ABSTRACTS AND BIOGRAPHIES
Name: Dr. Natalie Negrón-Torrens, Puerto Rico
Abstract
The Mother María Teresa Guevara Library of the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico has always been a place of great resilience and innovation. We have adapted constantly to meet the needs of new library users. Our facilities are state of the art with meeting rooms, Internet access, printing, activities for visitors and attentive staff who offer technological assistance and advice on the effective search for information.
Faced with the challenge of re-imagining the resources and services of the library within the COVID 19, the University of Sagrado Corazón positioned the Library as an essential component in the academic and student experience. This response was called “Operation: Library free of walls”. In this presentation you will learn all about our transition to a library without walls and how strategic design thinking fostered a remote library full of creativity, collaboration and solidarity. Initiatives include: Virtual Reference Services and Electronic Services, Community Workshops and more.
Bio Data
Dr. Natalie Negron-Torrens has professional experience in the field of Youth Development, Social Work, Project Management, Teaching and Research. She has dedicated her career to serving students on their path to academic, professional, and personal success. She is a social worker, leader and educator, who has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Puerto Rico, a Master of Science in Social Work, from the Columbia University School of Social Work, in New York City. In addition, she has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work; from the University of Puerto Rico, and has completed a course with the American Library Association, in Library Management.
Dr. Negron-Torrens has excelled professionally in working with young people from marginalized and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. As an Educational Leader in the Higher Education scene, she has directed federal projects focused on student success and has recently been leading the Library of the University of the Sacred Heart, with the vision of positioning this center as a place to promote active learning, culture and wellness.
Name: Devika Ramsingh, Florida, United State
Abstract
The Valencia College libraries were plunged in a completely virtual environment in March 2020. Even though many of our resources were already online, we, as librarians, had to adapt to communicating and providing services virtually only.
The eight campuses came together online and developed a strategy to assist our students during this pandemic with one voice. We had to promote our online resources more compellingly since the majority of our student interactions before the pandemic were face to face. We had to cohesively come up with ways to make all students aware that even though we are physically closed, we are still available online to meet their research needs.
This required the utilization of our LibGuide services to promote our virtual reference service. We developed research modules for our students and just in time workshops for our students and faculty. We also offered both synchronous and asynchronous online library instructions.
Bio Data
Devika Ramsingh has a career span of more than twelve years as a librarian. Prior to attaining her current position of Librarian at Valencia College, Devika held the position of Special Collections Professional at the Miami Dade College for three years and Manager, Republic Bank Library and information Resources Center at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (Trinidad) for nine years. Having attained a Bachelor of Arts (History), she pursued a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, and then a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Information Systems (PGd. MIS) and an Executive Masters in Business Education (EMBA) from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business. In addition to the above qualifications, Devika also pursued courses relating to the
Digital Professor, Copyright and Related Rights, Knowledge Management and IT Management. Her research interests include library value and impact, outcomes assessment, evidence-based decision making, information literacy, information services, knowledge management, information systems, digital librarianship, strategic planning, Open Education Resources (OER), and organizational behavior.
Names: Jolie Rajah & Mariella Pilgrim
Abstract
As part of Trinidad and Tobago’s national management of the COVID-19 health crisis, all educational institutions (including school and academic libraries) were physically closed during March 2020 and are likely to remain closed to students until the end of the year. The Alma Jordan Library’s (AJL) responses to this change in operations at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, from primarily on-site and face-to-face to remote and virtual involve deepening and widening existing services and resources as well as redesigning strategic services and resources, supported by the widespread promotion of these offerings. Email, Ask a Librarian service, video, and chat messenger, which have always been in use at the Library, are currently the core communication platforms for reference, research, and thesis consultations. The AJL continues to emphasize the use of electronic teaching and research resources, but now with a focus on open educational resources (OER) and temporary access to expanded database content. Moreover, the Library extensively shares the availability of these services and resources with the Campus community via email, The AJL’s website, and social media, highlighting online research guides, frequently asked questions, and more. Since the Library re-opened to staff in July 2020, the reference and research service offerings are evolving.
Bio Data: Ms. Jolie Rajah
Since 2011, Jolie Rajah has been the Law Librarian at the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Her primary responsibilities include collection development, reference and research services and information literacy instruction.
Ms. Rajah holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College (now Simmons University), Boston; a postgraduate diploma in International Relations from the Institute of International Relations, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine (UWI); a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish, with Communication Studies (minor) from the Faculty of Humanities and Education, The UWI. In 2017, she attained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London.
Ms. Rajah has served as Vice President of CARALL (2014-2016) and as Public Relations Officer of The Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago—LATT (2009-2011; 2011-2013).
Bio Data: Mrs. Mariella Pilgrim
Mrs. Mariella Pilgrim is the Head of User Services at the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies. Prior to this, she held the post of Co-ordinator of User Services and Faculty Liaison Librarian, Engineering and Physical Sciences Division. Ms. Pilgrim also has professional experience working in the Technical Services Section of the library where she held the post of Acquisitions Librarian before moving to User Services. She holds a Master of Library and Information Sciences from the University of Toronto Canada and a BSc in Sociology and Management from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. Ms. Pilgrim also served as Vice President (2013-2015) and Programme Co-ordinator (2011-2013) of the Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
Name of presenter: Ms Veronica Abdala
Abstract
Present the proposal for the development of a Virtual Health Library (VHL) Instance for the English Caribbean, as a strategy for integrating efforts and information resources, prioritizing to facilitate the access to scientific and technical information for professionals, researchers, students and decision makers interested in, acting on, or making decisions on health area in the Caribbean region.
The starting point is the MEDCARIB Network, and the experience of some Caribbean countries with the development of the VHL, in addition to other successful examples of regional initiatives such as the VHL Nursing and the VHL Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Americas. Although this proposal is not new and, in fact, the idea has been maturing for some time and the opportunity has come to discuss the topic in an expanded forum such as ACURIL and, if approved, to advance the definition of management governance, network coordination and cooperation flow for the development of the Caribbean VHL.
Bio Data
Verônica Abdala is a librarian and has been working for more than 20 years in the management and development of health information services and sources, at the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information of PAHO (BIREME/PAHO/WHO) , where she is the manager of information products and services. Coordinates technical cooperation projects for the application of the Virtual Health Library Model (VHL) in platforms and portals that organize, promote and facilitate the access and use of knowledge in policies, strategies and decisions in the health area and in the countries of America Latin America and the Caribbean.
Name: Mrs. Margot Thomas
Abstract
Mrs. Margot Thomas will make a presentation on the impact of Covid 19 and how adjustments had to be made to serve researchers, keep on track with milestones and projections, and work with staff especially with the second wave of the virus fuelled by community spread which began in early November. She shall also focus on what good if any can come out of coping with the virus.
Bio Data
Margot Thomas - Chair Archives, Records, Museum SIG is the National Archivist of Saint Lucia since 1992. She is a qualified teacher, author and artist. She read for a BA (Hons) in English with History at UWI, Cave Hill (1982) followed by an MA in Archives Administration and Records Management, University College, London (1992).
Name: Miss Aisha Baptiste
Abstract
This presentation seeks to highlight some of the major steps the West Indiana & Special Collections have implemented to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols for Libraries and Archives. Since the collection is a hybrid archival space, it will be obvious that the measures were customized to suit this specific framework. While most of the new policies and procedures were instituted at the end of the ‘stay-home’ period, others were put in place during the early stages of the library’s re-opening as the pandemic has proven to be a very fluid situation as various challenges arise. Combatting Covid-19 continues to be a work in progress.
Bio Data
Aisha Baptiste is a Senior Library Assistant at the West Indiana & Special Collections, The University of the West Indies and has worked with the UWI since 1998. She has an avid interest in historical research and processing special collections. She has organized several manuscripts, personal papers and special collections, including the Max Beverly Ifill Papers, The Muslimeen Coup Documents, Lystra Lewis Collection and the John Bullbrook Papers. She is currently attached to the Eric Williams Memorial Collection: Library/Museum/Archive.