Vol. 7 No. 1 (2022): Journal of New Librarianship
Columns

Come Together, Right Now, Virtually

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Zoe Bastone
University of Tennessee
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/11/1

Published 2022-01-22

Keywords

  • academic libraries,
  • virtual learning commons,
  • whole-person librarianship,
  • wellbeing

How to Cite

Bastone, Z. (2022). Come Together, Right Now, Virtually. Journal of New Librarianship, 7(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.33011/newlibs/11/1

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a driving force for academic libraries to reexamine how they provide services and support to their communities. This was certainly the case at my academic branch library, where we were also preparing for a major construction project that was slated to begin during the fall 2020 semester. The combination of these two circumstances complicated the question of how to engage students safely and effectively when the library was more inaccessible than ever before. In order to meet students where they were, I collaborated with the coordinator for student life and diversity to develop a virtual learning commons that supports intellectual, social, physical, and mental wellbeing. This column will explore the process of creating the Virtual Learning Commons and provide reflections for how this tool has become a necessary component of the student experience.

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