COVID Keepers: Maintaining Strategies for Motivation, Encouragement, and Teamwork Throughout a Pandemic

Background: During the 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, leadership and employees at an academic health sciences library developed new ways to connect with one another, maintain morale, and remain productive. Some of these strategies were more successful than others, especially those used to address daily communication with work colleagues and reactions to the trauma of experiencing a pandemic, including many personal losses and the disruption of our regular work routines. After simple assessments, the successful strategies were identified and remain a permanent part of doing business at our library.

Description: The Covid-19 pandemic was a significant disruption to work life and over time, it became clear that different approaches were needed to address issues of morale, productivity, and the high levels of stress. Informal conversations among health science library leaders frequently focused on these issues, but very little is published about new approaches of working together at a distance in health sciences libraries. We aim to fill that gap with a simple assessment of new strategies such as weekly All Staff Meetings, the use of Teams as a main communication channel, and the introduction of virtual wellness challenges. As we transitioned to a mix of telecommuting and work in the library, strategies were adjusted, and new methods were employed including the creation of a 4-question survey to invite more and anonymous feedback while increasing communication across the library.

Conclusion: Attendance, participation, and feedback became the hallmarks of success or failure of strategies employed at one academic health sciences library. These simple assessments allowed us to determine the best approaches to manage communication, morale, and high levels of stress. Our work lives continue to change because the pandemic has not been eradicated and as the result of trying new mixes of telecommuting and working in the library building. Review of the responses to the 4-question survey as well as the amount of employee participation in methods deployed will provide the assessment to new or adjusted approaches. As we make note of successful methods, we will continue those strategies as mechanisms to maintain high morale, improve communication, and reduce stress.