COVID-19 – Page 3 – OPEN SHELF

Amplifying the voices of school libraries: Summer lending programs

During the 2020 OLA Super Conference, the voices of Canadian school libraries came together to share, discuss and celebrate the incredible work in K-12 school library learning commons in Canada. In the upcoming months, It's elementary will highlight authors and papers from the conference.

It's Elementary: Thoughts About School Libraries

Phone-a-friend: SOLS helps libraries (pandemic or not)

Remember the TV game show, Cash Cab? Contestants could try to answer questions on their own, but if they got stuck, they could phone a friend. The Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) is like that friend who you can call or turn to for an answer.

Features

Animal therapy or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the quarantine

From therapy animals to household pets to wildlife, many of us know firsthand the power that animals have to improve our mood and add healthy behaviours to our lives. Especially during a crisis.

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Hospital librarianship during the COVID-19 pandemic

I’m still going to work because, while I’m a librarian, my library serves hospital leadership and front-line health workers.

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Remote readers’ advisory

Across the country, libraries are closed but library staff are still working hard to provide remote programming and virtual services, including RA.

Readers' Advisory

The wrong side of the digital divide

COVID-19 has definitely created new access needs. Unfortunately, not everyone has a well-equipped home office that comes with internet access, which is where the public library can help.

Trees and Forests

Home-schooling and job seeking during a pandemic

Both the library closure and the closure of all publicly funded schools and child care centres after March break have left me curious to know which online resources will assist me and other parents like me who now find themselves with home-schooling responsibilities.

Wildcard*

No Fool’s Day

We at Open Shelf didn’t publish an April Fool’s issue .. now is not the time for pranks, even those focused on satirical articles, short stories and mystery podcasts. What do people (readers) need right now? Positivity and something to do.

From the Editor

What’s happening at school?

The Ontario Ministry of Education has been releasing official announcements related to public schools in the province since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. Each announcement has led to another phase in remote teaching and learning in Ontario.

It's Elementary: Thoughts About School Libraries

Memes make the world go round

These are tough and uncertain times, and we must take the COVID-19 situation very seriously. But we still have to stop and find joy and happiness wherever we can find it. I think for many people, humour is going to get us through this situation.

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Pandemic photo voices

I think of a photo voice as a tool that encourages me to use visual images to reflect upon my experiences—a different, perhaps even…

Features