work<\/span> like the <\/span>Art & Life in Africa<\/span><\/a> website<\/span>. This site<\/span> compiles information on <\/span>art from dozen<\/span>s of African cultu<\/span>res<\/span> and puts the art in<\/span>to<\/span> context of <\/span>a <\/span>piece\u2019s <\/span>local history and customs. <\/span>There\u2019s also<\/span> Feminae<\/span><\/a>, an index for content on medieval women, gender, and sexuality.<\/span> Both<\/span> sites <\/span>would<\/span> make <\/span>fantastic resource<\/span>s for any research<\/span> (as well as <\/span>just being <\/span>enjoyable <\/span>to scroll throug<\/span>h<\/span>)<\/span>, and even though they are easily accessed through the university websites, <\/span>free of <\/span>any paywalls, I had no clue they were out there. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, I<\/span> still miss my previous job and my coworkers. I enjoy our weekly Zoom meetings t<\/span>o discuss any updates or struggles we have with these new tasks, and hopefully one day near in the future we can convene offline.<\/span> I look forward to the day when healthcare professionals determine that it is safe to return to the libraries. Until then, I will be scouring the digital archives for errors, and hopefully in a few years, someone will find it interesting to look back on the university webpages during the pandemic of 2020.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"White<\/a>
Photo caption: Bones, our unofficial mascot, prepares to get to work on A Textbook Stationary Binding; <\/em>photo courtesy of Vanessa Perez<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As part time interim Preservation Processing Coordinator in the UI Libraries Preservation Department, one of my main duties is to supervise the student staff who do the day to day marking work for new acquisitions and items that need to be reprocessed for one reason or another. From January to early spring of this year,Continue reading “The Preservation Student Staff Remote Work Experience Spring\/Summer 2020”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":5176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,11,68,47],"tags":[72,70,74,71,73,75,69],"syndication":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5165"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5165"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5293,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5165\/revisions\/5293"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5165"},{"taxonomy":"syndication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/syndication?post=5165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}