The Leadership Role of Scholarly Communications in the COVID-19 Crisis: A Case Study

Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to present the case of how the Systems and Scholarly Communications Unit at Duquesne University’s Gumberg Library provided leadership and support for library management during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020. After a brief introduction of the working situation of the department, the chapter describes the leadership disposition of the unit going into the crisis, and follows with how that disposition guided the work of the unit throughout the opening months of COVID-19. The chapter will be useful for those who need to consider the crisis opportunities available to Systems and Scholarly Communications units at mid-tier academic libraries.

At a time when many have had the opportunity to work from home for the first time, librarians and others who work in libraries have had to learn many things. Flexibility, working in new spaces, and adapting to new tasks are among a few of the challenges. New skills such as how to conduct effective meetings over video conference, how to carve out home office spaces to reduce noise while maximizing ergonomics, and how to graciously work through periods of weak Internet connectivity both from our own connections and those of our colleagues were expected after only a brief transition period.

Some of the skills that have proven useful during the COVID-19 crisis however are not new at all, but have been cast in a new light, and have revealed new possibilities and opportunities for collaboration. One area in particular where this has proven true is in Scholarly Communications. Scholarly Communications claims its own place among other library units with the specialized knowledge and skillset ranging from digitization standards and archival preservation requirements to knowledge of copyright laws and author rights and responsibilities. While this knowledge and skill set does meet very specialized needs, it is also true that many units across the library bring skills that can contribute to improving the collections represented in the digital and archival repositories that come under the responsibilities of Scholarly Communications.

Under normal circumstances, there would hardly be a need to explore how a cataloging unit, an Interlibrary Loan clerk, or even a library administrator could contribute to the efforts of Scholarly Communications, but during a time of crisis, a willingness emerged that drove others to think beyond traditional organizational boundaries. The Systems and Scholarly Communications unit at Gumberg Library possessed the correct leadership disposition and management flexibility to allow other departments to explore how their departments could contribute to the projects housed within Scholarly Communications.