What are the innovations of the university library since we are in this new normal right now?
“Since last year during the pandemic, we have started our online processes. All requests were done through google form and its being emailed to us by our clienteles. Different innovations were made like for example, the chat with your librarian linked in our website wherein the students and faculty can just simply chat with us their concerns and we make sure to be responsive as possible. Also in our official website, we have posted the different links of our subscription and the open access databases so they can easily access it. These are free and our students can simply click on those links for the materials they need. These innovations are working well and we are happy to be of service to our students despite the challenges we are facing right now. In fact, our website and Facebook are gaining more views. Our official facebook page is ISATU Library and our new acquisitions are all posted there since we have wider scope of coverage and this is the most common platform our students are using.”
What are the challenges you have experienced in giving services to our students since the pandemic started?
Making the resources available to our students while considering their safety and protection was our main concern during the height of the pandemic. We have to plan out the best possible way for us to still continue giving services to our clienteles especially our students without putting their safety at stake. Of course, the main platform is through online and after those trials and error, we were able to pull off everything and helped graduate school students graduate despite the pandemic. Undergraduate students were also catered through online requests especially with their thesis references. Although taxing because we need to photocopy and scan the documents and send it back to the students but we have to do whatever we can do help them reach their dream of finishing their degree.
I miss seeing students in the four corners of this library and at times, I also miss to chat with them and seeing them physically is totally different that chatting with them online. This library was filled with uniformed students 2 years ago but now, the halls and pathways are emptied and it makes me feel sad in a way. But this is the new normal we are living right now and all we can do is to adopt and adjust.
What’s the development with our on-going library construction?
The construction of this three-story building is still ongoing and is already 91 percent work in progress and we hope that by the end of this year, the construction will be completed. We have already started packing some of our books actually and we are ready to transfer anytime soon and give better services to our clienteles.
Our soon-to-be new library has an elevator and censored doors and on the third floor there will be a mezzanine and a roof deck with wood flooring which was designed by our very own architects.
We look forward for the completion of this big project.
