Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Saying No To Say Yes: Mediating Student Technology Needs In Times Of Crisis, Catherine Fonseca, Rita Premo, Hilary Smith

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This chapter details the mediating role embraced by the SSU Library in managing university-wide technology and learning challenges during an unanticipated pivot to remote instruction and is organized according to lessons learned. Responding to COVID disruptions in real time, we identified key areas where our expertise and relationships allowed us to advocate for and support students, while also saying no or limiting our participation in others. Limiting the services provided during a crisis to only those that fit within the core scope of our mission was a powerful tactic that libraries should exercise often and widely communicate. Rather than answering …