On the University’s COVID-19 web site, there is a page that provides specific recommendations to staff who are working remotely: COVID-19 Updates for the Emory Community: Staff
These guidelines were originally created by the libraries’ leadership in response to this crisis; subsequently they have been adopted by the University. We recommend that you look through the guidelines in the above link before reviewing the information below.
Report when you are sick. If you are not feeling well, for any reason, contact your supervisor and/or colleagues as you would normally.
Request time off in advance. If you need to take some vacation time, request that time from your supervisor as you would normally.
Within the libraries, we use a variety of productivity tools that can help make remote work easier. Many of these are outlined in the University’s Remote Work Guidelines. Below are specific tips for libraries’ staff.
Integration with LibCal. For staff that regularly work with faculty and students, they will need to know your availability for remote consultations and questions. If you use LibCal for scheduling consultations, make certain your Outlook Calendar is up to date so that your LibCal calendar will properly reflect the times you are available.
Do upload a picture if you can. If you can’t use video, consider uploading a picture of yourself in the Profile on your Zoom account. This photo of you will display when you aren’t using video.
Take time for questions and check chat if you are running the Zoom meeting. In Zoom meetings with a number of people, make certain you provide time for participants to ask questions. Realize it may be hard for people to know when to jump into a conversation without being able to see each other. Some may ask questions in chat rather than speaking up, so be certain to keep the chat window visible.
To facilitate communication amongst staff, the libraries have set up a Slack workspace for the libraries’ staff. Slack is a popular communication tool in companies, but also libraries. A number of libraries and library organizations use Slack to communicate.
Participation in the Emory Libraries Slack workspace is optional, but its use will help to ensure we keep the Emory Libraries’ community communicating. You can request to join the Slack workspace by clicking the signup link below. Note that you must sign up using your Emory email address.
· Emory Libraries Slack Signup
An email will be sent to you asking you to confirm joining the Slack workspace. You’ll then get a follow up email once you have joined. You can access the Slack workspace on the web at https://emorylibraries.slack.com or via the Slack desktop app. The latter is particularly useful if you have a number of Slack workspaces you are a part of.
Slack is not currently supported University wide, however it is fairly friendly and provides a significant amount of user documentation. Below are some links to Slack tutorials and guides.
· Getting started for new members
Once you have signed into the Emory Libraries Slack, any member can create a public channel that will allow any user to contribute to a broad conversation. Likewise, any member can join a public channel or even preview a public channel; new users will automatically be added to the #general and #random channels in the libraries’ Slack workspace.
Finally, users can direct message one another or create a group direct message with up to 8 users in it. Private channels can only be created by workspace administrators. If you would like a private channel, please direct message Rosalyn Metz via the Emory Libraries Slack Workspace.
LinkedIn Learning bridges the gap between the career you want and the skills you need. This summer, Lynda.com transitioned to the LinkedIn Learning platform. LinkedIn has owned Lynda since 2015 and this transition retired the Lynda brand, relaunching it as LinkedIn Learning. Emory users should now login directly at LinkedIn Learning.