The Libraries at UF are currently open, but no one knows what’s coming, and folks who are approved are working remotely, and everyone is preparing to move to work remotely if needed. I know loads of folks are doing the same, or have already moved fully remote-online. Like others, we have many help guides, new trainings, and resources to help people with tools/connectively to work remotely. We’re also working on resources and practices that are socio-technical, to make managing remote teams work and remote work successful for the work and workers. One of our guides is here: https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/lts/remote-teams
In working to ensure everyone is ready to work remotely, there’s a lot that I have taken as a given for what’s required for work. My teams and professional communities are always able to be connected and work, which is often an undue burden on folks and which creates perpetual work. It isn’t always this way for everyone, and that’s a good thing. As we get people onboarded to working remotely, we also want to onboard them to the best we have to offer, and what we know from the best and worst of being digital/IT folks. We want good working conditions, work-life balance, and technology that enables and oppresses. It’s a lot of work to get everyone up for working remote, and it will be more work to help establish and maintain community work practices and expectations.
I’m happy to be in a place where we can do the least harm in this process, and hopefully set up conditions for greater understanding and support for all of us who do remote work. I’m also also heartened to see and be part of all of us pulling together in solidarity. Like all of us, I’d rather be pulling for the next good thing, instead of protecting against the bad, but I’m always happy to be together with us. As we say in the south, it’s good to be in solidarity, y’all.