Title of Presentation
Presentation Type
Presentation
Conference Track
Open Access: Social Justice, OER, Open Research
Description
At Multnomah County Library, virtual service help over 107,000 community members each year through email, text, and telephone, patrons are managing library accounts, using materials, asking reference questions, and receiving tech support. Two years ago, Multnomah County Library developed a centralized service model to gain efficiency and consistency in serving patrons virtually.
Virtual service provides convenience for some and breaks down barriers of access for others, especially vulnerable populations. Virtual services can present a challenging working environment. There are less social cues to read, for better of worse; direct communication is necessary. Monitoring behavior issues and collaborating with colleagues can difficult during busy hours. Small solutions are the way forward to serving the public and promoting equity in library work.
Learning Outcomes
-Strategies to interrupt microaggressions virtually
-Best practices for technology troubleshooting virtually
-Practical language to substitute for library jargon
Start Date
29-3-2019 2:15 PM
End Date
29-3-2019 3:00 PM
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/28081
Subjects
Multnomah County Library -- management, Electronic reference services (Libraries), Equity, Libraries and minorities -- Oregon -- Portland
Promoting Equity with Virtual Library Service
At Multnomah County Library, virtual service help over 107,000 community members each year through email, text, and telephone, patrons are managing library accounts, using materials, asking reference questions, and receiving tech support. Two years ago, Multnomah County Library developed a centralized service model to gain efficiency and consistency in serving patrons virtually.
Virtual service provides convenience for some and breaks down barriers of access for others, especially vulnerable populations. Virtual services can present a challenging working environment. There are less social cues to read, for better of worse; direct communication is necessary. Monitoring behavior issues and collaborating with colleagues can difficult during busy hours. Small solutions are the way forward to serving the public and promoting equity in library work.
